I've posted this in the electronics section as well, but I figured fellow TBI guys could possibly help as well.
The topic pretty much says it all. I have no spare key either. When working on the car, they must have dropped the keys and lost the chip that goes in the ignition key.
I have two questions: (1) Is there any way to find which chip I need. I already tried GM and they were of no help. (2) If that route isn't possible, is there any way of telling what resistor I would need to trick the ECM into thinking it was there? I have a '90 LO3 if that helps. Thank you in advance.

On another note, I brought the car in to have an exhaust leak fixed between the header and the head. When I looked underneath there, the three rear bolts had managed to come all the way out. Anyways, they give me a call back saying the rear hole on the head was stripped. Now, I don't clame to be a super genious, but I'm pretty sure bolts don't strip themselves. It's my guess, they stripped it out when they were trying to tighten the bolts down. It pisses me off. But I guess it makes for a good excuse when investing in some new heads.
On yet one more note, I did get a chance to whoop up on a Civic SI before I brought the car in. I guess he should have invested more into the engine and less into the lame Euro lights and rims. Actually, he probably should have invested in a real car!

 

You will probably need to buy a new lock cylinder and key.

 

The dealer was not any help?!?
As long as the car has the original ignition, they should be able to cut a key if you give them the VIN. I used to work at a car rental place, and they had the equipment to cut a key off the VIN also. You need to find out what chip you had in the car in order to bypass it.

 

First of all, VATS (aka 'that key-chip gizmo') is attached to the ECM, *not* the lock cylinder.

Second, there are 13 different resistors. It's randomly different for each car.

Third, GM's roadside assistance (the segment that handles key lookups) is screwed up big time. I lost my last set of keys (my '91 has VATS too), and stumbled through a comedy of errors that ended with me calling a locksmith to get the key fixed. First, they didn't have the VATS number on file (but they had the key codes to make new keys, or so they thought). So I called a dealer that had made keys for me before (try this, if you've ever had a key copy made), and they found my invoice (which had the right VATS number on it). Then, I went to a dealer to have the key made. Guess what... Some idiot wrote down the wrong code (the real one was X5XX, they wrote X6XX) when my car was made, and the key didn't work! Wbam, $240 locksmith's bill, and I'm trying (unsuccessfully so far) to get GM to reimburse me because if they had recorded the code right, I would not have had to pay...

So check with people who made key copies, and if that fails, call a locksmith or someone who knows how to bypass VATS.

 

You said a mechanic lost your key, so i'm assuming your car was at a shop......well they lost it, so they should fix it.....buy a new lock cylinder and key from GM. Key is $28....lock cylinder is $74 i think. The shop that lost it should have to pay for parts and labor. If they try and tell you they're not responsible, they are....anyone who has ever worked in a shop knows that the shop is responsible for crap like that.

 

It figures, as much as I love my car I absolutely hate GM's management when it comes to getting something fixed.

I agree with the earlier posts, the dealership is supposed to be able to recreate your passkey as long as they have your VIN and the ignition itself was not altered. Hopefully you won't have any problems, but I'll be it will not be cheap for GM to replace the key.

 

Takes a bit more than that... They lost the CHIP, not the key, and VATS is not part of the lock cylinder (it's an ECM-related thing)... So even with a new cylinder, the car won't go unless someone gets him the VATS code (and GM says 'we don't keep stuff like that for older cars (10yrs or more)', even though they may have it, it may be (like in my case) WRONG!).

Try going to any/all the place(s) that have made keys for you before, and have them look up your invoice. That will tell you the VATS chip you have.... Then get the shop to pay for it all...

 

find a locksmith equipped with an "interrogator" or its functional equivalent and it may take him the 13 tries to get your resistance value but as long as he has the tool hes the man you want sorting out your mixup. and the dealer tool is an expensive box to find the pellet resistance, the one that i have seen and used is a simple box with a couple wires and a **** that has the 13 values on it and it aint no hi tech machine-dont let the guy doing the job blow smoke up ya about why he might be charging too much. get 2 keys-ya think?

 

You know, the "car theif's" method to stealing camaro's is to have all 13 keys and try each one out. (they force the lock cylinder so any generic key can turn the ignition, which by the way GM of all places can and will supply the parts to replace a igniton which the thief uses in his theft but that's another story) Anyways, on avg with 4 min cooldown and 13 keys it takes an hour to get through the whole set and most of the time 50% the right key is found in which a vats owner os so outta luck and theif = happy. I know it may cost a bit, but if you end up footing the cost for the repair and replacement, I figure it'd be cheaper to have 13 keys made, figure out which one it is, write it down and make another to ensure its ok. But that's only if you have to pay for the repair/replacement. I still vote on you getting the place that messed up your car to fix it as by law, they should.

 

Well, they clame to have "found" the chip. It was behind my rear wheel supposedly. How it got there is really beyond me, my only guess is that they were tossing my keys around for whatever reason. Regardless, a spare key will be made, and the chip type WILL be recorded. I get my car back tomarrow, and hope to never deal with these guys again. Even if the key problem was an accident, I have a VERY hard time believing that they weren't the reason I have a stripped hole in my passanger side head, and the subject WILL be brought up. I greatly appreciate everyone's help and input. Thank you again

-Roy

 

if yer livin a life where some **** with 13 keys and some time thinks its a safe bet that he is going to end up with what you own just by waiting out the vats timer, i suggest that you are not taking steps to perhaps have the c**ksu*ker bet on somebody else's ineptitude. 90% of the battle is won just by being aware. oh-just take a dmm and ohm out the pellet resistance, write it down, take a marker and write it on the inside of the jack lid in back, or wherever it will be remembered -once that is known the locksmith wont be buying beer on your dime. just an idea.

 

Key WITH chip programed for new lock cylinder....$28. The fact that I know this because I've bought one....PRICELESS! JK.....When my cylinder went bad, i had to buy a new one, and buy a key w/ the resistor code programed in for the new cylinder. The key was only $28. I see that I wasn't clear on that when i said "buy a new key". Oh, and my car is an '89...the guy got my code for VATS by reading off of the old key somehow....so i'm pretty sure they can do it. Otherwise everyone w/ a car 10 years or older w/ VATS that loses their key can never drive their car again??

 

i believe the man was clear-the pellet was missing-how ya gonna get a resistance reading off an pellet thats gone? see-your CYLINDER took a crap, you still had a key to provide the proper resistance. um, somewhat priceless. gak

 

dont have to get smart man "um, somewhat priceless. gak"...i was just kidding about that. You're right, I didn't think about the fact that they lost they pellet itself, MAJOR detail. Well he said they found it, so all is well