How to bypass faulty Passlock system

[ponchonutty]

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 and crank it. Leave it like that for 10 minutes paying attention to the theft light. It should be blinking. After 10 minutes that light should go solid or out. When it does, turn off, count to 3 and try to restart. If the security lights flashes, repeat the 10min. wait. Sometimes it will take up to 3 times to relearn. If it still doesn't, change the resistance value.

I RECOMEND RUNNING A NEW CHASSIS GROUND TO THE GROUND REFERENCE WIRE TOO.

You should be good to go now

Moderators, please make this a sticky!!!!

[xeroinfinity]

Ya I have a simular post in the Grand Am sub forum.

Here is that link, this has pics and a better discription of the resistors, and the Passkey II or VATS (Vehicle Anti-Theft System) and Passkey I discription.
http://d-tips.com/General/articles/a...GM_passkey.art

[ponchonutty]

Yeah I saw that posted in chevytalk.com but that's just for VATS systems and not Pk1 or Pk2. Those systems don't use the pellet in the key. They use a magnet setup that's in the lock itself.

[dpilot83]

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/dat...09/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!

[ponchonutty]

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!

[wassds11]

Originally Posted by ponchonutty

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

Moderators, please make this a sticky!!!!

Ponchonutty,
Question? I have a 2002 Imapala, passlock with Halleffect type in key switch, Why do I need to have the car running when I cut the yellow wire? explain this if you would. what is the difference while running?
I took resistance reading without running and got 4600 ohm reading with trans lever in reverse and key in crank position. installed resistor and I have no crank at all now.
I only did two relearns? Do I have to do three and why? so many relearns? Help anyone.
wild Bill

[ponchonutty]

4600 ohms sounds way off to me. Since you have a no start now I would just make up a resistance say something between 900 and 1900 ohms and do a relearn.

The reason for doing this while the car is running is to make sure people crank the car all the way over in order to get the proper resistance code.

I have now found it just easier to create a new code and then force the car into a relearn sequence.

I HAVE ALSO FOUND IS ALMOST MANDITORY TO RUN A NEW CHASSIS GROUND TO THE BLACK GROUND REFERENCE WIRE. Doing this makes a more stable ground source therefore eliminating resistance walking from actual resistance.

[hotpipes]

ponchonutty
Could you go into a little more detail as to how you ran a new chassis ground to the black ground reference wire I want to make sure I have more stable ground also Thank you.
hotpipes

[ponchonutty]

Originally Posted by hotpipes

ponchonutty
Could you go into a little more detail as to how you ran a new chassis ground to the black ground reference wire I want to make sure I have more stable ground also Thank you.
hotpipes

I usually run a jumper wire from the ground reference wire to the support bar the dash attaches to. Usually in most of these GM cars you are taking out the radio to get to the wires, that metal bar you will see in the hole. For trucks and other cars, I usually run a wire to a kick panel.