i have a 1996 sedan deville luv the car but it has its quirks one cold day i noticed the message board and it reads theft system problem car may not restart went to dealer to check pass key it was fine then i was told that the ignition would have to be replaced because the wires had become "frayed" then when i called about it then i was told the wire was most likely worn in the driver door lock want to make sure before servicing just got it in sep the cars alarm didn't seem to work (did the owner's manual test..nothing so i went aftermarket alarm) just want to be sure thanks...

haven't heard anything on the ignition wires going bad but the VATS system failure is widely known.

thanks i was just wondering because the dealer was so quick to diagnose the car without looking at it,so would a simple solution be to replace the vats car starts and runs fine....thanks

thanks i was just wondering because the dealer was so quick to diagnose the car without looking at it,so would a simple solution be to replace the vats car starts and runs fine....thanks
Yep. The parts cost about $75 at the dealer including new keys. You'll have to make sure they match the resistance that you have now. Of course you have the airbag to deal with and such. It should run about $350 to have the dealer replace it. You might be able to have an alarm shop completely bypass it for about $30 though. If you go the cheap easy route, make sure the person patches into the VATS wires on the "column" side of the plug. That way if later down the road you decide to fix it correctly, they can easily do it. Also, make sure their VATS value is either right on or a little higher than what you have. For some reason GM cars will easily start if the value is higher but not if it's just a tad lower. Example: If you have 530ohms now, go to atleast that or 535ohms. If it goes lower, the car may lock up later down the road.

Ponchonutty's got it right; bypass the damn Passkey and be done with it. Measure the resistance of the key pellet, and thats the value of resistance you need to purchase at Radio Shack or electronics shop/store. Resistors are cheap. If you pay more than a buck ($1), your being ripped off.
Now, the trick is to find the two pin connector under the steering column and splice in that resistor.

i have a 1996 sedan deville luv the car but it has its quirks one cold day i noticed the message board and it reads theft system problem car may not restart went to dealer to check pass key it was fine then i was told that the ignition would have to be replaced because the wires had become "frayed" then when i called about it then i was told the wire was most likely worn in the driver door lock want to make sure before servicing just got it in sep the cars alarm didn't seem to work (did the owner's manual test..nothing so i went aftermarket alarm) just want to be sure thanks...

I have a similiar problem with a '95 Deville. I changed the battery and when I tried to start the car I got a theft system notice telling me that the ignition and starting system had been disabled and for me to wait 3 minutes before trying again. Still cannot get it to start...keep getting same message...any ideas???