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Comments
Screwing around with the ignition will not fix this. However, if you also have a PassLock problem, the two will combine to drive you bats. You definitely need to see a shop which can scan your computer codes. But, it looks like this is your problem, not PassLock.
I'm willing to throw my name in the hat for a lawsuit against pontiac..
always happens at the worst times and who wants to worry about being stuck
somewhere. Pontiac Dealer says they don't know anything about it.. I should print out the 27+ pages of complaints about the same issue.
March 18, 2003
Pontiac - General Motors
Customer Assistance Center
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am the owner of a 2001 Pontiac GrandAm SE1 3400 V6 which I purchased about 2 years ago from Plaza Pontiac GMC in Omaha, Nebraska. I am writing to you because of the experience I recently had at this dealership after having my car towed there for warranty work. On the morning of Tuesday, March 11, 2003, I went to my garage and tried to start my car and it would not start. The engine was turning over but the car would refuse to start. I thought this was strange since the car had been running fine the night before when I shut it off and I never had a problem starting it before. Well the car is well under warranty (23,000 miles) so I called the dealership (Plaza Pontiac GMC) to have it towed and diagnosed/repaired. Plaza said it would be no problem and they would get to it that afternoon. I had another car to drive in the meantime, so to be without out it for awhile was fine.
At 3:00 p.m. on March 11, 2003, I received a call from Don in service at Plaza and he asked me first when did I last fill up with gas? I told him last night, and from the gas station I always buy gas from. He told me that my gas tank was completely full of water and my fuel system was destroyed. He said that I needed a new fuel pump, new fuel sending unit, my injectors might need to be replaced and the fuel system would need a complete cleaning. This all of course would be paid for by me, a total of $1065.00 because it was not covered under warranty because of the bad gas. I asked him how I could have filled up with bad gas (12 gallons of it to be exact into a 13 gallon tank) and drive 20 miles home with no problems. He said he did not know but that he did know that the water had damaged at least the parts he told me he knew about but that he would not be surprised if there was more damage that had occurred. He even told me that they put some of this gas onto the ground and threw a match on it and it would not burn.
I hung up the phone and immediately went down to the gas station where I purchased the gas and talked with the manager there which then sent me down to the corporate office for Amoco Omaha. His name is Steve Buchanan (402-558-9860) and he owns many gas stations in the Omaha metro area. He told me that no one else had complained about bad gas and that the station I bought gas from is one of the busiest in town and there would have been cars lined up down the street had there been a problem with the gas. He told me to call the dealer back and that he would have his mechanics tow it down to his shop and have a look at it. I agreed a second opinion might be good. So it was agreed upon, I did however, have to pay Plaza Pontiac $153.99 to get my car released.
The next day 3/12/03, I received word from Steve Buchanan that his mechanics found nothing wrong with the gas and nothing wrong with my car. All the major systems checked out fine but the car still would not start. He said that my remote start might be to blame but he didn’t know for sure and asked if I could have the installer of the remote start system check it out to make sure. I said I would try to get someone there. I called the shop that installed the remote start system last year and they came right down to check it out. He checked all the components and everything tested out fine, so he asked if the GM passlock security system had been checked. I told him I was unaware if it had been checked so he inserted my key into the ignition system and turned it to “on” for 10 minutes to reset or relearn the key and presto, the car started right up. Same gas, same parts, same everything, the car had no problems after this operation was completed. 200 miles later I have still had not problems. This leads me to the purpose of this letter.
As you can gather from my letter, I am greatly concerned about the honesty and integrity of your Dealership/Warranty service workmanship. How can I ever trust Plaza Pontiac again? I was reimbursed for both the $153.99 from Plaza and the $115.99 bill from Amoco by Plaza Pontiac so I am not out any money (out of pocket anyway, my time is another story), but I am very disappointed that I was lied to and almost ripped off. If I had agreed to pay for the repairs, I would have been stuck with no way to prove that the gas was to blame or that there had actually been any damage to the car. The bottom line is that the dealership is either dishonest or incompetent. Either way the customer loses and I will now unfortunately have to tell my friends and family to stay away from Plaza Pontiac for sales and service both since they cannot be trusted. I am only writing you because I thought you should have the right to know the kinds of things your “quality GM service centers” are doing to the customers.
If you want to speak with me personally feel free to call me at 402-XXXXXXXX. If I do not hear from you within 2 weeks, I will be forced to report this to the Better Business Bureau. I don’t want to create a problem but this is a serious deal, I was lied to and if I wasn’t lied to then Plaza Pontiac is not fit to repair or for that matter sell your fine automobiles. I have enclosed copies of the bills from both Plaza Pontiac and Amoco’s service. Thank you for your help in this matter.
P.S. The only two men I spoke with at Plaza was Don (who was the head mechanic I believe at Plaza) and Mike Hook who is the service manager at Plaza. I am sorry I do not have last name for Don but if you need it I can get it for you. Addresses and phone numbers are on the copies of the bills. Steve Buchanan would be more then happy to speak with you as well 402-558-9860 (He is the business man I spoke of earlier who owns most of the gas stations in Omaha) and probably is expecting to hear from you.
The cure for the passlock system on your 99 GA, do you know if it will work on a oldsmobile 03, and with the car running and the switch in the off position the security light would be on, will it go off if I turn the switch to the on position when I'm driving, then to the off position prior to shutting the car off.
Your thoughts are needed
thanks
Second: I am told that all PassLock systems are the same. I actually got my own instructions from a truck manual previously linked by this site. Trucks need to have PassLock disabled when a remote starter is installed, since PassLock interprets the remote as an attempt to steal the car.
Third: What does it cost you to take the cowling off the steering column? It's a snap and three screws! So, you can look for free.
The Trac Off and ABS light ALWAYS come on for no reason and I have had mechanics turn it off often. It always comes back.
My last Ponitac was a Piece of CRAP too. It was a 1997 and it literally fell apart. Both side view mirrors fell off as if they had been hit (but hadn't). One fell off twice. The windows broke 3 times, the bumper faded as if it had been scrubbed with sandpaper, despite taking good care of it, the fabric inside split and tore, and the laternator went out. I will never by a Pontiac again and I am telling everyone else I know not to buy one. If there is a class action law suit for this count me IN!!
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=516793
Here is my current situation.
I've had my 99grand am :lemon: for about 5 years now..(purchased used). It currently has 220,000km on it. For the past few years I have been struggling with the "won't start syndrom" and the security light flashing. I just simply left the car for 10min and went back and started it. My dealer told me I would need to replace the ignition at a price of $750. For that much money I can wait 10min...lol....
Anyhow this morning after my car had been sitting for 2 days in below freezing temputures I attempted to start and it didn't... left for 10 until the security light stopped flashing and tried again... no joy... again waited and tried again... It did this 4 times in a row. It has never acted up so badly before. So after reading this forum and others I got to thinking that maybe it was a moisture problem, so I grabbed my wifes hairdryer and aimed it at the keyhole for about 15min... tried again... no joy!.. So, knowing that WD40 repels moisture I thought it couldn't hurt to squirt a little in the keyhole... waited another 10 and tried again... this time it started!!!!! WooHoo.
I'm guessing there was moisture causing a problem and with the freezing temputures made it even worse... anyhow just wanted to tell my experience in hopes that someone gets something out of it and helps solve their problem.
Tomorrow I am definitely going to disable the passlock.
Cheers.
However, this light stays on all the time and is there any way to get that security light to go off?
P.S. If your battery dies, you may have to go through the entire reset hassle after you put in a new one. Cutting off electrical power completely rearms PassLock.
i'd like to share a website for everyone to go to. don't know if it will help everyone or anyone at all. if it does help ya'll out...then use it. if everyone that has had problems with their grand ams, send pontiac a message telling them what has happened. if there is a ton of us against them..then they have to do something about the problem. if not..then the BBB, good morning america, or this particular business magazine (i cant think of right now) will have to help us americans.
Heres the website. http://www.pontiac.com/divisional/contactus/contactus.jsp
Good Luck Everyone!!!
:confuse:
RBC
But for the last 2 months or so it stopped doing it, I was so use to having to play with the key that I noticed it right away when it stopped.
Today when I cranked the car to let it warm up, it started fine, how ever as I was driving to the grocery store I did notice the security light was on, its been extremely cold here lately -23 this morning, at times the car has been prone to have issues with system lights coming on for no reason, then going off. Dome lights will stay on longer then they should.
I have had it all checked when I had the car weatherized, they said pontiacs are pretty famous for this and they usually go off by them selfs. Even after I had the engine serviced they had a hell of time getting the service engine light to go off.
Of all the times....I spent 300.00 in grocerys and got everything loaded in the car, it would crank up then a few seconds later just shut off, it acted like it did when my friend tryed to use the spare key to crank it.
I pulled out the manual and read and did the whole 10 minutes thing, Im freezing in the bitter cold, but finally find someone to call, finally got it towed to the mechnic and he thinks its the switch too, but we don't know for sure. I did notice that while this was happening the electric window barely went up.
After reading all theses post about this being a ongoing issue im worried. I live in alaska and you can't afford to get stranded here, it can be the diffrence between life and death depending on where your stranded.
Does anyone know if there has been some kind of recall becasue of these issues with the ingition switches? :sick:
First, did you mean put this in gear. Second, will this work for a 2001.
I mean this in humor, It makes me feel better that im not the only one going through this **$&.
I have paid for two $400.00+ dollar computers for this. Helped temorarily, although i think the POS mechanic was just resetting it. The reset helped for a while, but now it wont work at all. Starts up then dies. What im seeing different at this point is mysecurity light is staying solid and not blinking.
I believe im going to try this permanent pass lock assuming it works for 2001. :mad: :mad: :confuse:
nobullchitbids, "Pontiac Grand Am Security Passlock Problems" #209, 16 Sep 2007 6:43 pm#208
Any updates on your situation anyway? I'm curious to hear if you ever got this fixed. I still drive the Grand Am, it's still a piece of junk and now there are all kinds of other problems with it (things that can be fixed normally) but I can't wait until we decide to trade this [non-permissible content removed] in.
Best of luck, let me know how it all goes,
TK
Will fill you in when I get it back.
Now what I found it this. If your security light stays on then you have a bad connection between the ignition and passlock computer which is no problem until it get a good connection then it locks you out and the Security light is flashing.
I followed the directions and cut the wire and installed a switch. I'll let you all know how it works out but so far it's good to go.
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.
One thing to watch for is if the security light is illuminating while the car is running. Not flashing, solid. If this happens then a security system fault is being detected.
I'm on my third Grand Am, in over 300K miles between them I've only had this problem once. I suspect moisture may have something to do with it, it's usually very dry here in the southwest.
What BS, its so surprising that a large company like this can play so blind to its consumers. I have this no start problem a good amount of the time and its so infuriating.
Hopefully if more people report it, they may actually do something.
gess what, she called me last friday and told me the car wouldn't start, after several questions I found out that she had no power to any thing evern her remote door locks, battery dead because she left the lights on. The battery was completly dead and after charging it up with my van it started with no problem
Do it and you'll love it
:shades:
Of course Pontiac will deny knowing there is a problem. Quitcherbitchen and cut in the switch -- I'm still goin'.
It was fairly simple to do (my husband and I have NO car knowledge and are generally not too handy about fixing things.) But, we opened the radio area, took out the radio, cut the yellow wire and taped it up and now my car starts and starts and starts. I'm fine with having the anti-theft protection off, if someone really wants to steal this piece of crap car, go for it!
So, thanks again! And for those of you in this boat, just do it and save yourself the money and time of taking it into a repair shop........
good luck