Hey, its been a loooong time since my last visit. Work has really kicked into high gear so the car has been getting a lot less attention. But this seems to be the perfect time to run a quick update by everyone. Long story short, I was getting ready to go home for vacation last week and was getting ready to leave the gas station and my car wouldn't start. I was pissed!! . Anyway, for the new peeps, heres a run down of the last three years as far as "maintainence" goes on my 'bird (1990 3.1).

New alterntaor, starter, battery few years old, MSD ignition (wires and coil), new distributor and ignition module last year, and at one point had the igition switch replaced and steering column worked on because I could turn the car off!! LOL! Anyway, I had no idea what it was...at all. What do you think (kind of a riddle huh?). Hhaha, anyway...I bring it to a local garage and a few days later they called me to pick it up. I was like what the heck was it. Well, in 1990+ (i think that when it started) all ignition keys came with a "chip" in the stem of the key as an anti-theft device. Its a small piece of metal (don't know exactly how it works) on the key that touchs two wires inside the cylinder to start the car. Well they found that the two wires were broken and needed to be re-soldered....and VIOLA!

Now how can you tell if this could "POSSIBLY" be your problem.

Symptoms: Car won't start, all guages work and peg when key is
turned, all accessories work.

Important: When the "chip" is deteceted and working...an orange light turns on above the engine temp guage that says "security". NOW I know what it means!! If that orange light doesn't turn on when you try and start the car, then its most likely not sensing the chip in the key for one reason or another...and the car won't start. Just FYI for you guys who have later model 3rd gens. Nice to back....Lata!

 

Yeah..I found out about this chip first hand. It's the f-----ing reason Chevrolet can't make me a duplicate of my ignition key! There's something wrong with my chip, so in order to tell my resistance level, they'd have to wire up stuff to the column and go through all the levels of resistance one by one until one worked..there's also a safeguard that locks out the ignition if a non-matching resistance key is inserted...does it for like 3-5 mins. With some math, it worked out to around an hour of labor just to make me a duplicate key... They wanted like $70 an hour for labor, plus $40 for a key...so you can imagine what I told them after that.....Yeah, every metal chip has a specific level of electrical resistance...there are 15 different levels. So even if someone has your exact ignition key, the odds are 1 in 15 that they have the same chip resistance as you. If the resistance is off, a circuit isn't formed and the car won't start..everything seems to work normal, but you turn the key back and---nothing. My key does this now and again...real pain in the @$$. Especially when you're running late..or on a date..both of which I've experienced personally.

 

Hey Nixon1, my local NAPA has a little device for measuring the resistance on those keys. My car is a 1992, and my resistor chip wore down and was causing the same problems you were describing. They took the key I brought them, and plugged it into a box that told which of the 15 resistances it was. They then had a key blank with that resistance and they cut the new key out using it. It has worked for the last 2 years, and the key only cost me 25 bucks. I don't know if every Napa has that little box or not, but I do know that most good automotive locksmiths should be able to do the same thing. Hope this helps you out.

The car not only won't turn over, the fuel pump won't run at all, so hotwiring it won't help either. That is the 'anti-theft part of it, I guess. I read in my owner's manual that the first time it gives you a bad reading, it locks down for about 3 minutes. The second time it is like 15 minutes, and if it has that happen three times in a row, the computer will lock down and a dealer will have to come and reset it to get it going again.

 

Only 3 times for a total lockdown? Jesus...kinda scary huh. Once it took me 30 mins to get the car to start...So apparently I was at 2 strikes there... Whew.. I'll have to check out the local NAPA..problem is, I don't know of a local NAPA. Never ever seen one around here in all my driving.. I'm sure there is one but it's probably like 30 mins away near the beach or something. Sounds like a great deal though...I could use a spare ignition key since I already have a spare door key (that plastic key card...that thing's saved my butt approx. 6 times now..I'm REAL forgetful sometimes)

 

If I was having the starting problems, I would make it a priority to get a new key. Mine was visibly worn down, and would not make good contact. That is why mine was doing what it was doing. The new key stopped all that. One thing that I would do to make my old key work better was to lick one of my fingers and rub the little resistor chip to make sure it was fairly clean before inserting it in there. I would then wiggle it around before trying to turn the car over. This will buy you some time, but the new key is the real fix.

Like you, I enjoy the spare plastic key, and it has saved my butt a couple of times. I keep it in my wallet always.

 

All my friends are fascinated at my plastic key..lol.. And my key isn't visibly worn really..just a tad, but the chip seems to be in decent shape. it's just that the key is bent to the side a little and for some reason, the resistance tester at the factory can't read my key. They insert it and it acts as if there's no key in it. The car reads it just fine though..hasn't given me a starting episode in about a month now.