Similar symptoms but different problem...

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Draxomulus

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So I sold my 2001 Grand Am GT to a friend a couple of months ago. Shortly after he bought the car, he had me install an aftermarket stereo. I did it the right way with all the adapters and installation kits. Today, he started the car, it ran for a couple seconds and stalled. I was asked to check it out and here's what I found: The car struggles a little to start but fires up and then stalls nearly 2 seconds later. When you turn the ignition on, the gas gauge doesn't move. The interior light doesn't come on nor does the door chime work. The radio also won't turn on, but has power as I can eject and insert a cd. Everything I've found on here points to the Theft Deterrent System, but the security light isn't flashing. I tried the key reset thing anyway, but that doesn't change anything. The only unknown for me was that last week, the top radiator hose exploded due to a mechanic he took the car to for an inspection scoring the hose with a razor blade. When I replaced the hose, the car started and ran fine. I'm a pretty decent DIY mechanic and I've been told by garage owners that they wished their techs had the troubleshooting skills I seem to have, but this thing has me stumped. Is there a way to bypass the security to rule it out as the cause? I'm hoping that someone out there has already been through this before and can point me in the right direction.
A little more information that may or may not be relevant... Before I sold him the car, I replaced all 4 wheel bearings and ABS sensors as well as calipers, rotors, and pads. I also did a complete tune up on the engine. I replaced the power steering pump and alternator and put a new battery in the car, as well as a new serpentine belt. All the work I did was less than 2500 miles ago. Sorry for writing a book, but I wanted to make sure I didn't leave anything out. I hope someone can help me to help him. Thanks for looking.
 
have you checked for spark at the plugs? have you checked all fuses?
 
melsg5 said:
have you checked for spark at the plugs? have you checked all fuses?
Click to expand...

Hey Mel. I have spark, the car is starting for two seconds before it shuts off. I went through all three fuse panels checking each and every fuse.

Like I said, I am pretty good with troubleshooting. This one just has me stumped. I'm still leaning towards the security system, so maybe I'll download the schematics and try bypassing the security system this afternoon. I'll update my progress with the hits and misses.
 
Which Passlock system does the car have? Is it the one with the little visible resistor in the key or the chip located in the plastic cover of the key? Have you or your friend tried one of the other keys to start it? Do you see the THEFT SYS light in the dash when you first turn the key to the run position? (to verify the light is working)

If it is the Passlock system that is a problem, check this thread and see if it helps you;

http://www.pontiacforum.com/pontiac/showthread.php?t=547&highlight=passlock
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Figured it out. Stupid BCM.

So I found a 2 AMP fuse on the passenger floorboard, and started looking under the dash after I took off the kick panel. I saw what appeared to be moisture on the BCM and upon removing the unit, watched the telltale water run right out of it. Looks like I'll be heading to the salvage yard on Monday. Thank you, Mel and Kevlar, for your responses. I'll post a confirmation that the car is fixed, but it seemed pretty obvious that it's the same common problem. Does anyone know if there is something I can do to seal the next one somehow to keep the water out??
 
using a water hose try to find the source of the leak
 
It's very common for the Grand Ams to develop leaks to the interior from the cowl just after the hood.

That said, what you can do to help divert future leaks from entering the BCM is to get some good sheet plastic and wrap over the top of the BCM to create a water repellent covering when you reinstall the BCM.
 
Just a quick question...

I'm having trouble locating a BCM with remote entry. Will the BCM work out of a Grand Am without keyless entry? Obviously, the key fob won't work anymore, but is this something that I can replace if just temporarily until I find the right one?
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I missed this post somehow.

Kevlar said:
Which Passlock system does the car have? Is it the one with the little visible resistor in the key or the chip located in the plastic cover of the key? Have you or your friend tried one of the other keys to start it? Do you see the THEFT SYS light in the dash when you first turn the key to the run position? (to verify the light is working)

If it is the Passlock system that is a problem, check this thread and see if it helps you;

http://www.pontiacforum.com/pontiac/showthread.php?t=547&highlight=passlock
Click to expand...

Hey Kevlar. The keys look like normal keys. No chip or resistor is visible in the key. Should I be looking somewhere specific?
 
Passlock

melsg5 said:
read this link on how to figure out what system
http://my.cardone.com/techdocs/pt 77-0011.pdf
Click to expand...

So after reading the article and looking at the pictures of the keys on page 4, the Pontiac key looks like the key on the bottom right. Would this car have the Passlock III on it? Something else I just thought about, when I bought the car, I had a key made for it, but I never did anything to "program" the key and it was the one that worked best, so it was the one I used the most. How is that even possible? After reading about the security systems, it seems like the car shouldn't have ever run without being programmed first. Either way, I did order a BCM and should have it sometime at the beginning of the week.

MEL-- thanks for the link.
 
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