Slow start & alarm issues - Help - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

2nd94Z · 10-19-2006

Hello all, my recently purchased 94 cranks a little too long before starting,
Fuel pressure ? prom problem ?
and after buying a new battery for the Key FOB, I went through the set up procedures as in the maintenance manual, the cars dash showed ready but the Fob once brought into range never did setup, so I assumed it was bad and ordered a new one.
Now last night at 4:30 / this morning, the horn goes off until I go out and unlock the door, the alarm was not ? set, just the doors locked, any ideas, I think I have problems......

thank you very much.

Tom · 10-19-2006

ZR-1's typically crank longer than other cars. The engine has to turn over enough until all the engine position sensors index points have been read so the computer knows where the engine is in it's cycle, ie which spark plug and injector to fire.

The stock alarm is set every time you use the electric door lock switch inside the car to lock the car. Lock the car using the key and the alarm will not be set.

The owners manual explains about the locks and alarm and I would suggest purchasing a shop manual as it explains how pretty much everything in the car works. You will also need it if you are going to work on the car yourself. The back of the owners manual tells where to buy the manul, from Helm, Inc, or you can do a web search and get to their website to buy the shop manual, I believe you can also buy the owner's manual from them if you didn't get one with the car.

2nd94Z · 10-19-2006

OK Tom, thanks.
Yes I understand the longer starting procedures, mine seems a little long, however you may be right, maybe I'm impatent, but my last one did not take as long,
the horn alarm just went off ?
thanks for the setting procedure with the key, I did not read that, I do have chevy shop manuals 1 & 2.
So you know of nothing to check for the cranking time, ? any possible codes I can look for ?
thanks again.

Tom · 10-19-2006

I've had my '90 for over 15 years and sometimes it starts almost immediately and other times it cranks for what seems several seconds. I've gotten used to the sometimes long starting times since I don't really notice it any more. This website and other information was not available when I bought mine but I quickly learned that it sometimes tooke a while to start and to keep the key in the start position until the engine was definitely running or it was prone to backfiring and popping off the pcv valve and map connections.

You can follow the procedure in the shop manual to see if any codes are set, I have done this before and just got the code that says the ecm is functioning properly. You could do the fuel pressure bleed down check to make sure your fuel injectors aren't leaking and causing a slight flooding condition when the car is shut off.

Another thing that will happen with the alarm is if you have a passenger and you get out first and use the electric door lock switch to lock the car, close your door, and then the passenger unlocks their door and gets out, the alarm will go off.

2nd94Z · 10-19-2006

Thanks again Tom, will do,
on the horn, it just went off at 4:30 am all by itself ?
I had locked the car using the lock button on the drivers door.

Went out to the garage and unlocked the door and it quit.
When I bought it the FOB did not work, so I bought a battery and followed the instructions in the manual to reset, everything on the dash showed it was ready for me to bring the fob into range, however it did not show it accepted it, so I assumed the fob was bad and have ordered a new one,
I am thinking maybe my alarm system has a problem, I am reading on how to check it, but not very good on electronics, I'a a old school mechanic, give me points and carb and I can fix it ! I'm not versed on proms, ports, relays etc, at all to say the least,
thanks again.

Tom · 10-19-2006

I would try resetting the fob again, in my experience those things where you have to do everything in a certain order at certain intervals don't always work the first time. I just retry several times and if I can't get it to work I will start the troubleshooting to determine the problem. There are several things that can be flakey on '90's and sometimes the best thing to do is disconnect the battery for several minuts and start over. The radio and ac are the best examples. One time I was working on the car where I had to start it several times and finally nothing would happen, apparently I had tripped the VATS system. I quit messing with the car, locked it, came back the next day and everything was fine and I haven't had it happen again.

My ZR-1 is the first computer controlled car I have owned as well. But I have found with the basic understanding of cars you have developed already, if you read the explanation of how things are supposed to work and study the schematics you can figure out what is supposed to be happening and you can go through the troubleshooting trees and usually determine what is wrong in most cases. It just might take a while and several readings of the explanations and troubleshooting trees.

I am lucky living in southern California, when I had a problem I couldn't sort out I called Guldstrand to take the car to them to fix and they told me some other things to check first and to call them back and bring the car in if I couldn't fix it myself.

10-19-2006	#1
2nd94Z Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Little Rock, Arkansas Posts: 35	Slow start & alarm issues - Help Hello all, my recently purchased 94 cranks a little too long before starting, Fuel pressure ? prom problem ? and after buying a new battery for the Key FOB, I went through the set up procedures as in the maintenance manual, the cars dash showed ready but the Fob once brought into range never did setup, so I assumed it was bad and ordered a new one. Now last night at 4:30 / this morning, the horn goes off until I go out and unlock the door, the alarm was not ? set, just the doors locked, any ideas, I think I have problems...... thank you very much.

10-19-2006	#2
Tom Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Southern CA Posts: 108	Re: Slow start & alarm issues - Help ZR-1's typically crank longer than other cars. The engine has to turn over enough until all the engine position sensors index points have been read so the computer knows where the engine is in it's cycle, ie which spark plug and injector to fire. The stock alarm is set every time you use the electric door lock switch inside the car to lock the car. Lock the car using the key and the alarm will not be set. The owners manual explains about the locks and alarm and I would suggest purchasing a shop manual as it explains how pretty much everything in the car works. You will also need it if you are going to work on the car yourself. The back of the owners manual tells where to buy the manul, from Helm, Inc, or you can do a web search and get to their website to buy the shop manual, I believe you can also buy the owner's manual from them if you didn't get one with the car.

10-19-2006	#3
2nd94Z Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Little Rock, Arkansas Posts: 35	Re: Slow start & alarm issues - Help OK Tom, thanks. Yes I understand the longer starting procedures, mine seems a little long, however you may be right, maybe I'm impatent, but my last one did not take as long, the horn alarm just went off ? thanks for the setting procedure with the key, I did not read that, I do have chevy shop manuals 1 & 2. So you know of nothing to check for the cranking time, ? any possible codes I can look for ? thanks again.

10-19-2006	#4
Tom Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Southern CA Posts: 108	Re: Slow start & alarm issues - Help I've had my '90 for over 15 years and sometimes it starts almost immediately and other times it cranks for what seems several seconds. I've gotten used to the sometimes long starting times since I don't really notice it any more. This website and other information was not available when I bought mine but I quickly learned that it sometimes tooke a while to start and to keep the key in the start position until the engine was definitely running or it was prone to backfiring and popping off the pcv valve and map connections. You can follow the procedure in the shop manual to see if any codes are set, I have done this before and just got the code that says the ecm is functioning properly. You could do the fuel pressure bleed down check to make sure your fuel injectors aren't leaking and causing a slight flooding condition when the car is shut off. Another thing that will happen with the alarm is if you have a passenger and you get out first and use the electric door lock switch to lock the car, close your door, and then the passenger unlocks their door and gets out, the alarm will go off.

10-19-2006	#5
2nd94Z Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Little Rock, Arkansas Posts: 35	Re: Slow start & alarm issues - Help Thanks again Tom, will do, on the horn, it just went off at 4:30 am all by itself ? I had locked the car using the lock button on the drivers door. Went out to the garage and unlocked the door and it quit. When I bought it the FOB did not work, so I bought a battery and followed the instructions in the manual to reset, everything on the dash showed it was ready for me to bring the fob into range, however it did not show it accepted it, so I assumed the fob was bad and have ordered a new one, I am thinking maybe my alarm system has a problem, I am reading on how to check it, but not very good on electronics, I'a a old school mechanic, give me points and carb and I can fix it ! I'm not versed on proms, ports, relays etc, at all to say the least, thanks again.