Drug users targeting Saturns

"...the automaker made a number of changes to the car in 1995 including implementing a feature that disables the vehicle's fuel supply if it is started without a key."

On my 98SL2, it seems to disable the starter if the keyless entry was used to lock the car. Does it also disable the fuel pump? Or is that something independent of the keyless entry system?

-rj

The L300 has something in the security system which locks out the starter and disables the fuel system as I recall.

Unlike cars of old where everything was pretty much intuitive, I have read the owner's manual three times and keep picking out things I missed. Oppie

Newer Saturns and many other GM cars use a PASSlock security system. The ignition cylinder is designed to send a coded resistance signal to the BCM only if it is turned with a valid key. When the BCM receives the proper resistance signal at the correct time, it sends a password to the PCM which enables fuel delivery. If the BCM does not send the password, or sends another message indicating tampering, the PCM disables all fuel delivery - therefore the engine will not start or will start but stall immediately.

Sorry, what is "BCM"?

Are you referring to the keys with the built-in chip which is read by a sensor in the key cylinder? I've seen those - the keys which have them are obvious, but my 98 certainly doesn't have one.

-rj

Actually I think theres a 3min delay before it cuts off the fuel pump. Otherwise any jostling of a worn out key on a bumpy road might make your car spit and sputter. Last thing I want to do is diagnose something like that.

That sounds so kinky in a techie way ;)

This is only checked on startup.

No, there are some GM vehicles that do have a chip in the key (I forget what that system is called, PASSkey III?) and some older GM vehicles used a PASSkey system where the key itself had a resistor on it, but the PASSlock system on Saturns and most other less expensive GM vehicles is all inside the lock cylinder, the key itself is not special.

The dealership was going to charge me 30 bucks for making a copy of my ignition key (passkey). I said I'll pull my column apart and wire a resistor in before I pay that! They dropped it down to list price which was still 20 bucks. I settled at that...

"Of the 24 stolen in May, police have recovered 21 so far. They had not been stripped for parts."

"Cops believe the thieves are drug users living in Nob Hill and Russian Hill, who finance their habits with crimes such as auto and mail theft."

Wow, talk about your Keystone Cops.

Step 1: Steal car, drive it a few blocks, then dump it. Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit!

""A Saturn is not the type of car you brag to your buddies about stealing," Nannery said. "It's an opportunists' car. These guys are ripping them off, dumping them and stealing another one.""

How do they make their money to finance their drug habits? Volume!

-DanD

No, it's simple. Cops want to assume everything's {drug | gang | mob | etc} related because politicians like to 'clean up' these problems. Nobody cares if it's the generic joyriding kid, until it hits Newark, NJ proportions, in which case it becomes politically useful to do something about it. By linking crime to a larger social 'problem' (real, percieved, or created), it hopefully gets the attention and $$$ from the politicians. And let's face it, police depts just love getting toys to play with, witness the paramilitary 'swat' teams, the constant call for tasers, Copstangs and Copmaros, IR goggles, etc, and the almost singular focus on speed enforcement. Because it's fun aiming a 'gun' at traffic and chasing cars at high speed. Pulling over grandpa doing 15 below and weaving through traffic isn't. Nor is ticketing the soccer mom in her UAV chatting on the cellphone to her friends about how hot the new gardener is, while making a left turn from the right lane. I've heard cops admit they LIKE to pull up behind 'suspicious looking cars' (i.e., driven by a young black kid), and flash the lights to see if they'll run or not.

They're not making it stealing saturns, that's for sure. Now, if it were Honda Civic hatchbacks, or Navigators, it might be drug related. But an old Saturn's got near zip resale value, and parts value isn't spectacularly high either.

I think once the the computer has detected that you are using the correct key, it doesn't check it again for that start cycle. And from my problems getting a remote starter to work, I think it never allows fuel delivery if it does not detect the proper key.

Regards,

Ed White

I am sure my Vue's key is "special." I can't just have a blank cut - a generic blank won't run the car, even though it will operate the lock.

Regards,

Ed White

Doesn't look like it - 2002-2004 Vue use the PASSlock system as well.

I'm not sure how exactly the mechanism they use inside the lock cylinder works - it's possible that some generic keys might not work properly with it. There is nothing electronic in the key, however.

I am pretty sure there is a resitive element in the key that must match the value stored in the computer. To get my remote starter to work I had to add a bypass module that "learned" the restior value. i am away from my home now, but when I get home I'll look it up in hte workshop manual.

Regards,

Ed White

There is a resistor involved, but it's in the lock cylinder, not the key..

Then why will the key I had cut at Ace not run the car? It operates the lock cylinder just fine. Car runs fine with either of the original Saturn keys, but won't run with a hardware store key, or the "emergency" key card provided by Saturn. I am going to review the manual tonight.

Ed

I still have not had a chance to read the service manual, but I'll admit I am very confused. Lots of on-line references agree that the resistors are in the lock cylinder and not the key. However, the Saturn dealer and the Ace guy both told me my generic hardware store key won't run the car. I suppose I need to actually verify this by trying to drive home with the hardware store key. I still plan to review the service manual.

Ed

"C. E. White" wrote: