car wont start and now gauges wont work!

**AB'sLs1** · 03-31-2013, 02:31 PM

Hey guys. Well like the title states my car won't start. I have a 98 camaro and one day after a drive the car just failed to turn over. So after some research I determined that it was my vats system. So I performed the vats bypass just like the stickie on here told me to do. While I was attempting to start the car I was jumping it as well and then after about third time I tried to crank it over the gauges stopped working and so did everything inside the car. The headlights work and the battery has plenty of juice but nothing inside the car works. So now I'm thinking I may have shorted out my BCM some how but I'm not sure how. So I guess I'm just looking for someone to confirm with me or give me another idea.... any help is welcome guys

**pajeff02** · 04-01-2013, 08:28 AM

Start by checking your fuses.

***SMWS6TA*** · 04-01-2013, 10:21 AM

if you fried the bcm you would have issues with windows, radio, and vats. nothing with the instrument cluster.

Like Jeff said check fuses first. It could even be a bad ground, maybe pulled it loose while doing the vats mod

**AB'sLs1** · 04-01-2013, 10:35 AM

I checked all the visible fuses. The panel behind the drivers side door and the 2 boxes under the hood. All those fuses looked fine. Is there another fuse box or inline fuse around that area that I should check?

**AB'sLs1** · 04-01-2013, 10:38 AM

The windows, radio, and the blower motor is all not functional right now either....

***SMWS6TA*** · 04-01-2013, 10:49 AM

pull the bcm. make sure it's connected right, try again. If not working pull the bcm look to see if it has any scorch marks

**AB'sLs1** · 04-01-2013, 11:25 AM

I did that as well. I saw no visible signs that anything would be wrong but I'm not the best with electronics so I wasn't sure if there was more to it then just looking at it. I did not on the other hand look for a bad ground.

**cammed goat** · 04-01-2013, 04:37 PM

Check your grounds. You checked your relays too, right?

**AB'sLs1** · 04-01-2013, 04:58 PM

I looked at my relays but I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at or how to check them. Are there any key grounds I should check? Based off of what u guys r saying it seems like I should hold off on ordering a new bcm for now.

**cammed goat** · 04-01-2013, 05:50 PM

I am not familiar with the F-body BCMs, but do they have a fuse themself? I know the GTOs do.

**pajeff02** · 04-01-2013, 06:08 PM

Has the car started at all since the VATS bypass?

**AB'sLs1** · 04-02-2013, 01:45 AM

I didn't see any fuses just for the bcm but I can always look again.

No the car has not started yet since doing the bypass. I did discover that my resistance was off. Idk if that would have something to do with it?

**pajeff02** · 04-02-2013, 03:35 AM

Absolutely. I think it allows for a 5% - 10% variation, or something like that.

**AB'sLs1** · 04-02-2013, 04:04 AM

Would that also explain y nothing else is working?

**shawnalong** · 04-02-2013, 05:35 AM

Have same issue guys...done what u suggested...dint work!!

**pajeff02** · 04-02-2013, 12:23 PM

Not 100% on this, but I believe that VATS may disable fuel and spark to the engine. Not sure what else it shuts down, if anything. How did you make the determination that VATS was the issue? You may have more than one thing going on here.

**AB'sLs1** · 04-02-2013, 01:46 PM

I'm not saying that vats is the issue. I'm just saying that all this happened after I tried doing the vats bypass. Ii know that vats was the issue before my gauges, radio, window, and blower motor stopped working. So I am assuming there is another issue and thats why I was thinking I blew up my BCM but unfortunately I'm not thinking that's the issue anymore but I'm not sure..

**cammed goat** · 04-02-2013, 03:19 PM

Sounds like you might have caused a voltage spike somewhere. Do you have a test light? You might have to go over ALL your fuses with the test light to see if you are getting constant voltage or if you possibly fried a wire somewhere. If anything, test the pins in the OBD port.

**AB'sLs1** · 04-02-2013, 03:55 PM

I do not have a test light. I have never done this much with electronics so this is all kinda new to me bit I'm trying to learn.

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I do not have a test light. I have never done this much with electronics so this is all kinda new to me bit I'm trying to learn.

**KMdef9** · 04-02-2013, 04:22 PM

Fuse for your cluster is in the IP fuse block, #9. If your using a test light to test this specific circuit, the key must be in the run position. Pull the fuse and see if you get the switched power by inserting your test light into the open terminal where the fuse gets inserted. I can't recall which blade insert will have power, but one will while the other won't. Be sure to test you have a good ground first, using a known constant power source. Some fuses, and fuse terminals, can actually be tested with the fuse inserted. They'll have opening on the top, over each blade. If the fuse is good and the circuit is getting power, your test light will light up for both sides with the fuse inserted.