VATS bypass/ignition cylinder lock question

**mezzoni** · 03-20-2013, 06:00 PM

hi all, new to the forum here..

so my car wont start, based off the diagnosis on ls1tech and another member from this forum, its definitely the vats system. that being said, i have attempted the vats bypass with no luck. im going to try one more time tomorrow by sticking the resistor into the plug with the purple wire. (before i was trying to put the resistors in line with the two white wires that come out of the orange insulastion on the other end of that set up.

in the even this doesnt work, i was looking at ignition lock cylinders on both rock auto and autozone's site.
on both it says the key is a dummy/template key. does this mean i have to go to a key shop and get one made up? i just had a copy of my original made last week hoping it was the pellet in the key. anybody have any ideas on this? also how much of a PITA is it to install the new ignition cylinder??

thanks in advance

**OhTwo** · 03-20-2013, 06:20 PM

You're correct... just a dummy key. You take it and get a new key cut using it as the pattern for the new ignition cylinder. You'll need to know what resistor you need in the new key or the shop can read it from your existing key.

**pajeff02** · 03-20-2013, 06:21 PM

What is the resistance measurement of the chip in your key? Can you post a pic of what you wired into your car?

**pajeff02** · 03-20-2013, 06:23 PM

Here is a sticky on the VATS bypass that you can double check your work by: http://www.ls1.com/forums/f6/how-byp...ur-vats-61262/

**OhTwo** · 03-20-2013, 06:26 PM

Swapping the cylinder is a pain but not really difficult - probably more time consuming. There are good instructions around but you need the steering wheel removed and the airbag so make sure your battery is disconnected.

Just a few special tools are required that are not really expensive and you might get them as a loaner from a parts store.

**mezzoni** · 03-21-2013, 03:47 AM

The reading on my key was a hair over .500, based on the list of the 15 resistors GM used in the keys it would be .523 so I put together a .470 and .40 I believe, which is in the 2% grace period, I measured the resistance after i connected these two and the needle went to the same spot as the chip in the key. I cut the head off the 2 white wires (the ones that are wrapped in the orange insulation) and tied it in there. New key or old key same result. I don't have a picture and have since removed what I've done

**0rion** · 03-21-2013, 06:00 AM

you're putting the resistor on the wrong side.....it doesn't cross the side of that plug going back to the cylinder. It has to be across the other 2 going to the BCM.

Like this:

What I did was cut that plug on the white wires with about an inch sticking out, soldered the resistors across those white leads, and plugged it back in. The purple wires are what has to read the resistance though....sounds like you're just hooking it up wrong.

**JayTA98** · 03-24-2013, 07:56 AM

yup, you put them in the wrong side. It happened to me too.

Originally Posted by 0rion

you're putting the resistor on the wrong side.....it doesn't cross the side of that plug going back to the cylinder. It has to be across the other 2 going to the BCM.

Like this:

What I did was cut that plug on the white wires with about an inch sticking out, soldered the resistors across those white leads, and plugged it back in. The purple wires are what has to read the resistance though....sounds like you're just hooking it up wrong.

**mezzoni** · 03-25-2013, 06:43 PM

guess ill give this another go tomorrow if i can actually get a couple free minutes. when i originally started this little project, those wires that you need to unplug from each other were already unplugged, naturally i plugged them together hoping that would do something but it didnt. also there was/is already tape around the end of the plug that the resistors need to go into, and when i peeled that back there was a little like metal thing attatched to it, i have no clue what it is (im good with mechanics of a car, clueless when it comes to electrical) also tho the purple and white wire stick thru the plug, i stripped some insulattion off and just tied resistors into that yesterday with no success. tomorrow ill try to actually stick it in the back of the plug, i originally tried doing that yesterday but they kept bending and i couldnt get them in so i figured this way they are still touching those wires so i figured they'd be goo but ill give it another go tomorrow !