car won't start after disconnecting VTC
 

I need help from the VTC experts. When i disconnect my VTC and try to start my
car, It won't start at all!! It will only start if the VTC is connected. This is a real mystery isn't it?

You don't want to disconnect them, you want to ground them to keep them quiet.

I tried grounding them and got the same result. When I turn the key, the only thing that happens is the lights on the dash come on and thats it. The engine won't even make a sound, it's completely silent.

If you have them normally connected the car runs fine?

make sure that you tapped into the right wire I beleive it is the yellow and black one but I can't remember check the stickies...
does it start ok when you connect it??? If they are not ticking don't mess with the VTC's

My car did this a couple of times. Right after I would reconnect my grounding plug, the car would act as if it was dead. It doesn't do it anymore. In fact, it hasn't done it since I replaced my starter. Not to say that that is the answer, but I have seen what you are talking about.

yep, except for the ticking sound. I forgot to add, when I first start the car, its very quiet. The ticking gradually start to get louder as the car warms up. From there it's ticking heaven until I turn off the car.

Is there any way to test the started to see if it's really the problem in my car?

where is the starter located? I'm pretty competent around an engine, but I never looked for my starter.

Well, I'm trying to determine if my VTC's are going bad also. My car is quiet at start up and remains quiet unless it idles for over a minute or so. (like when I'm in line at a drive thru picking up food.) But if I put the car in neuteral and rev the engine, it go's away. (until it sets for another 30 seconds or so.)

bad vtcs !!!! bad !!!! hopefully my mess ups fixed soon !

mine started out exactly like you are describing and progressively got worse. You can ground them and they will stop ticking but you may get some funky idoling like I did or you can just deal with the ticking, it won't hurt anything. Or you can rebuild or replace them.

Another thing that causes ticking at startup could be broken exhaust manifold studs, so check for broken studs as well. But your problem is VTC's

I have had my grounded for over 15,000 miles. I noticed a little top-end power-loss, and a little poorer gas mileage.. But at least people don't ask how I got a deisel engine in my max anymore!!

all the perks of a diesel except the low end torque, and the better mileage, and the higher compression, and the efficinecy... and... ok it just sounds like a diesel. :goofy: