Our Community is 940,000 Strong. Join Us.


How to bypass Passlock problems.


ponchonutty
04-28-2007, 07:43 AM
This is only intended to be used if you are having PK2 issues and do not want to pay big bucks for the stealership to do their thing. I assume no responsibilty here. I know for a fact this works 99% of the time and if it doesn't, you can easily revert back to the way it was prior. Please verify that you do indeed have a PK2 failure before trying this method.

1. Locate the PK2 wires. They're tiny 22 gauge wires that run with the bigger 16gauge wires that run the ignition, start, and accessory wires. There will be 3 of them usually yellow(resistance), black or orange black(ground reference wire), and white. The white one you will not use.

2. If the car will start at this time what you'll do is meter the resistance value. To do this you cut the yellow wire in 2 and put one lead from the meter on the end that goes to the igntion switch and the other end to the black or orange/black wire (do not cut the black wire). Put the car in reverse (without trying to start it) Once you do that crank the key like you are trying to start it. You'll notice that the meter will be changing values at this time. Once it settles down, you'll see the value needed.

3. Get resistor(s) that come as close as possible to the value you had gotten. If it's something like 1495ohms but you can only get 1490 or 1500, get the slightly higher number. Install your resistor(s) by attaching one end to the OTHER end of the yellow wire that goes towards the car's dash and the other end of the resistor(s) to the black reference wire. Once you do that, try and start it. If it doesn't work, try running a new ground wire to the black or black/orange wire. There has been a few cases where that wire was the culpret but it's far and few between.

3a. If you couldn't get close to the resistor value needed or if the car still won't start do this. Turn the key to make the ignition come on, don't crank it. Leave it like that for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, do it again. If the security lights flashes, turn it off and then start it. If it still doesn't flash, turn it off and then back on for yet another 10 minutes.

You should be good to go now:naughty:

Moderators, please make this a sticky!!!!

Blue Bowtie
04-29-2007, 07:49 AM
I believe the system you are describing is not the "PassLock" system, but "PassKey" and "PassKey-II" systems.

There is a little more information on analysis and repair of those systems here:

VATS System Overview (http://www.wwdsltd.com/files/VATSSystem.html)

And a lot of detailed information at other sites.

ponchonutty
04-29-2007, 09:49 PM
Yes well there's been a lot of fuzzy areas with this even with GM techs. VATS is the chip in the key set up which is what you posted a link to. What I am talking about is the non resistor and non transponder systems.

dpilot83
05-19-2007, 02:17 PM
ponchonutty, based on what they said on the last page found on the link below, I've been trying to figure out the practical aspect of wiring a resistor in. They explained the theory but it didn't help so much for the real world of finding the right wires to solder the resistor into. Your method worked great, thanks.

http://www.motorage.com/motorage/data/articlestandard/motorage/292005/169809/article.pdf

If any of you are wondering about whether you should do this method or the "putting a switch in the wire" trick, I'll let you know what my experiences were.

First of all, both methods do work. I ran my car for a few days with the wire cut while I was trying to figure out how to finish the job with the resistors. Secondly, in my opinion cutting the wire is way easier. It's kinda annoying having the light on the dash, but other than that it's by far a simpler fix.

You may have read about having to re-enable the system if you lose battery power. This is also true. During those few days where I was driving with the wire cut, I really wanted to just leave it that way. I didn't want a battery failure to cause me to have to tear the dash apart and reconnect the two wires. So to test it while it was still torn apart, I disconnected the battery for a half hour and then tried to start it again. No luck. Disconnecting the battery does indeed reset everything and the only way to restart the car again was to just reconnect the wires and hope that the ignition cylinder was able to put the right signal out at least one more time.

So the solution is a switch so you don't have to tear the dash apart again? Right. Except for two things. One is the annoying security light all the time. The more severe is what would happen if you don't lose battery power for a year. You've been driving every day and the ignition cylinder components, while being bypassed, have still been being used every day and have been getting in worse and worse condition.

You find that you have to replace your battery one day so you do. You start your car and crud, the security light starts flashing again. Oh well, flip the trusty switch, wait 10 minutes and try again. Hmmm. It's flashing again. Well, it just must have been one more isolated case of the system not working. Give it another 10 minutes.

Six hours and 36 tries later you've still got a flashing security light and the only solution is to go buy a 300 dollar ignition cylinder so that you can finally get a good signal to the cars computer again before you can even bypass the system again.

I figured I wanted a permanent solution so that's why I went after the resistor method. So far I've been very happy.

My car was giving me problems three or four times a week before I put the resistors in there. Sometimes it would do it twice in a row. When it did actually start the security light would usually come on halfway through the trip I was making. Since I installed the resistor I have not seen the security light even once, either while starting or enroute. Thanks again for the great info ponchonutty!:cheers:

ponchonutty
05-20-2007, 06:21 PM
Hey, thanks for the praise. I'm so glad you figured it out through my posts on how to get this to work. Very nice right too I might add!

Mulliganstein
02-23-2009, 11:10 AM
Hey Ponch,
Thanks for your posts about the PK2 bypass. I'm getting ready to install a remote starter/ keyless entry in my 02 malibu. I called the dealer gave them the vin and they said I have a passkey system. I told Bulldog security that I have an 02 malibu and they said I have a PK2 and I need to buy their additional PK2 bypass module #791. (another 25-30 bucks)

I have a few questions for you if you don't mind.

1) My key does not have a resistor in it, is there some sort of inductance type sensor in the ignition switch that just measures the resistance of any piece of metal?
2) Will your post regarding PK2 bypass with a resistor work for remote starters as well? I don't want to see an annoying warning light on the dash and I dont want to deal with error codes unless they are legit.
3) Your bypass description is excellent. But Im a little fuzzy about the black wire. I'm thinking the whole idea here is to replace the resistance of the key with a resistor. If so, can't I just cut the black and yellow wires and place the resistance in series thus eliminating the ignition switch from the passkey equation?
I only ask because I dont see where to cut the black wire and therefore am wondering if it still needs to be attached to the ignition switch for some reason even after the resistor is added.

sduchnych
07-04-2009, 11:00 PM
For those who have the annoying Security light coming on while driving just hook the wire back up to its original place but still leave the resister in place. It worked for my 2001 gmc sierra hope it works for you.
as for the black wire all you have to do is strip it back a little and run the resistor across to the yellow side.

Add your comment to this topic!