Park ave no crank condition

[Guest landtortise]

I know it's not a reatta but mechanically the same car as my pa and you guys have always been super helpful.  I have a 91 Park Ave base 3.8 it just died the other day it won't do anything when I hit the key.  I have had the VATS key tested by the dealer and have tested the started it will turn the car over when jumped across the posts.  Where do I look next relay? (Where might it be located?) ignition switch?  Help I'm at a loss?! 

Edited July 5, 2016 by landtortise (see edit history)

[rogold99]

Maybe the neutral safety switch, usually mounted on the transmission by the linkage.

 

[padgett]

That sounds like not even getting a click when you go to start. That is in section 8A-30 of the FSM. Below is the Reatta circuit. If the relay is there I'd jumper that first.

[ChrisWhewell]

On July 4, 2016 at 10:47 PM, landtortise said:

I know it's not a reatta but mechanically the same car as my pa and you guys have always been super helpful.  I have a 91 Park Ave base 3.8 it just died the other day it won't do anything when I hit the key.  I have had the VATS key tested by the dealer and have tested the started it will turn the car over when jumped across the posts.  Where do I look next relay? (Where might it be located?) ignition switch?  Help I'm at a loss?! 

 

Is there a security system ?  My 98 Riviera did the same thing, intermittently.  I installed a push switch in the cigarette lighter that I ran to the starter solenoid.   Turn the key to "run", and hit the push putton switch and voila.    Sometimes using the key fob to lock and unlock the doors worked.   Also, manually insert the key in the door and lock and unlock, that worked a couple times too.

[Guest Rp1967]

The wires in the ignition lock 

cylinder are likely broken and your chip is not being read by the VATS security system.

i bypassed mine in my 95 Lesabre by using an Ohm meter to determine the resistance of the chip and making a resistor pack that matched from parts at Radio shack.

at the base of the column you will see two tiny white wires paired in an orange sleeve .

these are the wires coming from the lock cyl 

Edited July 9, 2016 by Rp1967 (see edit history)

[Guest landtortise]

On July 4, 2016 at 10:54 PM, rogold99 said:

Maybe the neutral safety switch, usually mounted on the transmission by the linkage.

 

I've tried it in every gear and tried wiggling the shifter but i still get nothing 

[Guest landtortise]

There is no security system and when it first did this i locked it and walked home like 3 blocks and unlocked it whe I towed it home 

[Guest landtortise]

Isn't there a way to just bypass the VATS? 

[Ronnie]

This worked on a Reatta.

[Guest landtortise]

Where would the relay be located? 

[Ronnie]

6 hours ago, landtortise said:

Where would the relay be located? 

 

It is up under the dash near the parking brake mechanism according to the service manual. I didn't do the work to bypass it so I can't tell you for sure.

[Guest Rp1967]

8 hours ago, landtortise said:

Isn't there a way to just bypass the VATS? 

With a resistor pack, like described in post NO. 5

[Guest Rp1967]

One of these white wires is almost certainly broken.

you can unplug the connector at the base of the column and using in an ohm meter test across the two white wires.

should test open untill you insert the key in the ign cylinder.

then should read the resistance of the key chip.

if it is still open with key inserted , one or both wires are broken( if I had a nickle for every one I have changed)?

i bought resistors at R shack to make a resistor pack to match the chip.

thats all those old chips are a simple resistor.

Edited July 9, 2016 by Rp1967
Additional info (see edit history)

[padgett]

BTW be aware that the solenoid on the starter pulls near 10 amps and am not sure the start switch is rated for that. First I'd just tie the relay #2 to ground.