Sometimes Security Light, No Start - Starter?

[clovenhooves]

A few times recently, my Firebird hasn't started. Turn the key, lights, no noise, and the last time the security light stayed on for a while. According to a webpage, it could be the starter, which I've noticed is always a little hesitant when the car does start. It's very unlikely to be the battery or alternator, because the former was tested recently and the latter is new. What do you think?

[justinmc978]

common problem, will someone send a sticky for this man?

[Smittro]

May be the resistor in your key not making good ignition switch contact. There's a bypass thread some where here..

[35th-ANV-SS]

http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread...t=resistor+key

[Smittro]

http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61262

[clovenhooves]

I played around with the key. I could try the other one. Unfortunately for testing, fortunately for usage, the car isn't having the problem often enough that I'd be able to rule out the key as the cause.

[Smittro]

http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread...t=resistor+key

Damn beat me to it..

[justinmc978]

wires on the ignition cylinder get loose too

[xzaero0]

I had the security light issue, but mine never didnt start. Dealership said they were surprised cause if the light is on its not supposed to start, cause the car should thinks its being stolen. Mine was the security module or something like that, cost like $250 to get it replaced.

[0rion]

most likely the wires in the ignition cylinder. The bypass should hook you up and cost you about $3.87

[clovenhooves]

Thanks for the feedback. Wires would be good. I'm not qualified to do the diagnostics described (except maybe the bypass, but that would take me a while to figure out). I probably will take the car to a shop and hope the problem is pinpointed and not too expensive.

[tiny47]

Dude... I have a 2001 ws6 that had the same problems.... After checking keys, starter, fuel, sensors, fuses, and clutch sensor it turned out to be 4 bad relays... I may have an underlying problem that caused them to go bad though.

[0rion]

Thanks for the feedback. Wires would be good. I'm not qualified to do the diagnostics described (except maybe the bypass, but that would take me a while to figure out). I probably will take the car to a shop and hope the problem is pinpointed and not too expensive.

that bypass is really so easy a cave man could do it.....it's extremely simple.

[clovenhooves]

Cave men don't have hooves, though. I just figure it's more likely to be the starter (original, I think) or something else, and I kind of like getting my car inspected inexpensively.

[MistrCreazil]

Cave men don't have hooves, though.

[0rion]

if your security light is on it's definitely vats related. Vats disables the fuel pump and starter and will force you to wait like 4 minutes or something before you can start the car. There are different levels of vats...with some of them the light will come on and stay on but the car starts and drives normally. Usually it's only a matter of time though before it goes to a no start condition. It's up to you though....you can bypass it for $4 or pay $400 for a mechanic to diagnose and replace the ignition cylinder.

[clovenhooves]

That's different and helpful. You're right - I didn't mention that in the story, but only on the last unsuccessful start, the light wouldn't go off and I gave up trying to restart it for a while. But wouldn't the shop know the difference between a bad key and a bad ignition cylinder? I've surprisingly not encountered the game of needlessly selling the more expensive repair; local places seem to want repeat business too much to do that. And again, having experienced lots of bad parts and never a key to blame, I doubt it's the key. Oh! I see. That's not the key - that's a wiring problem elsewhere. So the ignition cylinder basically refers to wiring?

[0rion]

That's different and helpful. You're right - I didn't mention that in the story, but only on the last unsuccessful start, the light wouldn't go off and I gave up trying to restart it for a while. But wouldn't the shop know the difference between a bad key and a bad ignition cylinder? I've surprisingly not encountered the game of needlessly selling the more expensive repair; local places seem to want repeat business too much to do that. And again, having experienced lots of bad parts and never a key to blame, I doubt it's the key. Oh! I see. That's not the key - that's a wiring problem elsewhere. So the ignition cylinder basically refers to wiring?

a rough explanation of how it works is that pellet (resistor) that's in the key gets put into the ignition cylinder. There are 2 wires in the ignition that touch either side of that pellet and read the resistance. The vats module then decides whether to enable the fuel pump and starter. On light on conditions when the car starts I'm not entirely sure what goes on there. I've suspected that the key reads the resistance but it's either slightly out of tolerance or it's intermittent and the module allows the car to start. Those wires over time just get wore down to where they won't make good contact. You can try to clean your key pellet with a pencil eraser but pretty much every time I've heard of this issue it's in the cylinder.
The link up there has a very detailed "how to" description on fixing it. There are basically 2 wires coming down the column and into a plug that goes to the module. You measure your key's resistance and cut those wires. Solder or tape the resistors across those wires and plug the plug back in. To get to the wires there are a couple screws on the kick panel under the steering wheel. It takes 30 minutes or less to do even for someone that's a novice at working on cars.
The drawback is you no longer have vats protection on the car so if the security side of it is important to you then you will probably want a pro to look at it and replace that cylinder.

[Kaotic_ws6]

mine does that too, sometimes the security light will comeonand stay on and cant start the car, no turn over, no nothin. i already have the bypass done, only way to fix it if it happens is if i hit the panic button, then the light goes off and i can start it.

[0rion]

mine does that too, sometimes the security light will comeonand stay on and cant start the car, no turn over, no nothin. i already have the bypass done, only way to fix it if it happens is if i hit the panic button, then the light goes off and i can start it.

I would say that you either have the resistors wired in wrong or the wrong resistors. Once those are in you should be pass all the time. Do you remember what tolerance resistors you bought? Should find gold banded resistors which are 5% tolerance resistors. Sounds like yours might be drifting out of tolerance maybe?? Just a guess though.