HELP,
I bought a 1996 cavalier, that was a rental car in Florida for its first year of life. I need a good reliable car for my 120 mile daily commute to work and thought this could be it. it was NOT running when I bought it and figured I could get it back to life. I replaced the in-tank fuel pump and it now will start and run. (at least for a minute, but since the radiator is cracked and there is no coolant, I can't let it run for much more than that) I also found the heat core is leaking, it needs front brake pads, the windshield washer pump is shot and the A/C condenser is leaking). so, there are a few more issues involved in making this an economical/reliable car to get me back and forth to work.............
I can handle most of the "mechanical" issues but I'm truly stumped by a MYSTERY PART.
attached are photos of a part I can't identify. it is some kind of electric "chip" that has been spliced into the electrical system.

it is a "chip" that fits into a recepticle which was up under the driver's side footwell. the recepticle is on about a 6" pigtail and from the pigtail there are SEVEN BLACK and one red wire. the red wire goes to a dead end not connected to anything. of the seven black wires, (six are same guage and one is slightly thinner) FIVE go directly into a common ground on the frame up under the driver's footwell by the steering column. the two remaining black wires run up along the steering column towards the steering wheel. in one of these wires there is a 20 AMP fuse. they both run into a "relay" which is a black plastic box approximately 1" x 1" x 1", with "C9140" printed on it. one black wire from this relay returns to the common ground. on the "out" side of the "C9140" "relay" there are two heavier guage wires, one blue and one black. these heavier blue and black wires continue up along the steering column to an electrical junction block on the left (driver's) side of the steering column where the turn signal stalk is located. these heavy BLUE and BLACK wires are SPLICED into a heavy YELLOW wire that comes out of that junction block on the left side of the steering column. the connectors on the splice would allow the two ends of the yellow wire to be connected if the blue and black wires were disconnected. note: when i connect my scan tool to the OBD II port i get a message that says the scan tool is "unable to communicate" to the vehicle.

bottom line......... i have NO idea, what this "chip" is, who/what placed it there and what it's function is. can i just unplug it and reconnect the male/female ends of the heavy yellow wire it is spliced into? how does this affect my scan tool's ability to read/connect with the OBD II port?
anyway, like i said, i'm at a loss. ANY info/help that can be offered will be appreciated.

there is a very good tutorial on how to post pictures on the forum and i have tried to get my pictures of the part to be included here, but have failed. when i use the "preview" button, all is well but when i hit "post" i get a reply back that i have to post a message. oh well, ....
here is a link to the "cardomain.com" site where i was able to successfully post the question with pictures.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/4017752/1996-chevrolet-cavalier/

here is a link to reply to me by e-mail:

ring3854@aol.com

thanks for any help.

Google ATS chip, but its supposedly some type of "power adder." I highly doubt it works at all on that car, but since it was a rental its possible they used it to try and conserve fuel and keep it from being run too hard.


"In Oldskool we trust"

Thanks for the reply and advice. all the searching around i've done has led to links about chips for Duramax and Powerstroke diesel engines in pick-ups. i read one description of a "GF" "performance chip" that had a dropdown menu that you can select yr/make/model. for my cav the chip costs $69, on sale from $399.99. whoohoo, just in time for Christmas!!
here is what a part of their info says:
"EASY INSTALLATION. Installation can be performed by anyone using simple hand tools. The GF module installs into your CHEVROLET CAVALIER's engine bay and is connected via 2 wires that plug into the IAT sensor. Diagrams are included. The unit is then able to reprogram the ECU thus improving your car's performance. Everything needed for installation is included in this kit for a quick and easy installation that shouldn't take more than 15 minutes. There is absolutley nothing else needed to have this installed on your vehicle."

the above implies that the chip reprograms the ECU.......
sounds far fetched, but if in fact the chip in my car did "reprogram" the ECU and i simply remove the chip, (disconnect the wire connectors and reconnect the yellow wire the chip is spliced into) i am concerned about the ECU programing and if it would revert back to stock and the car run fine, or if it won't run. (i guess i'll find out once i get the car actually in running condition).
again, thanks for the reply and info. a couple more weeks of evenings and weekend work and hopefully i'll have it running and can play around with the mystery part.

i did some more research and it appears that the heavy guage yellow wire that the "chip" is spliced into is the "crank" circuit wire coming out of the "ignition switch" assembly on the left side of the steering column. it seems a strange wire/circuit to tap a "performance" chip into since i would think that wire is only energized during the time the engine is being cranked by the starter during the start cycle.
oh well, one more piece of the puzzle, but i'm still not getting a full picture of what the function of the chip is.

sounds like an anti-theft system, ie - no chip inserted, vehicle will not start

thanks,
once i found it was wired into the "Crank" circuit on the ignition switch, i began to think that also, but it seems pretty complicated with seven wires and then the mysterious "C9140" electric relay looking box that is inline, not to mention the 20 AMP fuse. if they wanted to simply disable the crank function why have the large "chip" with six different contacts that go into the recepticle it plugs into? i guess just putting a fuse or switch in the line could be jumped with a single wire and this appears more complicated, but the bottom line is that it was installed with male/female -- female/male wiring on the ends of the splices into the crank circuit wire so removing the device will allow the two remaining ends of the original crank circuit wire to be reconnected to each other.
once i get the rest of the car in working order, unless someone has a definitive answer as to what this is, i guess i'll make sure the car runs with it in, then take it out and see if it starts and runs. if not, i'll remove it from the system by reconnecting the yellow crank wire and see if it starts and runs. if not, guess i'll have to put it back in and keep researching.
thanks for your input steve, i appreciate any guidance i can get and all info is good info. will keep you posted.

Its probably some anti theft box that they put in there in case you dont bring the car back. My friend had a box in his car that you had to put a code in every month or it would shut the car down. He claimed it would wreck the car if we took it out. When he finally had the car paid off and asked them how to remove it they said take the radio out remove all wires and reconnect the yellow wire. Then send the box back. I would just take it out myself.


Have a nice day.

thanks Jordan,
i think the consensus is that once i get the rest of the work done and i'm ready to actually get it on the road, i'll start and run it once with it in and then disconnect it and reconnect the yellow crank circuit wire and give it another shot. hopefully it'll run just fine. i'd really like to get my OBD II connector correctly wired so i can use my scan tool to check for any trouble codes, but that'll have to be a challenge for later.
thanks for your input.