Had a 90 something Bonneville dropped off overnight, by tow truck, half blocking the door...darn towing company...anyway....owner finally contacts us and gives us the key and states "it won't start".
After a few minutes of looking around a co-worker recognizes that the security light is flashing and due to age and wear, figures it's "the broken wires in the passlock resistor key ignition lock cylinder harness in the steering wheel/column" scenario, as per the norm. So, we order a new lock cyl, which comes with a key. (For those who don't know, the included key is just used as a template to cut a new resistor-key that matches the resistor in the old key that matches your car's old lock cylinder that would not work in a new lock cyl.) and we matched a new resistor-key blank and had it cut.
The parts arrive, and I pull the under dash panel first. (It's always a good idea to just plug in the new resistor key and lock cyl harness to make sure you are really about to replace the right part.) Guess what I see...... A whole resistor key super-glued between the wires that are supposed to plug into the harness to the lock cylinder!!! Good lord. After un-"wiring" the key, I check and find that (of course) THAT resistor is NOT the same as the resistor that was in the key that matches the lock cyl in the car. That means the resistor-key we just had cut is useless. grrrrrr. We'll get another key tomorrow, and yes, I verified that with the right resistor in the new cylinder, the car will start, so I will complete a PROPER repair tomorrow.
For anyone who hasn't realized it, at some point two things have happened to this car:
- Someone installed a used lock cylinder
- Someone super glued the right resistor-key, so the used lock cyl would start the car.
That's MORE TROUBLE than just fixing it the right way!! Some people are too cheap to drive a GM.
Good grief, GW