Last year a relative gave me their 1996 SW2 (she barely drove it, only 90k miles) but unfortunately some problems have cropped up. Over the last year I've had the starter and brake system replaced, and the transmission needs to be fixed imminently. Right now I've got a bigger problem, though.

I was about to drive to the mechanic last week to fix those brakes, when I noticed out of the blue that it wouldn't start. The keychain fob won't unlock the doors (even after I replaced its battery), a constant clicking sound similar to the turn signal occurs when I open the door with the key. Since the radio and AC still work, but the car won't make any noise when I try to start it, I'm assuming this is the anti-theft system. I also originally heard the alarm go off, briefly, though at the time the battery was dying from my attempts to get back to normal, so the alarm just faded away.

I'm not sure I'm correct but I think my model uses Passkey III. Unfortunately I've tried these steps twice now (so three with each) but no luck. I also waited slightly longer than 10 minutes + 10 seconds for fear I'd come up a little short, and added about 7 seconds to each step. (I should mention that after turning the key from On to Off, I was not able to turn it back to On unless I took the key out and put it back in... would this cause the process to reset? No matter what I did, I couldn't get it back from Off to On without briefly taking the key back out.)

Last week I paid for a tow, as I couldn't find an answer and was about to get a ticket where I was parked. The mechanic only fixed the brakes, and I noticed I still couldn't start the car when they were done. The head mechanic was familiar but didn't know "the trick" either, so he called one of his guys who started the car immediately. I asked him how but unfortunately he didn't speak a lot of English, and think what he said was "oh when it does this, you just put the key in, and press the button." The only button I could think of was the ones on the fob keychain, but none of them do the trick. So somehow this mechanic knew how to make the key start the car again, but in such a way that the anti-theft never actually turned off? Anyway, since he started it somehow I was able to drive back home, but I immediately tried starting it again there, and it has the same issue.

The mechanics recharged my battery while it was there, but I've used some of it in trying to reset the anti-theft. I have a charger I have used before, where I can charge it up again in my apartment over the course of 36 hours.

Help! I know I must be doing something wrong, but what? This is just the anti-theft, right? And probably not some larger repair?

Thank you for all your help,
~Megan

 

Sounds to me like maybe it's the Neutral Safety Switch. Perhaps the button he's referring to is the button on the shift lever. Push it in and shove the SHIFTER as far forward as you can and then try to start it. You might get lucky. Also, have you tried just shifting it into Neutral and starting it? Post back and let us know.

 

Well I feel dreadfully stupid. I just went out to try your suggestions, but when I couldn't get the shifter to move I had a stray notion to double check the fob. I took the battery out (I was afraid I'd put it in backwards), closed it back up and wa-laa, it worked! Once the fob was working and I could unlock the doors with it again, the car started just fine. So basically, this was a case of the fob not making a full or constant connection. It certainly looked closed, though. I took it apart to see if anything was obviously wrong but it's really simple in there.

I'm not sure if I got another fob from my grandmother when I got the car. I didn't get the user's manual so I eBayed one, I hope I can do the same with the fob. I think I'm also going to carry a spare battery in the glovebox, but clearly I need a more reliable fob as well. Heh, is it even possible to find one these days that hasn't been heavily used already? (I should mention that while I've never been that good with car stuff and it scares me a little, I do computer stuff for a living so the fob innards seem in my wheelhouse. I could even 3D print a new housing in a pinch, I just don't think it's likely to provide as tight a connection as what I already have here.)

Anyway, many thanks for the advice!

 

We all make mistakes. That's just human nature. As for finding another fob, I don't know. I THINK you'd be okay with any you find off ebay or amazon, but am not sure if it carries a starting chip or not. Somewhere in the 90's things changed, but I don't know when. Maybe derf or Andy or Bones will know for sure. Anyway, thanks for letting us know you're driving now and are considering sticking around this forum.

 

What the hey is a starting chip.
Look at the back of the factory fob. It has a part number on it. Make sure you purchase a remote with the same number on it. I don't really understand the numbering system, I think they are just classified by their frequency range in which they operate. Anyway if you get the wrong one operating on the wrong frequency it won't talk to your car.

In order to program that fob for a 96, there are two pins in the diagnostic interface connector that you need to jumper with a wire and then you can sit in the driver's seat and go through the procedure which is very very very short. I think I wrote it up once on this forum but if you search 1996 sl2 fob programming you will find it

 

And don't keep a battery in the glove box. Not only will the heat destroy it in the summer, you will only know that your fob doesn't work when the car is locked , your fob battery dies, and you cannot get in.