Pontiac Bonneville Owners: Accessories & Modifications

stoddard

What you are likely experiencing has to do with the chip in your ignition key. It is a nice anti-theft device, as the car will not start without it (obviously). The weak link is that every time you turn the key, a couple of tiny wires move back and forth. You move metal back and forth enough times and it will break. The car will then be unable to read the chip and won't let the car start. It is called VATS, but I don't recall what that stands for.
My 96 Bonnevile SE had the same problem, and one of the dealers tried telling me it was a battery or a starter.
The positive way to identify if this is your problem is to turn the key on and if the yellow security light keeps flashing after all the others go back off, VATS isn't reading your key. To fix it, you'll need to replace the ignition lock cylinder; it will have the new wires. To do this you have to take the column apart starting with the airbag & steering wheel. If you don't have a lot of mechanical experience I wouldn't recommend it.
If you do think you can do it, you take the wheel off and work down through the inside of the column till you get to the lock cylinder. To get the steering wheel off you'll need a puller that screws into the wheel and presses on the shaft. You'll encounter several snap rings that are difficult to get out, especially the one for the steering wheel lock. I made a tool that pressed back on the lock plate (it's spring loaded) while I tried to get the snap ring out. Basically it tightened under the steering wheel nut with legs that pressed on the plate as I tightened the nut. You'll have to pull the wires that were attached to the lock cylinder out of the main connector under the dash and pull them up the column to get them out. Important! You will want to pull a string up the column as you pull out the old wires so that you can pull the new wires back down through.
The way to bypass the system would be to unplug the wires coming from the existing lock cylinder and plug in a new lock cylinder, stash it under the dash with a key with the proper chip in it. The matching key would be an extra $20 or more. The wires on mine were small yellow wires and you'll be looking for them to come from the column.
Your best bet is to find a mechanic that is cheaper than a dealer that can replace a GM ignition lock cylinder and that you trust.
I have a 98 Bonneville SE and love it! Currently 288,000 miles and going strong!

imidazol97

VATS: Vehicle Anti-Theft System

A way to fix the problem is to replace the resistor reading from the key with a resistor reading from a resistor.

The wires in the lock cylinder don't move; rather the key brushes them as it is inserted. The two contacts can be dirty. Alcohol on the key's own resistor and putting the key in and out several times may help. Rubbing the resistor on the key with a pencil eraser to remove crud or corrosion on the metal contacts may help.

The analysis of the system must be done. Put the key in, turn it to "on" for a second, then rotate to "crank." When it goes to "on" the security light should go on steady. If it starts flashing, then the resistance is not being read correctly, most likely. If the light is steady and you turn to "crank" you should have the starter engage. If light is steady and the starter doesn't engage it could be the relay for the starter engagement capability, which is difficult to get to. Not as likely as other problems.

If the light is flashing when turned to "on" in above steps, then leave the key and wait three minutes. The light should go off and be ready for another key reading. The light may be steady after the flashing ends. If the car cranks fine then, my _guess_ is your system is doing what mine has done. If the key reading is still giving a flashing light, then you may want to try the resistors from Radio Shack to replace the key's reading.

You go to the wires down near a connector on the base of the steering column. The two tiny, little wires from the key reading contacts are enclosed in a yellow or white piece of tubing that looks like a wire itself. You use a resistance meter to read the keys you have. You get equivalent resistance from Radio Shack to substitute in the circuit and solder, clip or otherwise connect that in the lines goes toward the computer--not toward the top of the steering wheel. You don't need that part any more.

Or you can remove the code reader box (can't think of the proper name at the minute where those two little wires run over on the right side of the dash. This is about hand sized and is held up by one screw behind the glovebox. Remove the hush panel under the dash, drop the glove box by screws holding its hinge on the bottom (I'm assume Pontiac is same as LeSabre), and from a service manual locate the proper two wires there and cut them and substitute the resistors in the circuit toward the passkey code reader box. Here you are working with 18-20 gauge wires and are not upside down under the steering column.

In my car's case the reader didn't work right at times when I turned the key very quickly through "on" and to the "Crank." I'd wait three minutes and everything was fine. This continued over a couple of years with an occasional time where the security light would flash on for a few minutes while driving. I prepared to replace resistors over at the right hand side. I even loosened the keycode reader box.

But the security light quit coming on at all. A post somewhere had someone whose system had had the light on for years and hadn't locked him out. I believe there are 4 failure modes for the keycode reader those years. One mode is it decides it has lost its mind and just automatically sends the Okay signal tot he computer so it allows injectors and crank operation.

If the motor has started, the system will not shut down the motor. That was always my fear. But research and my service manual convinced me. I've gone 6 months so yours probably will do the same if the system acts the same.

If you do the resistors:

Orange, White, Red, Black RES390 - 392
Green, Red, Orange Black RES510 CN 523
Blue, Gray Brown, Black RES680 FW 681
Gray, Gray, Violet, Black RES910 GP 887
Brown, Brown, Orange, Brown RES1.1K KA 1130
Brown, Yellow, Violet, Brown RES1.5K N5 1470
Brown, Gray, Violet, Brown RES1.8K UN 1870
Red, Orange, Violet, Brown RES2.4K XB 2370
Orange, Black, Brown, Brown RES3.0K GA 3010
Orange, Violet, Yellow, Brown RES3.6K NP 3740
Yellow, Violet, Green, Brown RES4.7K FY 4750
Blue, Black, Yellow, Brown RES6.2K C5 6040
Violet, Green, Black, Brown RES7.5K XY 7500
White, Green, Orange, Brown RES10K KB 9530
Brown, Brown, Gray, Red RES12K UW 11800

the ohms should match one o the numbers at the end of this list within 10%. My car s the 887 ohms and my reading was 878 and I found 4 220 Ohms at Radio Shack for $.99. I was ready to solder them end to end for 880, but my car just keeps on running.

Try cleaning, and then rotating key stopping at each step. Watch the symptoms. Let me know if you want more links and info on connectors.

blackice1

what kind of shocks work best on the 96 bonny se

imidazol97

I'll toss in my satisfaction with Monroe Sensatracks the last two times--on a 93 lesabre and 98 LeSabre at 50K miles. They last and are fairly taut without being brutal. The tire store (accidentally they said) put regular base Monroes on the 93. I checked the strut itself and talked to engineering and they weren't Sensatraks, which had been out for a short time. The tire store switched them. Saved me a stroke and attorney's fee because I was mad>

fdh01bonnevill

Hey there... new to the site and was reading older messages.
Did any one ever get back to you saying that there should be a fuse that you move from one set of clips to another?
If you have your manual, look at the fuse section. It probably says "move such and such fuse from inboard position to outboard" or something like that. It may be the same as my 01 Bonny. Easy fix, I think!

fdh01bonnevill

I love the Bonneville SSEI, but I have had many problems.
Large and small! Mine is an '01 and here is my dilemma...
As with all cars, mine doesn't do the bad things when I take it in for warranty work. FRUSTRATING! Anyway, I have been told that my HUD display is fine, but I remember it being brighter on those bright sunny days. I can hardly see it - esp. on a concrete road. I thought maybe I had a bad light sensor in the HUD display itself, but I dunno. Any thoughts? Also, I have an erratically working warning chime and clunking when I back up to the left or right - as if I had a bad tie rod, but I don't. It's not the interm. steering connector as I have had that replaced. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

imidazol97

I assume the Bonnie has the same underhood fuse box where the battery would have been as the 03 leSabre.

Open the top of the box with the two clips on the ends. Turn the cover over. There is a picture of the fuse patterns and a list of the duties. Look for #2, and it should say Accessory. It's a 15 amp. Where it's located there are 3 slots next to each other. The fuse is in two of those; reinstall it in the other two. That should make it "on" all the time. My car has a cigarette lighter and an accessory plug in inside the ashtray. I believe this does one or both.

I'll check the manual later and post if there's anything else.

HUD display has a brightness control in the switch set that adjusts the up and down position. I'm sure you've tried adjusting that? I know that light color concrete roads don't make as a good a background. Are you wearing sunglasses on those bright roads? Are they polarized? The same polarization that blocks part of the reflected light off the road because it's horizontally polarized blocks the light reflecting off the windshield from the HUD projector because it too reflects only horizontally polarized light...

benny17

I have a 99 bonneville SLE and im trying to figure out how to make a custom air intake, i was thinkin since behind the bumber theres a lot of room i could put it there but i dont know how to route the intake pipe.Any suggestions

imidazol97

Your computer is in the bottom of the air intake muffler resonance box. I've heard guys disucssion these things on discussions but I didn't pay attention to what they did.

Is it a improvement in horsepower that's even going to be measurable? I doubt it myself unless you're changing the computer chip to hop up the motor.

wantabonnevill

Hey everyone,

I have wanted a newer bonneville ever since they came out.

I found a 2002 SSEI with 108,000 miles on it and am rather concerned about the mileage.

They are asking $9500 for the car.

Any thoughts?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!

myssei

180* thermostat
3.4" supercharger pulley
Gatorback belt
Dbl. row timing chain & gear
autolite 605 plugs copper core (1 heat range cooler)
PCM modification
Fenderwell intake system with K&N filter
More mods to be done in future months

char1iej

I searched the forums, but didn't find an answer to my question -- Also, not sure if this is the best place, but it seemed to fit the Accessories neumonic...
:confuse:

I own a 2004 Bonneville SE. When purchased from the dealer, this was a courier car owned by the dealership. They could not locate the 2nd ignition key (or fob) for me, so I've always had just one. Now that my daughter is getting her driver's permit, I want her to have a spare key.

The key I have has a black top (where the key ring fits). It does NOT have a visible chip or resistor on it.

1) Can I go to the local hardware store and have them cut a key?
2) OR, do I need to order a key from the dealer?
- If from the dealer, what do I need to give them in order to get a new key?
- What do the "dealer keys" cost?
- While I'm at it, should I order another fob and have them program everything at once?

THANKS for your input!

char1iej

I have put K&N filters in my last four vehicles. For each car/truck, MPG did increase, though each was slightly different. The most I picked up was slightly over 3 MPG. The average was somewhere between 2-3 MPG.

BTW, I keep up with every fill-up, so I track MPG closely.

imidazol97

Stretching memory here but...

You can buy the key online or from a local locksmith or shop and have them cut it to match your original. The key number is on the root of the key next to the plastic head. Mine is PK3 for a 2003. For all I know, Lowes or Ace may carry them.

IN your glovebox manual is the process for telling the car that this is a valid key. It's essentially you use the working black-headed key and have it on. Then take it out and put in the new key and turn it on within a short few seconds.

The keyfob is a different process. It requires using a TECH II or equivalent computer hooked up to tell the car which keyfob this is #1 or #2 for driver #1 or Driver #2. You can buy keyfobs on Ebay from various places by using the GM/Lear number on the back and do a search on Ebay. You can call a dealer for their price. I believe the kefob is $40 and programming was $10, 15, or 20.

The key cost $65 or so. The valet key is even more expensive.

Check rockauto.com and gmpartsdirect.com for pricing online also.

debbiec1

We just bought a 2002 SSEI and I was wondering, you say this sway bar made your car handle so much better... does the 02 SSEI already have this or is it something car afficionadoes only know about, and we might be needing to check into?
It is a high mileage car but in great shape and our daughter just bought it to replace one she wrecked... has about 96k niles on it.

Thanks, this car is charcoal gray inside and out and she loves it, for her
9000 bucks.