Pontiac Grand Am Security Passlock Problems

tripower1

Denise
What year is your car? There's a web site posted on one of these threads that tells you were to go to find the info for your car, My daughters car is an 03 oldsmobile alero and if you have one of these I can help you but if you don't let me know and send me an email address and I'll find the info for you, my address is kisertl@yahoo.com

nobullchitbids

See posts ## 209 (mine) and 56 (Ray Corri), supra, for instructions, depending on year.

bferland

Absolutely not your problem at ALL!!! My husband and I have a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix. We have owned the car for not even a year yet and roadside assistance has had to tow it to the dealership 5 times for just "stalling out" on us. There is no rhyme or reason to it, you could be driving or stopped or in your driveway... It just shuts off. They have replaced the ignition switch twice, the crankshaft sensor once and now a whole new PCM. We have had it back now for two days from the dealer, and last night it decided to die on my husband again, only this time, he couldn't save the car and in mid-turn slammed it into a guardrail. NOW, does anyone think that this is our problem? ABSOLUTELY NOT! This is a glitch with Pontiac. For some reason, the "best mechanics in the world" cannot figure out why our car, an '07 Pontiac, is such a piece of junk. They take the car in and replace a part, reset the computer and then send you on your merry way! Buyers BEWARE!!!

:sick: :lemon: :mad:

tripower1

I feel for you but I don't think its a Pontiac problem, every car out there has a problem be it a Ford, Dodge or Chevy. The fix is the Mechanic and there's none out there. All we have today is MPR's Massive parts replacer's, they only know what the computer tells them, there like little robots bumping in to a wall and the keep bumping until the wall falls or we go broke. Try going to a different Mechanic.

cmk3

I have a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am. I have been having some of the problems I have seen described with the Passlock system....car not starting and then having to wait 10 minutes for the security light to stop flashing so that the care will start.
Today I washed my car, then I started it and moved it and it didn't want to start back. The little red light which is located on the left hand side by the panel where you turn on your headlights started flashing. Once I finally got the car to start the light continues to flash and the hazard lights and all the interior dash lights flash. What is going on!! :mad: I assume that there is some kind of security issue, but I can find no where in the manuel of how to reset it.

burdawg

There's been some reports of moisture/corrosion in the PCM connector. Since you just washed it this may be something to check.

oneman4u2c

i have bypassed the anti theft with a pljx bypass its suppose to by pass i still have no fire to plugs no fuel on the rails and no fire to starter but the car will turn over and over but will not crank any suggestions

sk8erboi

i just bought a remote starter and got everything installed but the starter part. so what i wanted to know was is there anyway i can bypass the passlock stuff so i can use the remote starter i have a 99 grand am se. any help would be nice cause i dont want to buy a bypass computer and wanted to know if there is any other way to get around thank you

nobullchitbids

Follow links at Ray Corri's post, # 56, supra.

sk8erboi

are u tellin me to just cut the wire and then wire the remote starter in or find the passlock module and do that. i read it like 20 times and i am not sure which i should do

nobullchitbids

I don't have a remote in mine. I did cut the wire and cut in a toggle -- AFTER I started the car (it MUST be running). I took the instructions from Corri's manual links (scroll up to one of my recents for a reference to my instructions). No problems since.

Corri's manual references are specifically for installing remotes. They speak for themselves. Can't offer more. Sorry.

davey204

Does this mean that if I suspect that I have passlock problems, such that the car still starts, but there are times when I turn the key and nothing happens, or that it cranks excessively (not to mention that my dealership's computer could not find anything wrong).... the bypass module that I would receive with a remote starter would have no effect and would not help my possible passlock situation at all? What do you mean by intermittent wiring problems?

timkellygpi

I had the same issue when I put a new ignition tumbler switch in. I did this in sequence and the car starts fine now. Mine is a 2002 Grand AM SE.

I turned the key to the on position then back one click and then hit the drivers door unlock button 3 times and then it started and I have not had a problem since. That seems to have reset the security system. Good luck

butch05

Passlock issue
Burdawg wrote:
Occasionally the problem has been found to be corrosion in the connector on the BCM (there's no Passlock "computer"), or a problem in the BCM itself.

Can you tell me where the BCM is located so I can check for corrosion? I'm working on a 96 GA. :lemon:

Thank you for your time.
Wayne

romankowal

The passlock reset worked great!! I own a 2004 grand am GT that has 37,000 miles on it. Last thurs. 5/22 was my first encounter with being stranded by the passlock system. Luckily I was litterally right around the corner from my house. However, after trying to start the car again that night and then the next morning to no avail, I had it towed to my local mechanic. Of course when he got it the car started every time. They told us that we would have to take the car to the dealership for diagnostic testing. I did not take it to the dealership. Mainly because I am Cheapo the Cheapster and have been hosed by dealerships before. Well last night the car wouldn't start again. I checked this sight more thoroughly last night and completed the reset as outlined by missouri65401. IT WORKED!!!! Just turn the key to the on position, wait exactly 10 minutes or until the security light shuts off, then start your Pontiac. Thank you so much for your post. You saved Cheapo the cost of another tow bill!! I'm sure this passlock problem will create a horible inconvienence sometime soon. Therefore I plan on cutting the yellow wire to permenately disable the stupidest security system known to man.
Thanks again for everyone who has psoted re:passlock,
Roman

gmsucs

Sell your GM product and buy a Ford.The last 6 pontiacs and my K2500 with a diesel all had major MAJOR problems right from the get go. So I ditched GM (they dont give a rats butt about you guys anyway) and bought a good Ford. Now my Ford has 326,543 miles on it and the only thing that I've done is normal maintenance on it (oil ,filters and tune-up and brakes).whoorhaa!!!!!!!! :shades:
And for your "do it yourselfers" Ford are much much easier to work on.
I used to be true blue chevy fan but the blues really got me down
GO FORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

johnnieutah

I have experienced similar issues with my 1999 Buick LeSabre, where the security light stays on and occasional random non starts occur. I had a shop replace a relay that was bad, I guess, and it ran pretty much fine for a couple months. Just recently we drove the car and it would not restart for about 4 hours. Of course as soon as I got it towed home, it started right up again. If the security light is flashing when you are trying to restart the car, it cannot be restarted, and when it stays solid, you can restart it and it almost always stays solid when are driving down the road. I called a GM dealer yesterday and they told me that due to the fact that the other car shop may have tried to bypass the system the way it was wired (I am not really sure exactly what they did but will find out) they are not really interested in trying to find out what's wrong or repair it. On this board some mention cutting a yellow wire to bypass the system when it is running for a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am. Because the Lesabre is GM and the similar year, would it likely have the same yellow wire to cut? Any suggestions on how to get rid of this issue forever (other than selling the car, which I would not do until this is corrected) of the security light unable to start car issue. Thanks. :mad:

romankowal

It does make sense that the GM bretheren would have the same infastructure. I would note that the Lesabre is not have the same platform as the Grand Am. (I think the Grand Prix would fit that category). Therfore they may be wired differently. I would suggest trying the reset option as mentioned in my last posting. Turn the ignition to the on postion without engaging the starter (all you dash lights will remain on including the security light). Leave it on for ten minutes. Your security light should then go off. If the reset is the same as the grand am this should reset your security system and your car will start. I have not had a problem since I reset the system in this manner. The next time your car won't start I would try this before you take your interior apart.
Hope this helps,
Roman

johnnieutah

Thanks Roman for the reply.

mikemont

I have a 99 Tahoe with the same exact issue. I cut the yellow wire and it seemed to work fine, but ocassionally it still had the the security light problem occur.

I removed the the large multi-wire connectors on my BCM(body control module) and noticed that a few pins were corroded. I cleaned them, but it did not help. So I reconnected the yellow wire and replaced the BCM. I bought it on ebay for $99. I have not had the problem for close to a year now.

Check your BCM connectors, if you find the corrosion on a few pins, look for a replacement. Check with your service department at your dealership for the BCM location. Mine was very simple to replace.

cuteh

I have a 2003 grand am gt. i have had to use the 10 min reset like every two days. but now it dies while i am on the freeway. can anyone tell me what i did wrong? :mad:

burdawg

The two things are probably not related, as long as the ten minute resets are being done for the right reason, that being an activated security system due to some component failure in the Passlock system. That Passlock reset is not a repair by any means. Whatever component is causing it is still bad.
When the car is running and the Passlock system becomes tripped it isn't supposed to shut down, it's supposed to just let you know by illuminating the security indicator in the cluster.

johnnieutah

Well, I drove the 1999 Buick Lesabre yesterday with no starting problems. Most of the time the security light stayed on while driving. It occasionally went out for a few minutes while driving. When I tried to start the car last night, no start, just a flashing security light. I left the key in the on position for well over a half hour last evening and the flashing security light stayed on, no start. Today at noon, the car still does not start, just flashing security light. I left the key in it at the on position this afternoon to see if it resets this time. By the way, where is the Body control module located? I do not have a shop manual for it. I post here because many more people talk about this issue on this form, almost no one on the Buick forum. :mad:

johnnieutah

Well, the dealer says that the ignition switch is bad. The wire apparently broke inside the tumbler and they say it is too thin to resolder. I HAD THE SAME PART replaced only 15 months ago elsewhere. I am not happy with this. Is this something I can easily replace myself? It will cost about $530 for parts/labor and $35 for each new key.

steammaker

Every 2nd or 3rd time I tried to start car it failed and security light flashed for 10 mins. Took the Throttle Position Sensor off and gave it a quick little wipe on the brushes and inside. Security light still comes on once in a while but have not had a ten minute wait in several months now. Super cheap fix but I should get a new TPS installed.

burdawg

The throttle position sensor has nothing to do with Passlock. The problem is still there, you've just been lucky that it doesn't occur when you're trying to start the car.

kristi448

I am so sick and tired of my piece of s*#t car it is a 2002 Grand Am, I just want to run it off a cliff. Its possessed, it only starts when it wants to. I have spent appx $700 in tows and when the car got to the shop every time and taken off the tow, the car would mysteriously start. I finally took it to the pontiac dealer for repair , and the dealer told me the same thing, "The ignitition switch is bad and needs to be replaced." I paid $350 for this damn thing to be replaced and it seemed to have fixed the issue for two weeks and then I was stranded again. After arguing with the dealer wanting my money back and the original ignition switch put back into my car, they tell me I musht have more issues with the car and they can repair it. Are you F*#@ing kidding me, they didn't even seem very confident on what was causing the problem. After months of my car not starting someone suggested that the cause of the problem is a wire shortage to the computer. So when it wouldn't start, we took the fuse box panel off and there are some wires that are visible, I flicked the wires and what do you know, it starts right up. So any time my car won't start I take that panel off and flick a wire and it starts up every time.
On top of this problem, I have a water pump problem, which has been repalced but there is a loud abnoxious noise now and cant figure out what is causing the noise. Any suggestions???? My radio also locks up and I will go four to five days without a radio and then it will just finally turn back on. I can't believe that there are this many people with the same problems, and GM will not do a recall.

Count me in on lawsuit against GM. :mad:

missdeidreb

I need help! I've had the same problem with my Grand Am, so we replaced the we replaced the tumbler, then it starts and shuts right down. It won't stay on longer than 2 seconds so we replaced the fuel ignition... but I do notice that the anti theft light blinks for the few short seconds its on before it shuts off. I need to know how to disable that so I can drive my piece of poop car! Please help! :mad:

jusin

Can some please have a look at these pictures and tell me what I am dealing with? I bought my car a year ago that was told that the remote start was removed since it was causing problems with the passlock. Fine, i did not need remote start. Remote start probably was fine but stupid dealer convinced previous owner to unplug and toss away when it was probably just a passlock prob.

Over the past year I have had the passlock problems a few times. It is always when the weather is hot and humid. Never when it is cold.

I had a look for the yellow wire and that is when i realized there was alot of wires and connectors that were probably left over from the remote start. There is a little box and I am guessing maybe it was left when the remote start was disconnected (bypass maybe?) There are three wires coming down that i am thinking might be an extension on the passlock wires (black, yellow and yellow/black). The wire go into this little box. Yellow is labeled as going to the ignition switch. The yellow/black goes to the BCM and the black is ground.

Would cutting (or un-splicing) either the yellow or yellow/black be the same as cutting the yellow wire up top that requires the radio removal?

What is this black box for? If it is a bypass, why does it not bypass? Has a few wires:
- icn switch
- bcn
- ground
- 12v power
- starter
- activation
- bulb check
- ign input

Below are a few pics of this black box, wires coming down, unused connectors. If someone could have a look and tell me what this stuff is, i'd be so thankful.

http://img380.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0121fl7.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0119pu3.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0118kf9.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0117ys1.jpg

dawn14

I just recently had my car fixed for the same thing the second time. It was the passlock sensor and the ignition cylinder. I have a 2001 Grand Am. I wonder if any of you smoke? Strange question but I will tell you why.