[library user]

Thanks for your comments. Even clever, silly replies are welcome. I need a good laugh after being late to work an hour this morning.

[Petronski]

Even clever, silly replies are welcome.

Before it became Government Motors, it was known widely as General Mistake.

[earlJam]

When is the last time you changed your Johnson rod?

[Erik Latranyi]

When in doubt, disconnect the ground terminal from the battery for about 5 minutes.

That should reset everything back to factory specs for you.

[Petronski]

On a hunch, I suggest you have them check the integrity of the driver side seat sensor, or look on-line for methods (hacks) to disable the system.

[NEMDF]

I have a 1999 Olds Cutlass. Occasionally have had unexplained problems trying to start it, usually shortly after shutting it off, on short errands. After waiting awhile, it will start. I have no idea whether it has this Passlock deal you mention. I have sometimes gotten it to start, when finicky, by taking the keys out and re-inserting, just a different “touch”. It has never been a huge problem that has left me stranded anywhere. Perhaps it is the same kind of thing?

[When do we get liberated?]

It should only kill it for 10 minutes, sometimes it just seems longer....Does your key have a prominent black resistor built in (passlock) or a larger than old style head with no visible resistor (Passlock2)?

[ColoCdn]

We’ve gone through the same thing with our 2004. Scoured the internet looking for info, with little luck on the so-called solutions. The best analysis I saw was that some of the components to the Passlock electrical assembly were cheap, got filmed over or corroded or oxidized or something, and would only intermittently recognize the signals that it’s supposed to interpret for the sensor to accept and allow the engine to start.

We’re waiting for another couple of weeks to get the sensor replaced by a friend who’s a mechanic at a dealership.

Good luck. These things alone have caused me to swear off Government Motors forever.

[Zeppelin]

I've seen Passlock2 bypass kits (relatively cheap), as well as remote start kits that include the bypass.

Example, found on Amazon.

I have a '97 Z28, and I believe '98 was the first year they put Passlock in the Camaro. I could be wrong about that, but I know I've never activated it or had trouble starting my car. Anyway, sorry if I'm not much help.

[NativeSon]

I have a 1999 Yukon and it does the same thing at the most inconvenient times, like; downtown Philly after the concert gets out or when I take my boss to lunch.

Had the thing towed like 50 miles and the next day the mechanic calls; "started up just fine"...

[decimon]

According to what I just searched out, Passkey used a special key but Passlock I and II do not, i.e., the active component is in the cylinder. Turning the cylinder causes it to send a code that must match the code in the control module.

So, if nothing simpler works, you could, for a few bucks, try a new key to see if, for mysterious reasons, that does the trick. The next and more expensive try would be a new cylinder and reprogamming of the module. For big bucks, a new control module.

Why not try a new key to see if PFM(Pure Magic) is in play here?

[MosesKnows]

For weeks everything will be fine and then out of the blue

The problem is what also requires you to "reboot" your computer from time to time. Hardware engineers and a handful of software engineers understand. It is a hardware problem that is nearly impossible to trouble shoot because the error isn’t repetitive. It is caused by a "low duty cycle” skewed data bit that is not present when the clock strobes the data. Because it is low duty cycle it may not repeat for hours, days, weeks, months, or years.

Unless the exact cause can be determined, what you are attempting is usually the best approach. find a work around by trial and error.

[Sylvester McMonkey McBean]

98 LeSabre same deal. The SECURITY lights pops on, and have to wait for it to go out. Usually just a few minutes though. Noticed it does it primarily when it’s raining or high humidity.

If it’s the same problem I had...it’s something to do with 2 tiny wires in the ignition switch that measures the resistance across the “pellet” in your key when you put it in the ignition switch.

I cut and spliced back together the necessary wires for the hack and even went so far as to purchase the correct resistor to install between them and solder if it ever did it again. Of course, hasn’t done it since.

I remember a quick dealer suggestion was to take a pencil eraser to the exposed metal bits in the pellet and “shine them up a bit.”

Good luck with it, and sorry to hear it’s caused you grief.

[WOBBLY BOB]

check the, ah, specs on the end line, for the rotary girder.

http://www.wavplanet.com/downloadwavs.php?id=865

[Tupelo]

I do not have the answer, but I would bet dollars to doughnuts that the solution will involve WD40 and or duct tape.
These two items seem to fix damn near every thing in the motorcycle world so I figure they also work wonders in the automotive world.

[deport]

Here’s a link with some comments.......

http://www.automotivehelper.com/topic166369.htm

Let me give you a what if that happened to me a few years ago. I have a 97 blazer and when it approached 100,000 miles it begin to give trouble about starting in that the ignition wouldn’t engage when the key was turned. It was hit and miss for a period of time until one day it quit. The bottom line is there is a small $2 plastic piece inside the ignition switch that gets worn and causes the problem. It is more prevelant I’m told if you have a lot of weight on the key ring that is hanging/bouncing around as you drive. We replaced that part and everything was fine until the approach of the 200,000 mile mark. Same problem, same fix and car is still running.

Not saying the above is related in any way but just a thought to consider.