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Pontiac Grand Am Security Passlock Problems

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Comments

  • pirangipirangi Member Posts: 1
    Hi, i have the same issue with security light, can u please mention the electrical spray name in the walmart? because i would like to give a try on this. Thanks in advance.
  • lovemygrandamlovemygrandam Member Posts: 330
    burdawg,
    Good to hear there are others who are having good luck with their Grand Am's. I just traded mine in on a new Chevy Spark. It had 121000 miles on the Odo. I wasn't quite as lucky as you with maintenance, but I don't think I had enough problems to call mine a lemon, as many others seem to have been inclined.
    My major items were:
    Front Brake pads twice,
    Front Rotors once.
    Ignition Module - twice, but the second was covered under the warranty of the first one.
    Tune-up/replace plugs once.
    At 108000, replaced clutch
    At 110000, replace catalytic converter.
    At 118000, replace battery

    I successfully performed the passlock bypass at 79598 miles. At the same time, I tried to replace one of the display bulbs in the radio, which was a mistake. When I reassembled the display, none of the buttons would work, so I then installed a Panasonic Radio with more features for $200.

    Mine was a stick shift, and my fuel average over the lifetime of the car was 33.1 MPG, mostly rural and city driving. My trade-in allowance was $2000, and shortly afterward, I found out that the new owner replaced the motor mounts... not a big deal...
    Dick Berger
  • burton87burton87 Member Posts: 2
    I just performed the Passlock bypass using a 2.2k ohm resistor going in next to the radio. The car starts fine, but the security light stays on despite attempts to go through the relearn process (I've left the key in the on position for as long as 30 minutes and the light will not go off).

    I have had issues in the past year with the car not starting because of this security system, and each time the 10 minute reset solved my problem (albeit temporarily). For the past 2-3 months I haven't had the starting issues, but the light has been on constantly. I was hoping this bypass would shut off the light and prevent any future issues starting. Does anyone have any ideas?
  • lovemygrandamlovemygrandam Member Posts: 330
    edited October 2013
    burton87,
    Yes, I have some ideas.
    Go to this web address:
    http://bergerweb.net/PasslockFix/
    Near the end of the article, You will find a list of six troubleshooting tips. The first one is:
    "1. Disconnect all three connectors from the Body Control Module."

    Go through those steps. They are easy enough to do. Pay particular attention to step 6. This will probably reveal that you have an open circuit between the Body Control Module, and the resistor that you soldered into the circuit in the radio cavity. If that is the case, you may want to re-do your bypass, using the procedure at:
    http://bergerweb.net/grandamsecurityfix.htm
    In this procedure, the resistor is placed in the circuit directly at the Body Control Moudle, so if there is problems in the wiring, they are also eliminated. There is no need to "undo" your previous work in the radio cavity.
    Good Luck.
  • burton87burton87 Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2013
    Thanks for the tips. I pulled the BCM and examined all the connectors. I did not notice any corrosion but gave them a good cleaning with a wire brush to be safe. I do not have a multimeter to check the resistance, but I went ahead and cut the A6 and B6 wires on the middle connector and put another 2.2k ohm resistor in. This doesn't seem to have helped as I'm still getting the always on security light (no blinking) which does not respond to the re-learning process.

    At this point I'm thinking the BCM is "happy" with the current passcode it has learned and is not attempting to learn the new signal (though I wonder why the light is on if this is the case). Both times after putting in the resistor the car has started up on the first try. Do you know of any way to force the BCM into re-learn mode?

    Edit: The car actually starts without the center connector plugged in to the BCM, so it's obviously completely ignoring the Passlock signal. I guess it's behaving like it would when the yellow wire is cut with the car running, but I've read that should reset when the battery is disconnected, and I've been disconnecting the battery every time I work with any of the wires.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    I think the front pads I just put on are the 5th set. I replaced the front rotors with a high quality cross drilled set at the third pad replacement and they are still good. I do mostly light suburban driving and get what I call "average" brake life.
    I'm going to retire next August and plan on keeping the Pontiac at least until then. I'm thinking about buying one of the new GM mid size trucks when they come out next fall (probably the GMC Canyon) but will make that decision when they are actually out.
    I think the biggest problem that people had with Grand Ams and Aleros was lack of maintenance. They were relatively low priced to get into, which sometimes leads to that in my opinion.
  • lovemygrandamlovemygrandam Member Posts: 330
    Do you know of any way to force the BCM into re-learn mode?

    A dealer who has a Tech II Scan Tool and a Techline Terminal can force the BCM to re-learn the code. A copy of the procedure (right out of the Grand Am Service Manual) can be found at:
    http://bergerweb.net/PasslockFix/shopmanual.htm
  • laurelslaurels Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2013
    I just had two mechanics diagnose in their opinion that it was the ignition causing my security starting issues. Despite the whole tumbler being replaced its still doing it every once in a while.

    I noticed something interesting. I'm sure that part of the security system is on the same circuit as the ABS light. Lately the ABS light is no longer just on or off, its flickering. The guy just replaced my rotor, and I haven't picked it up, but he claims the light is now off for the abs. Still could this indicate an issue with a fuse instead of the security system?

    I did replace the battery. The guy at Advanced Auto said the battery was bad, but also said he thought the power drain when the vehicle off was too high, after asking if I had a dome light which I do. I showed the paper to someone else with the number, a mechanic, he said the number was fine. I've lost the paper or I'd post the number.

    I have a passlock bypass device I'm thinking of installing. It was expensive. I'm worried that putting it in will just cover up an issue of a computer going bad that controls something else, or some other problem.

    Any advice?

    I really appreciate any recommendations.

    Maybe its just one giant piece of metal garbage at 178,000 miles :( I hope not
  • jc1973jc1973 Member Posts: 63
    HEY EVERYONE well after buying this worthless pos for 3000 car overheated had to replace headgaskets intake gaskets bunch of stuff putting close to 2500 into it now its got a new weird prob car starts fine when cold after slightly warmed up hard to start been this way for 3 weeks weird thing is when i turn key to on position the power locks start to cycle when this stops car starts tonight just driving cars just dies locks start to cycle car will not start keep cycling key on 4 or 5 times each time the locks try to cycle 5 th try key on for 2 minutes locks stop car starts up service vehicle soon and trac off lights stay on car runs fine again no blinking security lights what gives
  • rock50rock50 Member Posts: 1
    My daughter has a 2005 Pontiac Grand AM SE. Twice in the last ten months she has let the battery run down, once she had left the lights on and the other time she played the radio while waiting to get a tow out from the ditch in a snow storm. Both times when she tried to start the engine when the battery was low and there must have been just enough power to tell the security system to initiate. A jump start did not help either time and after fully charging the battery the engine still would not start. The most recent time just yesterday, I searched the issue on the web and thankfully the issue with the Pontiacs from around 1999 to 2005 is well known on the web and sadly I must say also by GM and service shops around the world. Yes it is as simple as turning the key to the on position and waiting for the security light to no longer illuminate, which my daughter said was less than ten minutes (but remember she was in the ditch and let her battery run down twice in the last ten months) so take that for what it is worth. On the web it says that it is exactly 10 minutes or exactly 15 minutes. Simply put, just wait for the security light to go out then turn the key off then back on to start the engine. What really bothers me about this is that GM knowingly put this in the computer programming for these cars and has been profiting from this for years from all the service calls for this issue. Hopefully they did not take advantage of their customers and change out parts and charge for that unnecessarily. Unfortunately though there are far more less reputable shops that have really been profiting from this as was the case with my daughter 10 months ago when they said they needed to change the starter motor and charged hundreds for it when they likely just followed this wonderfully simple procedure that was their little secret for all these years. Shame on GM for not identifying this in the owner’s manual especially in the later models such as my daughters 2005. Ford at least identifies in their owner’s manuals that their products have a fuel shut off switch that activates when in an accident or when simply bumping into a curb or something like that. I had already been pissed at GM for years and personally haven’t bought one of their products since my 1993 Astro van needed $2,500 worth of fuel injectors every 58,000 miles and they wouldn’t recognize they had a bad design and help out their consumers in some way. I am sure that the outrageously compensated Delco unionized workforce played heavily into designing a bad product and making it so expensive for a part and repairs. Please don’t think I am anti-union because I am not I have been a shop steward for years and even I can recognize abuse when I see or hear about it.
  • lovemygrandamlovemygrandam Member Posts: 330
    I'm sorry that your daughter had this problem when her battery was exhausted, but the Security System reset solution is clearly stated in the Pontiac Owner's manual.
    I am like everyone else... I never read my owner's manual until something happens that I don't understand, or don't know what how to handle. I suppose we are all too lazy to even skim through our owner's manuals, even when we pay $18000 for a new vehicle.
    But to defend General Motors. the Passlock Relearn procedure is not a "wonderfully simple procedure that was their little secret for all these years." It is clearly stated in the owner's manual, and is also clearly referenced in the index. When it happened to me the first time, all I had to do was pull the owner's manual out of the glove box, and within 3 or 4 minutes, I was able to follow the clearly written instructions to perform the relearn procedure. I believe your wrath with GM is unfounded. I have seen much more glaring oversights in Honda and Toyota Owner's Manuals. One Anti-theft reference in a late model Toyota Manual suggests buying a new smart key ($210.00), rather than taking the vehicle to a dealer and having the scan tool reprogram the key-recognition circuit.

    Please understand that GM engineers, and for that matter, all the automobile companies take many precautions to avoid having "Walk Home" situations for their customers. That's the reason why there is the 10 minute security reset procedure written so clearly in the owner's manual. Yes, waiting 10 minutes for the security system to relearn the correct value is an inconvenience, but far less of an inconvenience than having the vehicle towed to a dealer.
  • onestepaheadonestepahead Member Posts: 2

    My god, I never knew, wish I read this first before buying the car. Ok, here's my issue but I have a gps tracker also in mine til car is paid off , then box removed. Would this also cause my passlock to kick in & the car not to start. Mines only happen 6 mths ago & then just this Friday headlights & dashboard lights came on....But, wouldnt start up....Had towed to mechanic, Cant said what he did,...(sorry) but he said when he got in car didnt start & then he did his thing & the car started right up.....I was so pissed cause I lost work cause of this & not only that my payment is current, so why disarming the vehicle. Mechanic did a service check, couldnt find anything wrong. He boiled it down to that black box disarmed vehicle. Called dealer & asked why my vehicle was disarmed for no apparent reason. We dont know anything about that, we dont disarm vehicle...Really, well explain too me why I have a little blinking black box under my dashboard & since you dont know anything about it, then Im having it removed......long pause, thought he hung up. Ms, that's for security purposes. Oh so now all of a sudden you know what Im talking about. I inform them if my vehicle is ever disarm for no apparent reason again, we will be heading to small claims court. And, Im pretty sure I will win, once judge ask same thing why are you disarming vehicle, never a late payment. I regret I even have to deal with them for 2 more months.....

  • onestepaheadonestepahead Member Posts: 2

    P.S....And now that Im reading about this Passlock Security thats built in....I spoken with Mickey Shorr about this & this will be corrected also. But, they wont touch vehicle until box has been removed....

  • ashleylois10ashleylois10 Member Posts: 1
    Help!!!! I bought a 1999 grand am 3.4 the girl who owned it had lost her keys so someone had done a hack job om the ignition to get a screw driver in there to start it... long story short for some reason you had to hold the screw driver just right or the car would die even while driving. I went and got an ignition and key from the junk yard they just took the tumbler out of the new ignition into the old one. After that it wouldn't start it turns over but wouldn't ignite, and the security light was on. I found a niffty little video on youtube where the kid cuts a yellow wire and runs it to a stps toggle switch and we decided to do that. However now the video didnt say a word about getting the car running before cutting the yellow wire. So they cut the yellow wire with my car off and now I have no dash lights at all... a friend told me to try the hole hold the key on until the dinging stops and the security light goes off then leave the key turned to acc for 10 min. Well I HAVE NO DASH LIGHTS!!!... what can I do?.... if they put thebnew tumbler into the new ignition and replace the while thing will it work again. Or is there a way to get the car started seriously I have no clue whay to do please email me at AshleyLois10@yahoo.com
  • joes777joes777 Member Posts: 0

    Chevy Impala starts and runs with security light on solid. Hopefully the following info can help others, as it seems to be common across many GM models.

    My security light issue on my 2005 Impala has finally been beaten into submission. After many hours of research on multiple blogs and about $200 in parts the issues have been resolved. My car has the passlock system with the sensor in the key cylinder, not in the key.
    Chevy Impala starts and runs security light on solid

    My problem started as a no-start/10 minute wait issue at the most inconvenient times. The key could actually be removed from the cylinder while driving the car (and my car isn't on the list of recalls). After replacing the key cylinder/passlock chip, it became a "security light on" issue with the car starting every time (which is fail-enable mode).

    I started by replacing the key cylinder/sensor since it was mechanically defective. The car would then start up every time, but the security light would stay on solid. I then bought the ignition switch unit that the cylinder goes into, no change in the symptom. The switch I bought came with another key cylinder/sensor (at a very good price on Amazon). Now I have 3 key cylinder's/sensors - which turned out to be helpful in the end.

    So much for parts swapping, I didn't want to replace the BCM and make a trip to the dealership to program it. After researching on this list and several others, I found wiring diagrams and expected voltages on each of the 3 sensor wires at each switch position. I purchased a good set of wire piercing probes off of Amazon also. I also took a 3 pin connector out of an old pc, which allowed me to connect directly to the sensor and eliminate the "blind" connection in the housing. Armed with tools and knowledge, I took the dash apart again (I can do it in 10 minutes now).

    With my volt meter, I found the following:
    1. 12.3 volts on the white wire, switch in the on position.
    2. The black wire was properly grounded.
    3. The yellow wire showed 1.27 volts, too low for the on position, should be near 5 volts.
    4. With the switch in the start position, I got the same voltages. The yellow wire should drop when you go to start as the resistor will be in effect.
    5. Full continuity from all 3 sensor wires to the BCM connection.
    6. Pulled the BCM out (difficult), everything inside in excellent condition.
    7. No shorts detected.

    I then swapped out the key cylinder/sensor with my other new one, and I saw 4.7 volts on the yellow wire in the on position, and 2.2 volts when I turned to the start position. This looked good, but the security light stayed on. On a whim, I put the old, mechanically defective key cylinder back in and the security light went out! This told me several things:
    1. The system is stuck in fail-enable mode and is happy with the resistance on the old sensor.
    2. One of my 2 new key cylinders/sensors is bad.
    3. The old switch and the BCM are probably good.

    I was not able to initiate the relearn by having the battery disconnected for several hours. I tried removing the fuel pump and starter fuses as recommended to keep it from starting during the relearn attempt, did not work. The security light needs to be flashing(able to relearn), not on steady(fail-enable). A Tech II scanner would be able to force it, but I was determined to avoid the dealership.

    Quite accidentally, I made it go into relearn mode. For every part swap/wire disconnect/reconnect I would disconnect the battery. The last time I pushed the key cylinder back in (the good one) I forgot to disconnect the battery. The system must have detected a tamper condition and the security light started flashing. A 30 minute relearn process later and the security light goes off. No issues through the whole weekend so far.

    I could have done the resistor bypass method and avoided all the testing as mentioned by many, but I would have needed to match the resistance exactly since I could not get it to relearn.

    I've learned way more than I ever needed to on this system. It's amazing, all the work-arounds and bypasses and hacks that are available. Even the possibility of disabling the whole system with a Tech II or one of the tuners out there looked like an interesting possibility. GM should offer that as a fix, but that would be admitting to a faulty product.

    Thanks to all for the valuable info, especially the Bergerweb.net website and ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/passlock-fixes.

  • sara1286sara1286 Member Posts: 1

    I had the same problem. I'd go to start my car, it would crank but wouldn't stay on. I'd have it towed, and then magically it would start again. The mechanics looked at my like I was crazy!! This happened very randomly over six months. Finally after the last time, it still wouldn't start after being towed and I was told the key ignition was throwing the car into security mode. they replaced the key cylinder and reprogrammed the computer. Thus far I haven't had any problems. I never had a security light come on, it just wouldn't start. Hopefully the problem is actually fixed but I always expect to be stranded after that ordeal.

  • haltongunhaltongun Member Posts: 1

    try to take key to right side front door, turn the key from left to right fully 3 times and wait 3 minutes i have 1999 grand am and had these problems

  • rk2001gtrk2001gt Member Posts: 1

    Mine is a 2001 grand am gt 3.4L and now has been sitting for months due to this security crap I have owned it since day one bought her with only 1 and half miles on it!! It has been my baby and I have kept reg maintenance on it and I have never had any issues with it and I love her and hate to rid it but I am a single mom and can not afford for this to happen all the time! I have tried the relearn nothing starts 2 secs then dies I can hear the fuel pump kick on so I know that is not the issue!! It ran fine then arked it woke up and trunk was popping things dinging ect I couldn't find the tool to disconnect battery and it eventually died!! So I did research and tried everything and still have gotten nowhere with it and it is still sitting in driveway!! I pulled out the pugs n BCM and didn't see no corrode anywhere checked every fuse I could find all fine! I am so stressed out with this called the dealer and they want crap ton of money to fix any help please I am about to lose it or go crunch it at junk yard!!!!!!

  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,148
    edited July 2014

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  • tcmusictcmusic Member Posts: 1

    I paid for a new ignition switch for my 2001 Pontiac Grand AM ($1000) that was suppose to include programming. I got my car back and it will not start. Two months ago I took it back to them and they keep saying it's a programming thing and that I have to pay more $$$. I told them the damn car isn't worth it! I am getting hosed here aren't I.

  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524

    I am getting hosed here aren't I.
    I would have to say yes. It shouldn't cost that much for a new ignition switch. What was the original problem?

  • ezfixezfix Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1998 Chevy Cavalier. I have the "Passlock" security system (not Passlock I or II). My anti theft light would go on and my car would stall in traffic. I first had the car towed to a mechanic, who couldn't fix the faulty Passlock . I called Chevy as the manual suggested and Castriotta Chevy in Hudson Florida convinced the mechanic that I needed the car towed in to a Chevy dealer only.

    Castriotta Chevy wanted $350 to bypass the security system for good. I then learned online you can leave the ignition in the start position for at least 10 minutes or more, but no less than 10 minutes and your car would drive on its own temporarily.

    I also read online at Amazon that the PLJX "Directed Electronics" Gm Self Learning Passlock Override for $22.95 would do the trick (NOT), so I ordered it sent overnight express to a second mechanic who figured he could install it after I showed him the printed material from Amazon.

    I then drove my car from Castriotta Chevy to this second mechanic. That failed. I learned that Auto Radio and alarm shops are best at installing electronic devices like this.

    I went to the Directed Electronics website to look for authorized dealers to install the PLJX Passlock bypass. The authorized dealers I went to knew nothing about this fix ( I went to 2 local dealers.

    I then saw 2 separate posts online where they spoke of spraying electronic spray, not graphite into the ignition cylinder, so I went to Walmart and bought CRC electronic spray and sprayed it right into the ignition cylinder.

    The next day I waited the 10 minutes, started my car and took it to Ed Morse Chevrolet in Port Richey Florida. I told Anthony at Ed Morse that Castriotta said my problem was definitely the Passlock.

    Anthony said they would still have to diagnose the problem themselves. After 2 days this second Chevy dealer could find nothing wrong and charged me nothing to look at the car.

    SPRAY CRC electronics cleaner directly into the ignition cylinder. Electronics spray is safe to clean anything electronic such as the inner electronic parts of a computer or something like the electronic parts in an ignition cylinder which also gets old, dusty, and dirty. Oil or WD40 is not safe for electronic parts and graphite hardens.

    My car has been running great for months now after spraying CRC electronics cleaner into the ignition cylinder -- without the ant-theft light coming on or the car stalling in traffic anymore!

  • jujubeez024jujubeez024 Member Posts: 1
    ok I have a 03 pontaic grand am v6
    im currently is the same situation but im not sure if its the same security passlock problem or not

    my problem is my car wont turn over like if it was in security mode, im used to putting the key inn the on position for ten min but this time its not that. usually the security light flashes for ten min with the key in the on position.
    my grand am wont start. ive tried the master reset 10 min, 10 min, 10min with two different keys. no luck

    ive replaced the battery,
    jumped the starter but after it starts,
    it shuts off immediately after.
    my door locks have no power, neither do the interior lights, headlights turn on,
    you can hear the fuel pump run when key is in the on positon.
    im hoping this isn't a short in my electrical system. anyone ever come across this situation?
  • keithlamkeithlam Member Posts: 1
    Pontiac Grand Am Security Passlock Problem - my solution

    1. Background
    a. The security light flashed a few times while I was driving, then I started to look for the Passlock system information.
    b. Sometimes, when I turned the key to off, the OIL and BATTERY lights stayed on, and the key did not fit too well into the key cylinder (hard to turn the key), so I replaced the key cylinder assembly.
    c. Not able to start the car afterward (cranking, but not started, SECURITY light off).
    d. Had to tow the car to the dealer. They had the car started but could not give me any information as what was wrong.
    e. When I used the remote starter, the car would start but immediately shut off. No SECURITY light.
    2. I searched on the internet for the Passlock problem again, and this time I found a post that I did not see before:
    3. It said "enter the car, lock the door, un-lock the door, and lock the door again, then try to start the car".
    4. I did the above, the car did not start, but the SECURITY light was flashing when I returned the key from START to RUN.
    5. So I followed the known fix by leaving the key in the RUN position until the SECURITY light went out; then I turned the key to OFF then START, and the car started.
    6. The SECURITY light stayed on, which did not matter to me, as I was going to cut the yellow wire (see other posts in the forum for information about the yellow wire).
    7. I cut the yellow wire while the car is running; the SECURITY light stayed on; and I have been driving for a few days already.
    8. I am planning to remove the SECURITY light bulb when I work on the dashboard next time.
  • kyradogkyradog Member Posts: 1
    Kudos to Dick for making this info available and continuing to answer posts for so long. I hope he made some spare change for his efforts along the way.
    Given that his last post was December 2013, I get the impression he's done answering the same question over and again and has likely retired.

    I do have an issue that seriously perturbed me... Though in fairness, he may have addressed it since. After the first 13 forum pages, I skipped to the last 42 and 43 pages and may not have seen it...

    Dick insisted OVER and OVER again that a tripped Passlock would NOT disable the starter on a Grand Am.
    It supposedly ONLY disabled the fuel supply.

    This is absolutely NOT the case and I suspect the cause for his position on this was that he either didn't consider the fact that these posts were originating from Canada or other GM markets, and/or it was an issue strictly with the 2005.
    I don't think it's just a 2005 issue, as I saw a poster adamantly make the same point on his 2003. I believe it is a small difference in the Passlock System for vehicles manufactured for sale outside of the contiguous 48.
    When my GA is in Passlock trip waiting the 10 minutes (exactly) I could push the pin on the fuel rail and get a burst of fuel 15 feet if I were inclined. As many others have stated, the fuel system remains fully pressurized and it is, in fact, the starter that is disabled. This is partially what screwed me when I installed a remote starter on it 9 years ago. I couldn't override the Passlock and get the starter to crank. With this resistor fix, the remote starter also may have worked perfectly fine, if only I'd known back then.

    Also, on these "starter disable vehicles" as mentioned in other posts, there is obviously a black and a yellow, but the third wire is a creamy white/yellow color that has been mentioned in many posts also where Dick basically blasted the poster for not knowing what they were doing or following instructions. "GO TO BCM".

    I love my Suzuki engines and on the Suzukiforums.net we celebrate and discuss the differences in powertrain configurations between Australia, Europe, Canada and the 48 USA. I've rebuilt 3 of my own Suzuki engines because they are so easy to work with. I've also built, from scratch, 2 4-bolt 435 HP Chevy 350's. So it's not like I don't know what I'm talking about.

    So, basically, Dicks fix may or may not fix my or many other's situations.
    I used a 2.2K resistor on a terminal strip beside the ignition cylinder. Yes it's on the BCM side, not the switch side. And the connections are solid.
    On turning to ignition, I should have got a flashing security light.
    I did not. It was solid and engine started. repeatedly. I tried a 30 min but knew it was pointless.

    So at this point Dick says check for corrosion at the BCM terminals. HuH??
    Do you guys leave your car windows open during a tornado or such so that moisture can infiltrate the plugged in terminals to the point that corrosion occurs inside the passenger cabin on that ECM? There's panels to protect it from your kids spilling a slurpee and trying to catch it and spattering everywhere.

    The other claim he says for the security light remaining solid is "broken wire" or the connection from BCM to ignition switch or the resistor patch.
    Seriously?
    The braid on these wires is so soft that for them to break would take a huge amount of repetitive motion in one place.
    If that were the case, people would be having breaks in their lighting, ignition, fuel and starting harnesses just as often as the Passlock connection to the BCM.
    I'll dig out my multimeter and test that line but I doubt that's the issue. I'll get the same value as the resistor I just put in plus the minor loss over distance.

    I'm hoping I wont get another Passlock trip and I'll look at some of the things Dick suggested, but if it does trip, I'm hoping it will learn the new resistance value immediately after my 10 mins.
    It's left us stuck in bad places in past!










  • coachboscoachbos Member Posts: 1
    I too, have a "Grand" problem. I installed the resistor, checked it at the BCM plug and it reads the right resistance. It starts instantly, will run and start all day, but come daybreak, I have to disconnect the battery, wait a while, and then it will start. It's like Groundhog Day. It's a V-6, GT and only has 84k miles. It was a gift from my dad who can no longer drive, to my daughter. I just don't want to leave her stranded anywhere.
    If it's the BCM, and I buy a used one, and the numbers on the controls match, will it work, will it have to "flashed" and will I have to remove the resistor?

  • olmedo007olmedo007 Member Posts: 1
    Hi... I have a problem with a 2002 grandAm gt 3.4
    The problem is that the car starts but only for a moment and goes off. the "security" light is not on. After reading some of the comments on this page, review the BCM and find a broken pin.

    I bought a used BCM. and change the cylinder of the key. after this try to start the car following the sequence of ten minutes in start "
    but I still can not turn on the car. I insist, the "security" light is not on
  • MAYDAY1STMAYDAY1ST Member Posts: 1
    lovemygrandam; I would love to own a 2004 Grand Am Service Manual. Could I pay you to get me one? because from what I've been able to gather, they're just not available to the average run of the mill diy mechanic like myself, and only to the experienced GM proving ground guy like yourself, that is if they truly exist at all; in fact, I would even settle for a Haynes manual for my car for that year, if they even exist - and they don't! Even worse, I just got burned trying to purchase an online PDF downloadable service manual that the lady from Helms suggested, and it turned out to be an online scam perpetrated by some slick Nigerian (my guess) criminal internet bandits, who now have my card number, or PayPal does. I tell you I will never do anything with PayPal again, but I'm just a piano player from Illinois tryin' to get a manual, you know what I'm sayin? I've seen that you've been recommending people get their own service manuals, and I completely agree, but not if they are more impossible to acquire than getting my wife's grand am started. Could you help me out getting a manual?
    -MJ '19-
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,745
    https://www.alldatadiy.com/

    That is a direct link to Alldata DIY. You can purchase a yearly subscription to the service information for your Grand Am
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,147
    edited May 2019


    Your other option is to watch Ebay for someone offering a REAL factory service manual set, which will likely be 2 or 3 volumes. Do not buy the Haynes or other substitutes.

    The books will look like this
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Pontiac-Grand-Am-Sedan-Coupe-Service-Repair-Manual-Set-SE-SE1-SE2-GT-GT1-/372045993652
    which is for a 2003.
    I searched
    "2004 grand am factory service".

    The pricing on the old ones is really high. I should offer some of my unneeded factory service manuals online for sale....

    I do not know how much the Grand Am changed from year-to-year. Often I used the real FSM for nearby years and they were the same.

    Electrical diagrams are available on autozone.com. I believe you have to "join" their group to be able to use them. Easy, just give them you email.

    And electric diagrams and TSBs are available on bbb.com. You sign up and they send an email with a link to click to get in. YOU KEEP THAT EMAIL for the link. The site is a little tricky because the default is for TSBs so you have to keep switching the choice to wiring diagrams.

    AllData is available at our library system for the County and some adjacent library systems at the library using their computers. Other data sources are available from home, but they pay only for AllData access at terminals in the library's 10 branches or so. I was disappointed trying to look up some things on AllData. I couldn't find what I needed.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

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