Security light

Tiny
LEELEE646
  • MEMBER
  • 1997 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 200,000 MILES
My car will not start, my lights and radio turn on and my security light comes on. I own a 97 pontiac bonneville do you know what the problem could be?
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 AT 11:37 PM

6 Replies

Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,761 POSTS
You're having a problem with the Passkey security system.

The most common failure in these is the sensor in the ignition lock that reads the key pellet. That would mean replacing the ignition lock with a sensor included.

That sensor can be bypassed although this is only one component of the system and my not be your problem. You would need a digital ohmmeter to measure the resistance of the pellet in the key. Now go to Radio Shack and buy a resister of the exact same value as the key pellet. Go to the base of the steering column and locate the two thin white wires that go up to the sensor. Cut the two wires and solder the resister between the two ends coming from the harness. This will permanently bypass the sensor but not the rest of the system.
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Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 AT 12:13 AM
Tiny
DAVE'S BIG BACKYARD!
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Yes it sounds like it has a bad lock cylinder. The thing is when you replace it you get new keys and the resistance chip has got to be matched up to the lock cylinder. But if you can just bypass it then I would try to do that, it will save you a headache in the long run.
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Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 AT 12:29 AM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
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You don't get to match key chips when you replace the lock cylinder. You have to replace the Passkey Module along with it so it will learn the new code.
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Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 AT 12:32 AM
Tiny
DAVE'S BIG BACKYARD!
  • MECHANIC
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Lol I new it was something like that, I just remember when I would fix them the key would have to go to the dealer for the chip to be set up.
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Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 AT 2:13 AM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
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No, you can't change the key. You have to change the module. A new module has no code programmed until the first time it's used. It can't be changed after that
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Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 AT 2:18 AM
Tiny
DAVE'S BIG BACKYARD!
  • MECHANIC
  • 262 POSTS
Well maybe it might not have been a 97 but have replaced lock cylniders in cars and not the modules. Do the older models work different? What I was trying to say to leelee646 was that the chip has to be matched up with the car, but it came out wrong.
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Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 AT 2:32 AM

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