Hi all,
So I have a problem with my car not starting after changing the ignition switch and cylinder lock(with new key). I have an aftermarket security system (alarm). So I don't know if that's why I can't get the pass lock relearn procedure to work or not. I did what the instructions said to do. Put in crank position without starting it then leave in run position for 10 minutes (security light goes out) but mine didn't. I still turned it off for 5 seconds and repeated the process 2 more times as instructed. I actually did it a lot more times than that with no luck. Then I read that if turned off before light goes out then I have to start all over again. That light never went out. I put my acan tool on the car and cleared out all codes. Still with no luck. Does anyone have a solution that will get my baby starting again. If so I'm all ears and in DIRE NEED OF HELP PLEASE! Thank you all in advance for any and all advice you can offer me. Oh I almost forgot it's a SL2 2002 manual

 

Who put the aftermarket system in? Remove it.

 

+1

If you want it to start anytime soon

 

You said you cleared out all the codes.
What codes did you have?

 

The alarm system was put in by the same stereo place that installed my stereo system. Both have been installed since I bought the car 4 years ago.

The codes I was getting were all over the place from the stall /start detected to door locks to lost communication. I would clear codes run scan again and then I get more codes...it was crazy. I called the people who installed the equipment mentioned above only for him to be condescending when he spoke to me. Telling me that it's not his alarm it sounds like a ignition switch problem and I need to take it to a professional. (Why cause I'm female). Anyways, I told him that was done already along with the lock cylinder and I'm just having issues with the relearn for the new key that came with the new lock cylinder. The issue being that the security light isn't going off after 10 , 20 even an hour long sitting in the on position. He then told me that YouTube mechanics need to leave that work up to real mechanics... I have been working on my own cars since I was 15 years old that was 40 years ago...he just lost a customer.

So back to my issue at hand. I have now put the old cylinder back in since my first post and still have the same problem. I'm ready to junk my car when it actually runs good once it's running. Engine quiet not like most of the Saturns in my neck of the woods as old as mine. I don't know if I should put the ignition switch back in that I took out or what...any advice?

I thank you both for the help thus far and appreciate you taking thee time.

 

Please do a code read, then take pictures of the codes on the scanner or write them on a single piece of paper and take a picture of that.

Then clear and without doing anything else, scan it again and do the same for the codes for the second scan.

If the BCM has lost communication with the other modules, this may result in the reset failing because the passlock sensor in the ignition switch can't be communicated with.

What is the last thing that you did before turning off the ignition before the last time you successfully started the vehicle?

Did you already have a check engine light and codes before any of this happened?

 

My apologies for not responding sooner. Been busy working. To answer some of your questions regarding a check engine light was not on before I changed out the parts (ignition switch and lock cylinder). The last thing I did before turning off the ignition the last time it successfully started was turned off the stereo and rolled up the windows. I scanned the codes Four times after clearing and rescanning and clearing them again. The crazy thing is that each time I scanned it would give me CRAZY readings with 3 then 14 then 5 codes. So I have now put the old parts back on and I will scan again as soon as I put everything back on. Then I'll take picks of the codes and send them. Hopefully it will start once I try to do a the passlock relearn process. Thank you for your help. I appreciate it more than you know. I will be back with my results in a while.

 

My guess is actually that the security system that was installed is one of those passlock bypass POS systems where the people who make them and the people who install them put in a resistor to simulate what is in the key. You can sort of fake out the past lock system, but if you change the ignition cylinder, then the resistor in the key will match the ignition but it won't match whatever they put in place in the alarm system to simulate the key being in place when it's not there.

I think the only way you are going to get the vehicle to start is to remove the alarm system and put it back together the way it's supposed to be.

Make sure your battery is fully charged before reading the codes. If there is too much of a voltage drop there will not be enough current supplied it to all the computerized crap for it to operate properly. And if the car is not running, I will bet you some of the codes make absolutely no sense and couldn't be triggered by their real criteria because the damn thing's not running. Communication errors are definitely concerning, but I think ultimately the BCM is confused because it's been fed ****e through the alarm system and therefore won't reset because now it does not recognize The info it is receiving.

If you're unsure about your battery, which can get massively drained by trying to do relearns without the battery on a charger, hook it up to a running vehicle with jumper cables and take that out of the equation. I think the ones you mentioned were all body codes so that would be consistent with the BCM not operating properly potentially due to not enough current / high enough voltage. Okay I'm done guessing for now. Make sure that battery source voltage and current are up to snuff before continuing.