Well, just thought I'd update.
We finally gave up - tried countless things. Nothing seemed to work. I took it into a local GM dealership. Before I did so, I was thankfully able to borrow $500 from my grandpa because I knew it wouldn't be cheap. Anyway they told me the PCM was faulty and would need to be replaced. $450 they quoted me, parts and labor and tax and all. This was Monday. Got the PCM in yesterday, didn't even install it til today. PROBLEM STILL OCCURS, they tell me. OH, REALLY? But I thought you said that would fix it. So you bought a part, installed it, and it still didnt fix it eh? WHAT A RIPOFF. Now, of course, they're saying there's something wrong with the Instrument Cluster. Duh,
obviously. You've kind of narrowed it down with the help of my money. I've replaced the Ign. Lock Cylinder, now the PCM. Only one thing left, dumbasses. If I were to tell them to replace the Cluster, it'll total over $700.
All for Passlock non-starting problems. I told them no, that I will be coming to pick it up tomorrow, start or not.
I assume I will have to pay them for the PCM - I doubt they can put my old one back in. Or they'll claim to have discarded it. I have yet to ask. But I will tomorrow. I doubt it, though, since now the PCM is installed and probably programmed it's technically now 'used'. I refuse to pay another $300 for an Instrument Cluster replacement. F'n Ridiculous with a capital R.
My suggestion to anyone having these problems - GET RID OF YOUR GRAND AM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I will be buying a used Instrument Cluster from a junk yard or online and installing it myself. I will then be selling the POS (or stripping it to the bone and selling its parts on eBay) and buying a foreign car if that doesn't fix it.
I do appreciate the help I received here, though. I will update if and when the Instrument Cluster is replaced (by ME).
