[eldoramous]

I drove my '94 Eldo the other night w/ no problems, as per usual.

The next morning, I put the key in the ignition, the starter cranked, but the engine would only fire for perhaps a second and then die. It acted as though it was out of gas or the fuel pump was shot, but neither was the case!

Then I noticed the message in the window below the speedo: start disabled - due to theft device (I'm fairly certain that's exactly what it said, if not, that's pretty darned close). It then told me to remove the key, then it said to wait three minutes and then it said to 'start car'. Crank, sputter, die, start disabled due to..., remove key, wait three minutes, etc. I'm stuck in a loop.

I've been reading some stuff online - about keys wearing out and wires in the steering column breaking, and about bypassing this by putting resistors in the wires in the steering column.

I don't think my key is bad but who knows?

Then I came across this page - and to me it makes sense:

http://newrockies.com/buy-from-me/

NEWROCKIES Inc. - GM VATS, PassKey and PassLock
Permanently Disable and Remove GM Security Systems

He spends a lot of web space talking about how he came up with this device but you have to dig to figure out that he charges $179 for it. He claims that the resistor in the steering column wires is only a partial fix, it will get the car running if the problem is in the ignition switch or steering column wires, but the TDM may be bad or go, too and this bypasses the TDM as well as the steering column lock electronics (and the TDM's are not only expensive, they are no longer available)!

Surely many here have dealt with this problem already.

What would you do if you were in my shoes? Spend the $179? Or am I missing something? Surely some of you have a trick or two up your sleeves to solve this problem...

Hey Submariner409 - I'm not far from you - in fact, I bought my car on Kent Island (found it on CL). Were you the seller? If not, maybe you know the car? Call or text me if you like, 302 five three five 6622.

 

[MoistCabbage]

You need to pull your codes, and find out exactly what the problem is, before you decide what kind of repair or bypass you want/need.

 

[mikeceli]

A common, but not only, failure point is the resistence pellet reader, in the ignition LOCK CYLINDER. Clean the key pellet w/ an ink eraser, fine sandparer, etc. Try to start.

If no cure,,,,,,,,Measure the key pellet resistence and write it down. Locate the pellet reader wire multiple connector, comming f/ the steering collum, under the dash (near the area above the drivers foot well). On my 96 Impala's this is a tiny connector w/ 1 orange and 1 white wire. (Check your shop manual, but i suspect yours is Orange/white)

Unplug the connector and attach Ohm-meter to the wires going to lock cylinder. Insert your key. The resisrance should measure the same as the key pellet, and NOT change, as you operate the lock cylinder. If not, the lock cylinder is bad. If you insert a small resistor, same Ohm as your key pellet, in the OTHER end of the orange/white connector, the car should start. OR replace the lock cylinder, which is another involved operation, altogether!

 

[eldoramous]

Yep. I am told that breaking a wire in the steering column at the ignition switch is a common problem - common enough to warrant this little tutorial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKfn7J9CeZM&feature=player_embedded#!

This guy buys GM cars that are disabled due to this problem (such as the vehicle in this video), performs this resistor fix on 'em, and always has cheap wheels to drive. He sounds like a ******* but who cares?!

Considering that this is probably my problem, and that this fix can be done for peanuts(!) vs. the six hundred bucks that the dealer would charge to replace the lock cylinder, I guess my next pit stop is a local Radio Shack to get some resistors.

BTW, I stopped at a Chevy dealership yesterday and while I was there, he put my key in some sort of reader about the size of a lunchbox. And it showed the number twelve (which meant nothing to me until now). Then I found this:

http://vats.likeabigdog.com/

On this tutorial on doing the same resistor trick, (complete with plugs to make it a pretty fix) there is a chart so that the number twelve translates to 6040 ohms. I'll double check that w/ a DVM...

There is also a link at the bottom to this, a module to bypass the entire system that can be had, not for $179, but for $35 plus shipping & handling! Available here:

http://www.bakerelectronix.com/products_vats/

So I'm off to Radidio Shaq for some resistance, hoping that with this I'll be able to drive my car later today, while planning to get one of these $35 (+s) devices at some point down the road...

WTF did we ever do before there was an internet? Thank you Al Gore et al...

 

[Scroggdog]

Had (and fixed) similar problem with my '91 Eldo. The resistor pellet in the ignition key is bad, so the VATS refuses to send the needed injector pule to the ECM. I bought the Xpresskit PLJX Bypass unit off e-mail (under $30), wired it up, and the car fired up first try. This thing simply bypasses the entire VATs, including key pellet, and sends the needed pulse directly to the ECM everytime.

To wire it up, I disconnected the VATs module (small plastic box under steering column in my '91), and cut off the connector on the end of the harness. I wired the Hot All time, Ignition/Start voltage, and ground inputs; and the ignition pulse output to/from the VATs to the PLJX. Also, the VATS provides a ground to the fuel pump relay, so I spliced that VATs output directly to the ground wire, as well.

Cheap fix that works. Of course, I no longer have theft protection, but most car theives aren't willing to go to prison over a $1000 car.

 

[eldoramous]

I am at my wits end. Now the starter wont even crank, the interior lights won't come on, and the remote key fob wont lock or unlock the doors.

I'm getting RO26 - open driver initiation circuit. I cut the wires (two tiny white wires inside a thin orange plastic outer insulation) and tried the resistor trick - no luck. Then I twisted these wires back together as they originally were but I am still getting that RO26 code.

Is there some way to reset the computer (other than disconnecting the battery or putting the key in the door and turning it)?

This thing is friggin driving me nuts!

Will this Xpresskit PLJX Bypass device get my starter working again? Will a novice like me actually be able to figure out how to wire it? All these other less expensive devices I've found seem to just send the signal to the F.I. and that would've been fine when the car cranked, but now it won't. And yes, my battery is charged...

 

[eldoramous]

Anybody have any input on this? My car won't even crank over now. Will buying and installing something such as this Xpresskit PLJX Bypass fix my problems?

BTW, I just talked to a tech guy @ the makers of the PLJX and they say that this is not an intended use of their product, that they make if for the installation of a remote starter and they do not support or warranty this device for this use.

So I am at a quandary, WTF am I gonna do to get my car back on the road?

Help! Please, somebody, help!

I am at my wits end. Now the starter wont even crank, the interior lights won't come on, and the remote key fob wont lock or unlock the doors.

I'm getting RO26 - open driver initiation circuit. I cut the wires (two tiny white wires inside a thin orange plastic outer insulation) and tried the resistor trick - no luck. Then I twisted these wires back together as they originally were but I am still getting that RO26 code.

Is there some way to reset the computer (other than disconnecting the battery or putting the key in the door and turning it)?

This thing is friggin driving me nuts!

Will this Xpresskit PLJX Bypass device get my starter working again? Will a novice like me actually be able to figure out how to wire it? All these other less expensive devices I've found seem to just send the signal to the F.I. and that would've been fine when the car cranked, but now it won't. And yes, my battery is charged...

 

[MoistCabbage]

I am at my wits end. Now the starter wont even crank, the interior lights won't come on, and the remote key fob wont lock or unlock the doors.

VATS disables the starter and fuel pump. Are you sure the battery isn't dead?

I'm getting RO26 - open driver initiation circuit.

That's an air bag related code.

Is there some way to reset the computer (other than disconnecting the battery or putting the key in the door and turning it)?

"Reset" which computer? For what? Keys don't "reset" anything.

 

[brougham]

Usually vats/passkey doesn't let you start it like you're having. It either starts and runs like normal but says there's a problem or won't even try to start at all.

 

[mikeceli]

Did you measure the resistence of the key pellet and obtain a matching resistor? Did you install the resistor in the multiple connector OPOSITE, the one going UP the steering collum? Did you TEST the lock cylinder pellet reader, as I described?

 

[Mark C]

You cut the wires to your airbag in the steering column. Thats what the drivers inititation circuit is. Lucky it didn't blow up in your face.

 

[eldoramous]

Thanks for the offers of help but first of all, no, I did not cut the yellow wires for the airbag. And no, I didn't put the resistors on the wrong side of the clip, and yes, I know what the resistance ought to be...

I assume that it's not related, but a week or so before this problem reared its ugly head, afters sitting unused out in a pouring rain, I began to get the message 'airbag service required' or something to that effect. I decided that something got wet (water leaking into the dash, perhaps?) and, since everything else seemed fine, I continued to drive the car. Whatever got wet seemed to be drying out - towards the end of the last two drives, the airbag message disappeared and my message window read normally (I usually leave it set to read coolant temperature).

Yes, I read the resistance at the key (6K ohm), had the key read at a Chevy Dealer (it's a 12 which, according to the chart ought to be 6040 ohms), and made the resistor pack to match.

Yes, I installed it in the side opposite the column, but since that didn't work, I tried it the other way just for fun (my resistor pack now has alligator clips on both ends)!

I have a number of coded that are history that are due to memories being wiped when I disconnected the battery, but also in the history is an RO21 which is (or rather was) driver initiation circuit resistance too high.

Guess you guys don't really have anything to offer me that I haven't already tried...