Lost my only ignition key to my car....help!!1

[tdz16]

Are you not reading what i'm saying?!?!? He has NO IGNITION KEY. They will charge him like $150 to make a new key to work with his BCM AND CYLINDER. The ONLY way to get a new key without paying the 150 bucks, is to get a used CYLINDER WITH KEY for like 50 bucks then buy the bypass for like 15(ebay) or 30(locally). Dude, I don't mean to get agrivated, but just think about what I'm saying for a min or two. It'll make sense. I'm going through this now myself after swapping my wiring harness and not grabbing the key from that harness...I know a little about what I'm talkin about here...

[98Camaro3.8]

:mad:
Either you're not reading what I'm saying, or you're not as smart as you think.


On the key is a resistor with 1 of the following 12 values: 392, 523, 681, 887, 1130, 1470, 1870, 2370, 3010, 3740, 4750, 6040, 7500, 9530, 11800 Ohms. The ignition cylinder has 2 contacts in it that complete an electrical circuit through the key. The BCM reads the resistance of the key. If it matches the correct value, it'll send a signal to the PCM to allow the car to start.

If he were to buy a new ignition cylinder with a key, he would be able to turn the ignition, but the car would not start because the chip on the key most likely would not match.

Yes, you can buy a bypass (although if you actually knew what you're doing, you can do it for about 1 dollar). But guess what? You need to know the correct resistance of the key that's programmed in the BCM! You just hard wire in a resistor and the BCM will read the perfect value every time. Burt you need the correct key to read the right value. Putting in a resistor with the wrong value will not make the car start!

[tdz16]

HOLY S**T bro....

#1- Its 1 of 15 values
#2- The resistance doesn't need to be exact, You can be off by about 30 ohms each way on the low end and when you get to the larger numbers you can be almost 300 ohms off and it will still work. This is calculated in for corrosion and coating of the metal pellet in the key.
#3- If you want to sit around soldering 15 different resistors in place until you find one that works...be my f***in guest, but the module makes it ten times easier with the dip switches. You're telling me that its not worth only spending 70 bucks as opposed to double to sit for an hour trying the 15 combinations of resistances???
#4- I can easily grasp the concept of the f**king resistance value being stored in the BCM, because I KNOW THIS...

Dude, please just sit back and think of what I'm saying...you'll see where I'm coming from and stop acting as if I don't know what I'm talking about. He has his car right...he has no ignition key with the chip that matches his BCM right??? Now, option A would be to go and get a key made for 150 bucks from the dealer and call it a day. Now, for us poor mofos is option B. Go to a junkyard tomorrow morning and get the ignition cylinder with new key, why, because the pins still need to match the actual key to TURN the cylinder. So now you have a new cylinder with key that will turn the cylinder to the various positions. Yet we now still have the issue of the chip matching the bcm preprogrammed resistance value. This is where, yes, either soldering in a combination of resistors, or buying the bypass comes into play. With only 15 possible resistance values, I think its worth the hour or so to sit and flip the little switches on the module to try each diff. resistance till you find the one that works. Not to mention, as I said earlier, it doesn't have to be dead on. Just do you see what I mean about how you need the new cylinder and key because he doesn't have a key with him?? Like, if he had another key without a chip or something, then sure, no need for a new cylinder. He just needs to by pass the bcm. But i dunno about you, I wouldn't have an extra key without the chip around...its useless in its current state. I'm sorry I'm getting so annoyed at you but anytime you try to give advice on this board everyone trys to one-up you and make you look stupid. It's clear you know your stuff, but you sometimes just have to step back and see where others are coming from. Have a happy easter and good luck with the key issue.

[98Camaro3.8]

Originally posted by tdz16:
If you want to sit around soldering 15 different resistors in place until you find one that works...be my f***in guest

That was my point exactly...you need to know what the correct value is so you don't sit there for hours blindly trying different resistors in the hope that one may eventually work.

Originally posted by tdz16:
You're telling me that its not worth only spending 70 bucks as opposed to double to sit for an hour trying the 15 combinations of resistances???

I'm trying to tell this guy that what you proposed would not work.

-Open your hood....
-Put battery on slow charge...
-Turn the key on for 10 minutes until the security light goes out....
-turn it off for 5 seconds....
-turn it back on for 10 mins....
-off for 5 secs....
-on for 10 mins....
-then off and then try to start it....

I'm also trying to tell him that what you're saying (swapping the ignition cylinder) is not some simple 5 minute job that will magically fix his problem.

[Tyler]

guys stop argueing over **** thats stupid.. lol a new key only costs 36.50 from the dealership not 150..thank god!

All the dealership needed was my vin number but since its for VATS which is a security feature they are not allowed to give me the code..

the code is 1 - 15 depending on the resistance of the chip in the key.. and design of course....

I had to go there and buy the key for the price of 36.50 and i asked since i already bought the key if htey can give me the code, and they still wouldnt do it.. ****en scum bags...


oh well i now have an ignition key for my car.

[tdz16]

haha, $36.50!!! You got us arguing over $36.50...I should beat u down boy!!....haha

98cam, listen, i meant soldering the resistors in place to try each combo would be stupid as far as time goes. Using the lil switches on the module isn't bad, in comparison. As far as the 10 mins on, 5 secs off thing, thats for passlock. I just threw it out there cuz i remembered reading it in one of my books. I'm sorry I got so argumentative over this, I just wanted you to see what I meant about swapping the cylinders having to do with the actual phsical key...whatever, its done now. I just hate how people are always trying to sound smarter than the last person. I'm sure we each have things on these cars that we know inside and out, and I wouldn't challenge someone on something that it seems like they know more about. Well, glad it worked out for you tyler....

[98Camaro3.8]

Originally posted by tdz16:
Well, glad it worked out for you tyler....

I'll agree with you on that one. :D

[Tyler]

LOL!!! u guys are eff'n funny

[99camaropkg]

I gotta laugh, i'm sorry, i work for AAA and everytime i see their name i laugh.