Yet ANOTHER "security light" thread.... except...

[covertcelery]

Originally Posted by Colt Hero

I don't think it was a dirty key. The failures that occurred during that long road trip occurred with two different keys. If I end up doing ANYTHING at all to correct this problem, it'll probably be a new ignition switch. Then, I'll have to wait another year or more to be reasonably sure the problem is gone because it happens so infrequently with my car.

I just wish I could look at the stupid program loaded in the computer and debug the problem backward to the source...

Colt, to make absolutely sure we are talking about the same things here... Your ign. switch and ign. cylinder are two different things. The cylinder goes into the switch... But I seriously doubt that your switch is the problem, cuz the PK2 sensor is built into the cylinder. So if you are thinking about replacing anything, I'd go w/ the cylinder first.


And to let you know, I did go step by step by step on my PK2 issue. Obviously it wasn't "just" a PK2 issue, but other stuff too. I would say that, unless you're having any other weird or funky issues, do the following:


Check and see if you might be able to "clean out" your existing cylinder. That could potentially work, and will enable you to save money by not having to replace the cylinder.



The second thing I would try (if you're looking at trying to get the cheapest fix possible) - is to do the bypass method.



I know for a fact that ponchonutty has a thread somewhere around that tells you EXACTLY how to do the bypass method. (I will PM him and see if he is either will to share it again in this thread, or post a linky to one of his old threads that dealt with the bypass method)... This info is kind of "spread" all over the place in this forum. (Shoot it took me a good month to get all the info collected and put together for me to even try to figure out where I should start)... The bypass option will take some elbow grease, but the parts are cheap to get. $10 at most...



The last thing is to go ahead and just replace the ign. cylinder. Slightly costier option, but I have a feeling that more often than not - the cylinder is prob. going to be at fault for this PK2 issue. (Just FYI to all the ppl thinking about doing this, you have two options: 1) buy a new cylinder, that comes with new set of keys... But then you will have two sets of keys, one for your doors/trunk and another for your ign. 2) Get the ign cylinder re-keyed to fit the existing keys. A dealer can do this for you as well, but I've heard on here that a locksmith can do it as well... The latter prob. being the cheapest option)




IF at this point you're still having the PK2 issue, the only two things left are either an aftermarket alarm that you don't know about (but is still connected or something), or your BCM... And I'm not saying that it can't "just" be your BCM, but I'm just trying to give you a list of options to start with that require little or no money at all to try to do first, before you go and start changing out BCMs and stuff...



Hope that helps - this should get rid of your Security light (Passlock II light).

[covertcelery]

Originally Posted by Colt Hero

CovertCelery :

Your car may be "fixed", but how do you know which part was the problem if you changed everything out at the same time?

I wish I had the tools to debug this problem myself. Probably could figure it out very definitively in less than one day.

Just wanted to answer your question too real quick (even though I partially answered it in my above post...


The reason I know which part, or part(s) in my case, was the problem is that I went one by one. (The biggest problem sometimes is when you have multiple failures causing the problem, which in my case was)...


I did not replace "everything" all at once. I started with the BCM, because I was having issues with not just the PK2 light, but also "body" issues. That didn't do anything to fix my PK2 light, because the PK2 sensor in the ign. cylinder was testing as failed. (btw the car did not start at this point still) So the cylinder was switched out too... This time, the car actually started, but the PK2 light was still on. This meant there was something else still wrong. The aftermarket alarm system was taken out, and that cleared up all the problems.


Still security light free, nothing abnormal with the car as of yet.

[Colt Hero]

Covertcelery:

OK, that all sounds reasonable to me. I thought maybe you had changed more than one thing out at a time.

How do you clean the cylinder? Do you spray it with WD-40 or actually disassemble and clean it by hand? I don't think I'll be doing the resistor bypass thing ever. I don't have much faith in that. I think it's the cylinder that is the problem in my car and that's what'll be replaced at some point, I guess (if cleaning doesn't work).

[HeMi101]

Originally Posted by Colt Hero

Covertcelery:

OK, that all sounds reasonable to me. I thought maybe you had changed more than one thing out at a time.

How do you clean the cylinder? Do you spray it with WD-40 or actually disassemble and clean it by hand? I don't think I'll be doing the resistor bypass thing ever. I don't have much faith in that. I think it's the cylinder that is the problem in my car and that's what'll be replaced at some point, I guess (if cleaning doesn't work).

Get some Electrical Contact cleaner, and spray it in there.

[covertcelery]

Just FYI to you guys about what to try to clean out your ignition cylinder... This was a helpful excerpt from one of the admins on AF.

Xeroinfinity sent me the following information:

One thing I will add about your troubles is its probly your ignition switch and or lock cylinder. I've replaced 1000's of these in GM autos over the last 7-8 years, its not just impalas and N bodies its ALL of them.

I think the problem is the cheap switch/cylinders crack and break or get dirty contacts inside them and cause the PK2 to trip the security light causing a no start or some other ill fated problem like dying randomly while driving .

My 99 GA SE used to constanly have the security light on(but always started) when my wife drove it. I took all the unnecessary BS off her key chain, cleaned the switch with some elec. contact cleaner and blew it out, never have had a problem with it since and it has 200k miles on the stock switch/cylindr.

BTW: I think he means "cylinder" whenever he was talking about "cleaning out the switch"...


Just a quick fyi to some of you that are going to try this... Get a small can of compressed air. You can find this at Wal-Mart or something (in the computer/electronics isle). It's like $2-$3 a small can... Radio Shack sells them, and a lot of other places do... Make sure and buy one with a little straw that you can blow the air through; this way you can actually put the little straw inside the cylinder and blow the crap out of it in a much more effective way IMHO.

Good luck.

-CC

[UnhappyImpalaOwner]

I am attempting to do the resistor bypass for my 2001 Impala. I've taken enough dash off to get to the ignition switch bolts. I removed them but where do I go with the ignition switch from here? Earlier in this thread, a link on replacing the ignition switch seems to indicate to drop the switch down once the bolts are removed. It doesn't appear there is much room to work with to move the switch downward. Did I miss removing some other part of the dash that would make access to the switch easier? Do I need to remove the radio to get at it?

Thanks for the help.

[Iflylow]

Try looking under "Want to change out your radio" and "How to gain access to the back of your radio" here:http://impalahq.naioa.com/ Those might help you get it apart a little farther.

[UnhappyImpalaOwner]

I have the dash apart enough to where I can access the radio screws. I have not taken off the center console, I'm not sure it would give me much more room to remove the switch, maybe just a few more access points to where the switch is currently located. After examining the switch more closely, I was able to access the PK2 wires and pull them out some between the steering wheel and where its normally bolted in. It seems like a tight squeeze to strip wires and solder, but I guess its doable. Is this how everyone else is getting to those wires, or are they able to back the switch out (wires and all) and work on it near the floor. The switch does not seem to move much as there are many wires which don't seem very flexible.

[covertcelery]

Originally Posted by UnhappyImpalaOwner

I have the dash apart enough to where I can access the radio screws. I have not taken off the center console, I'm not sure it would give me much more room to remove the switch, maybe just a few more access points to where the switch is currently located. After examining the switch more closely, I was able to access the PK2 wires and pull them out some between the steering wheel and where its normally bolted in. It seems like a tight squeeze to strip wires and solder, but I guess its doable. Is this how everyone else is getting to those wires, or are they able to back the switch out (wires and all) and work on it near the floor. The switch does not seem to move much as there are many wires which don't seem very flexible.

The best thing I can tell anyone to do, in case you feel like you don't have enough room to work with by pulling the radio out... You will prob. have to take off that silver looking knee guard underneath the steering wheel... Though to do this you will have to have a ratchet extension because the 4 bolts that hold it into the lower part of the console are a bit hard to get to; but nothing that can't be done.

This is the same thing that i had to do when I had to take out my alarm system and resolder the wires (as they are typically located in the main cluster of wires right underneath the steering wheel. Like I said - if you need more room, take that little silver cover off, its only like 4 bolts, and you'll have all the room you need.

[ponchonutty]

I just did another bypass on a Malibu today for a customer. Took out the radio and grabbed the main power harness behind it. 20 minute fix.

[covertcelery]

Originally Posted by ponchonutty

I just did another bypass on a Malibu today for a customer. Took out the radio and grabbed the main power harness behind it. 20 minute fix.

It looks like I'm gonna have to try to attempt one for my buddy... But I think I'm gonna install one of those adjustable resistors so that I can fine tune the exact resistance it was reading...

I've noticed on some of the previous ones, the security light comes back after a while, well, its because it starting throwing a different resistance measurement... Its weird, but it was off by like 20 ohms... Then about a year later, another 50 ohms... So the Passlock system seems to be going bad - its giving off different ohms that it wasn't designed to send...

I had to change out the cylinder for the kid after the third time he cam back to get his bypass adjusted again because original readings by now were off by about 100-200 ohms....

Weird... Its seems like the older the passlock gets, the more resistance it throws on the wire... oh well.

[covertcelery]

I just want to know for the people that are coming to this thread... Especially now that its been stickied.

I know a lot of ppl are registered, but just view as guests - but if there is anyone registered.... I just welcome you to run on by and say hello in this thread and we want to know if anyone is in the process of possibly trying to fix their "security" light issues, but don't know where to go.... Well this is why this thread was stickied for you guys... Just between Poncho, Hemi, and me - we've been able to fix quiet a lot of people cars; and help them know what to do and how to do it.

If you guys have any questions, feel free to come into this thread and but some more opinions about this...


Also, what I'm really looking for is an AF user that has had these problems, and implemented the fixes in this forum, and got their car to work because of it...


I want to hear from you guys!


I also want to have a running tab on some of the mechanical problems having a bad BCM could cause.


Like in my cause, my airbag light went on and off intermittently... That's how mine started. The next year, the security light popped on once. Then, after a while... It wouldn't start intermittently due to the security light... Then ALL of my vehicles lights popped on intermittently. Fog lights flashing, interior lights flashing, etc... Then, nothing. Car never did start again after that. Stuck at a security light issue, with no crank... Not even a manual relearn would work...

[Iflylow]

Originally Posted by covertcelery

Also, what I'm really looking for is an AF user that has had these problems, and implemented the fixes in this forum, and got their car to work because of it...

That's me...although my Passlock problem was on my Olds Alero, the system and the fix are the same. After installing the resistors, I have not had a problem in over a year. Here's a link to the procedure I used:http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...asslock+bypass
This works on the Impala as well.
Here is an article that explains how Passlock works: http://motorage.search-autoparts.com...09/article.pdf
This will help in your troubleshooting, and help you understand what you are doing when you install resistors.

[ponchonutty]

Originally Posted by covertcelery

It looks like I'm gonna have to try to attempt one for my buddy... But I think I'm gonna install one of those adjustable resistors so that I can fine tune the exact resistance it was reading...

I've noticed on some of the previous ones, the security light comes back after a while, well, its because it starting throwing a different resistance measurement... Its weird, but it was off by like 20 ohms... Then about a year later, another 50 ohms... So the Passlock system seems to be going bad - its giving off different ohms that it wasn't designed to send...

I had to change out the cylinder for the kid after the third time he cam back to get his bypass adjusted again because original readings by now were off by about 100-200 ohms....

Weird... Its seems like the older the passlock gets, the more resistance it throws on the wire... oh well.

I have found that on All GM PASSLOCK AND VATS systems that it seems better to be just a touch higher in resistance value than to be dead on or a little low. Not sure why but that's what I've seen. Also, it doesn't hurt to run another jumper ground from chassis ground to the ground reference.

[Colt Hero]

Just wanted to report that I have done nothing thus far to fix my SECURITY light problem (where the car won't start) and I will be getting through this calendar year with only the ONE incident where the car wouldn't start twice in a two-week window after driving 1000 (nearly continuous) one-way miles.

Also just took a shorter one-week 1100 mile trip without incident.

I'm still looking for the "smoking gun" here. I want to believe it's just the cylinder, but I don't know. Lastly, my car still has exhibited no other problems such as those weird BCM-related issues others have reported.