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Comments
Most of the repairs you mention are maintenance. Did you think you would get 133K without doing anything?
The rotors and brakes (front) are a known deficiency, but not just for GM. Many manufacturers were using the cheap South American and Chinese rotors. A good aftermarket rotor and pad set usually solved this problem.
Mine is a 1997 GrandAm. :P I warrant what follows for 1997s only, but perhaps yours is the same.
1. The manual says to isolate the yellow data wire through the radio compartment, but I did not have to do that. Pop the top off the steering-wheel housing (it snaps on) and remove the tilt-steering lever (unscrews -- mine had some locktite on it, so be careful).
2. Now remove the bottom portion of the housing (three screws underneath).
3. BE CAREFUL! There are two yellow wires underneath -- one to the air bag, one to the ignition. Obviously, you want the one to the ignition. It is the wire "most" underneath (obvious what that means when you see it) and closest to the driver when he or she is behind the wheel.
4. START THE CAR! START THE CAR! START THE CAR! This is an essential step! If the car won't start (like mine), jiggle the wire as you turn the ignition (many of these PassLock problems are old, corroded wire connections, not the Hall sensor).
5. Clip the yellow data wire, leaving at least some wire to work with on both sections. Once the wire is cut, you may (but don't have to) turn off the car.
6. From Radio Shack, obtain SPST mini-toggle switch # 275-612 (total cost including tax: $3.17).
7. Remove switch from packaging; make sure it is in the "off" (contacts open) position (check it with a meter).
8. Strip a short section of insulation from each end of the cut data wire, slip some shrink wrap over the wires, and splice in the switch.
9. Maneuver the shrink wrap over the soldered terminals and heat to form a completely insulated splice.
10. The toggle can be left inside the housing or mounted on the underside of the lower housing section (drill a 1/4-inch hole carefully so the plastic does not melt around the drill bit).
11. Reinstall lower housing (three screws) and tilt lever (you may want to use some locktite, but I didn't). If you opted for outside mounting, screw on the locknut for the switch.
12. Snap top half of housing in place.
13. If you turned the car off, turn it on to test. It should start right up.
That's all there is to it!
Now: Don't write back and say your "theft system" light is on -- it's supposed to be on. What you have just done is disable PassLock, and YOUR CAR IS NO LONGER PROTECTED FROM BEING HOTWIRED AND STOLEN. So, you must take all the old precautions against auto theft, like locking the car and pocketing the keys. :shades:
IF YOUR BATTERY DIES (or if your local dummy repairman disconnects it to work on the car): PassLock probably will reactivate -- that's why you spliced in the switch. Flip the toggle to "on." Now, in effect, the data wire is reconnected. You must get the car started again to disable PassLock. Once started and running for more than five seconds, flip the toggle to "off." PassLock once again is disabled, and the red "theft system" light will come on. Ignore the light.
N.B.: If you accidentally (or deliberately) flip the toggle while the car is off, PassLock will reactivate, and the car must be restarted again before the toggle can be turned off again. If PassLock is engaged and the toggle is off, the car will not start. If you flip the toggle while the car is running, again PassLock will engage and stay engaged unless you flip the toggle off before turning off the ignition.
Waiting the ten minutes isn't a repair for the Passlock problem, but is only a reset. The only effective way to repair it in 95% of the cases is to replace the ignition switch which has the Hall effect sensor on it. In some cases, the connector to the PCM is found to be corroded which causes similar symptoms, but typically it also causes other problems.
I have started the vehicle successfully several times since his work and feel confident that it will continue to start. He installed the "toggle" switch under the dash as I requested and told me it was a "piece of cake".
Just a little history - we called the dealer on several occasions and Pontiac about our problems with the security system. They absolutely denied ever even hearing or knowing anything about it. We had the remote start completely removed from the car in order to troubleshoot to find out that the problems continued. It wasn't until reading this message board and getting the necessary instructions that a mechanic actually took a crack at it and resolved my problem.
Result:
-My car starts
-Security light stays on solid all the time now (can be resolved by a piece of black electrical tape).
-Work performed by Bob at Auto Technicians in Midland, MI.
-$100
-Took a matter of a couple hours to perform.
-No longer stranded in my driveway waiting to go to work.
-No longer stranded at my work parking lot watching everyone else drive home in their fault free cars.
-No longer stuck at the gas station pissing people off while I wait 10 minutes before I can try to start my car.
If you are getting no satisfaction from dealers try an auto shop and talk them through your issue, chances are that someone there has dealt with a similar problem. Bob was overjoyed when I provided him with the instructions; it allowed him less “guessing” and enabled him to get the job done quickly.
Good luck,
TK
I was left stranded yesterday after my car wouldn't start - surprise, surprise my security light was flashing. Unfortunately I did not know about the 15min reset thing so called road side assistance and was towed to my usual auto shop (who now know me by name!). :P Of course when they took a look at it the stupid thing started for them first time. He wasn't sure what was wrong and said it might be the fuel pump?? :confuse: After reading all of your entries I'm pretty convinced that it's not. So do you all think I should try the toggle thing? I'm an international student in MI & I know nothing about cars (unfortunately)
Read the Owner's Manual!
If there be a problem with the security system, when starting the car, the red "theft system" light should come on, flash for awhile after the car dies, then probably stop flashing and stay solid red.
If this isn't happening, the problem probably isn't PassLock.
Mr. Keller: Your solution is obvious -- tell the current owner to get the problem fixed, or you won't buy the car (and neither will anyone else). A 2004 still should be under warranty.
Is this the same as the "ignition switch" which has the "Hall effect sensor"?
Today my car wouldn't start again. Fortunately I found out about the resetting-10-minute thing from this site. The car is now at the dealer.
The dealer ran a diagnostic on it on Friday and supposedly found several problems. I will hear about it tomorrow.
What is the cost to replace the whole ignition switch?
does anyone know if there is still a class action lawsuit for this? If there is I would like to get my name added to it.
Also, if you haven't made an official complaint with the National Highway Saftey Administration, do that. From their main website you can go to Office of Defects. If they get enough complaints on something that the company won't recall, they force them to recall it. They haven't forced GM to do anything about this because there are only 17 people who have complained to them.
I just recieved this damn car in June!
The part that needs to be replaced, in most cases, is the ignition switch which has the Hall effect sensor on it. The lock cylinder and key will be the same.
Actually $345 sounds pretty good, if that's what they're doing.
I have an extended warranty that of course doesnt cover the ignition system.
So the car was fine until yesterday now in the morning, I had to crank it 3 times to get it too start, this morning it took 4 times to get it to finally engage. The security light only came on once while I was driving about a week ago, but didnt cause any issues. Its like the car isnt getting any gas on start up. the fuel pump primes right away when you turn the key and its starting up fine all day except in the morning. I dont want to go back to the damn dealer they look at me like Im nuts the car doesnt do it for them, and then to have to pay $400 to get something fixed is just nuts when sooo many people I know have the same problem, and all the people on these forums do.
Im just wondering if maybe I have something else going on but the battery is new, the light are strong, they just get weak after cranking so much.
Nevermind that I need to replace the brakes and rotors for the 2nd time in the year Ive had the car cause the rotors warped again.
Thanks for listening. any suggestions would be great. The oil is fresh and full, and I just put some lucas fuel system cleaner in tonite grasping at straws this close to christmas.
The light coming on solid when your driving means a problem has been detected in the passlock system and a code will be set which can be read by an OBD scanner.
Your problem may be a failing ignition switch, based on your symptoms.
You can solve the problem with the brakes by using high quality rotors and pads, not the cheap ones from the auto parts.
Im getting the brakes done by a friend and getting some really good rotors and pads, the ones it are from when I bought it, so they are probably crappy I agree with that
Thanks for the insight.
I called to take my car in at the dealership that quoted me $345, and now they are quoting me $800-$900! The price really jumped in the past week! I did find another dealer though that will do it for between $200-$300 so I'm taking it there. I'm hearing that people are having to replace the ignition switch and halls sensor alot after they do it the first time. Do you know how long the new one should last????
I have had no subsequent problems starting my car. I have on occasion had the security light flicker rather than stay on all the time; however, I think this is corrosion in the lamp housing irrelevant to reactivation of PassLock. Even when the security light flickers "off," with the toggle off, the car starts.
Like TK said: $100 to fix if you have someone do it; $10 (or less) to fix if you do it yourself. :shades:
Has anyone had any luck with putting in an after market remote start with a passlock disable module?