1998 Cavalier Wont Stay Started! Anti Theft Stays On!

Have you tried a new battery in the key fob?

Tony

I shaved the key locks off so i dont have it i had a remote starter adn alarm but it screwed the engine up badly a few years ago so we got rid of it so we cant lock the car now we had to cut the ires to the alarm we bought cuz it kept locking the doors on us automatically so we got locked out the car a few times but thats been a year ago

Lyn has some good info on the anti theft systems. I believe the fuel injector signals are interrupted in the anti theft mode.

Go back to the last time it worked correctly. What has changed since the car worked correctly?

There should be a red plastic wire terminal end along the driver's side front fender in front of the master cylinder area. You should be able to find it from the side of the hood opening. This wire is connected directly to the in tank electric fuel pump. This will allow you to determine when and if the fuel pump is running.

Have you checked for spark? There is a fitting on the fuel line under the hood that will allow you to check the fuel pressure. If you do not have a fuel pressure gauge, just use a small Phillips screwdriver to push in the valve in the middle of it. Just be sure to have a rag around it to catch that 50 psi gasoline.

The fuel pump system on these cars uses the oil pressure switch to power the fuel pump after it is running. The pump is turned on for about one second when the key is first turned to the run position. And then it is activated by the fuel pump relay while cranking. After that it is powered by the oil pressure switch. Any oil pressure issues?

Time for some testing. Good luck.

Does it start with the key, but stops when the key is released? If so, check the ballast resistor and the wires to and from it. (I don't know my cars well enough--it might have resistor wire instead of a ballast resistor.) Reason: in the start position I think the coil voltage goes a different path in order to get 12 volts to the coil, but this changes to the path with the resistor to get maybe 6 volts for running.

When G M went to the electronic ignitions in 74-75, they gave up the resistor system, and now use direct battery voltage to the coil.