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Thread: Help with VATS problem

  1. #1
    Tuner in Training
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    Question Help with VATS problem

    Having fought with this swap I am down to one problem that I can't figure out. I set the VATS to none with HPtuners and turn off the related DTC's. The first time after writing the tune to the ECM the engine starts and runs. Turn the key off and try to restart and no injector pulses. Set the VATS to Serial the engine does the same thing. No DTC codes, but when I look at the injectors with HPtuners they are all disabled and I can not change their state. Does anyone have any ideas?

    Joe Sokol (Fieroking)

  2. #2
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    Nobody has ANY ideas?

    Joe Sokol (208) 699-2648

  3. #3
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    Update. We have found out that if the battery is disconnected for 15 minutes then reconnected the engine will start and run normally. How ever if we turn off the key the try to restart the engine just cranks with no injector pluses. This is repeatable.
    Any ideas PLEASE

    Joe Sokol

  4. #4
    Potential Tuner
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    I had a similar issue it required that i get the program fixed by a third party tuner. I ended up paying someone else because the hp tuners software did not properly disable the vats fuel disable function. sorry to tell you this. But I went through about 2 weeks of going back and forth with HP tuners and them telling me that it wasn't the vats. I sent my file and it was returned in about 30 minutes i uploaded it and the car has started every time since. So yeah it was the VATS. One of the issues i see is there just isn't enough money in the V6 tuning. Everybody is in the V8 market thats were all the RD is. The V6 portion is an afterthought if it works great if not blame it on the people that bought the product.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fieroking View Post
    Nobody has ANY ideas?

    Joe Sokol (208) 699-2648
    Joe, can you list what car it was, and exactly what parameters related to VATS that you changed?

  6. #6
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    The Engine is from a 07 Buick Lucerna Wiring harness and PCM from a 06 Pontiac Grand Prix.

    1. Set the VATS value to "none"
    2. Set DTC P1626 to "3 - No Error Reported"
    3. Set DTC P1629 to "3 - No Error Reported"

    Additionally set
    4. Set DTC P1630 to "3 - No Error Reported"
    5. Set DTC P1631 to "3 - No Error Reported"

    I have also set the VATS to "Serial"

    As stated disconnect the battery for 15 minutes. the engine starts and all the values in HP Tuners look normal.
    Turn off the engine and then it won't restart. Change the VATS value to opposite of what it was set the engine starts the won't restart.

    Joe Sokol 208-699-2648

  7. #7
    Tuner JHPerformance's Avatar
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    I hate to bring this back from the dead but I have ran into this same two instances of V6 VATS giving me woes recently.
    Just sharing for those in future that run into this.
    I have deleted VATS for years for TONS of cars/trucks locally. Hptuners would not work on two vehicles for me,
    -02 Impala V6
    -98 Bonneville V6
    Both cars had VATS problems, the only way I was able to bypass it was to do the resistor trick. Tried leaving the CEL enabled switching VATS to PWM, all codes disabled no dice..
    The BCM is monitoring the VATS coms, logging VATS with Tech2Win or the VATS PID in VCM Scanner shows that VATS was valid pre and post disable. Still wouldnt take.
    Ultimately had to trace the passlock resistor values on the bonneville and hardwire the resistor in, bypassing the column and setting it all back factory with HPTuners
    With the Impala I ended up losing the job due to being at the dirt track with none of my supplies to wire in a resistor. Now after researching I see where some people flashed in a Pontiac GrandPrix OS that doesnt use BCM VATS monitor, maybe that will work for next time. Something in the software is not picking up the full VATS value, and it could be the way GM designed the OS. But I have read 5 or 6 threads where people contacted support and they told them its not a VATS issue, when I can confirm it was on mine.
    EFIlive shows a VATS none option which I have not tried on these, but HPT only has PWN and serial. May be worth digging into one day, but keep a resistor assortment in your truck for times when you are on the road on some of the older V6's.. I will also add I have had success disabling VATS on some of these older V6's but its something with the late 90s Bonneville and early 00's Impala that simply wouldnt work.
    Jake Hatfield
    Central KY

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by JHPerformance View Post
    I hate to bring this back from the dead but I have ran into this same two instances of V6 VATS giving me woes recently.
    Just sharing for those in future that run into this.
    I have deleted VATS for years for TONS of cars/trucks locally. Hptuners would not work on two vehicles for me,
    -02 Impala V6
    -98 Bonneville V6
    Both cars had VATS problems, the only way I was able to bypass it was to do the resistor trick. Tried leaving the CEL enabled switching VATS to PWM, all codes disabled no dice..
    The BCM is monitoring the VATS coms, logging VATS with Tech2Win or the VATS PID in VCM Scanner shows that VATS was valid pre and post disable. Still wouldnt take.
    Ultimately had to trace the passlock resistor values on the bonneville and hardwire the resistor in, bypassing the column and setting it all back factory with HPTuners
    With the Impala I ended up losing the job due to being at the dirt track with none of my supplies to wire in a resistor. Now after researching I see where some people flashed in a Pontiac GrandPrix OS that doesnt use BCM VATS monitor, maybe that will work for next time. Something in the software is not picking up the full VATS value, and it could be the way GM designed the OS. But I have read 5 or 6 threads where people contacted support and they told them its not a VATS issue, when I can confirm it was on mine.
    EFIlive shows a VATS none option which I have not tried on these, but HPT only has PWN and serial. May be worth digging into one day, but keep a resistor assortment in your truck for times when you are on the road on some of the older V6's.. I will also add I have had success disabling VATS on some of these older V6's but its something with the late 90s Bonneville and early 00's Impala that simply wouldnt work.
    It's not your imagination. Most of the 98-02 GM V6 cars won't work with HPT. And it's because their software switch settings are incorrect. I don't use their software, and so I have no problem deleting these 98-02 GM V6 cars. The problem with the resistor trick is that it only fools the theft module or BCM into seeing the right resistance value. That trick only works when the resistance value is the problem. But it won't do a thing for you if the problem is the BCM, or the Vehicle Theft Deterrent module, or lack thereof. But deleting VATS is fullproof, and works every time.

    Drag Radial Performance offers this mail-in service, for less than what the credits would cost anyway.