Posted: 10/2/2004 7:33:23 AM EDT
| I have a '99 Caddy that last year had the ignition switch go bad (tamper resistance anti theft type) not allowing the engine to start so I took it to the dealer and got it R/R'd. Yesterday the switch appears to have done the same thing, what I'm wanting to know is there a way to bypass the anti tamper device in the switch to allow me to start the engine? BTW the first time this happened the mileage was 60K excatly the same as my '99 Grand Am when its switch went on the blink, kinda strange huh???? |
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I don't know about a 99, but alot of cars in the past will have an exposed starter relay, meaning you can ground both leads with a metal object, and it will crank the starter. It will spark but no biggy. I remember doing this to break the crank bolt loose on the crank on my old Taurus SHO. I attached a wrench to the crank bolt, the other end of the wrench rested up against the sub-frame, then I wacked the starter relay with a metal wrench to crank the engine to turn hte engine over, breaking the bolt loose. Thing was over 150ft/lbs. |
Try and run a wire from the switch that will stay hot when its in the on position out to the distributor, and make sure it will stay hot when you are cranking the engine over as well,use a test light to check it , you might have something else wrong besides the switch ??
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Thats funny, most cars have not had distributors for over ten years. |
Yeah, that IS funny !  Ignition System How Stuff Works |
| On GM cars the actual ignition switch used to be moutned down near the bottom of the steering column. The part where the key goes is only the steering column lock, but has a "receiver" for the chip in the key ( I'm assuming you have a key with a chip in it ). Did they replace the steering column lock, or the ignition switch? You didn't say exactly what the symptoms were other than "my car wouldn't start". That covers a lot of ground. More info is needed really to give a good answer. |
Apparently you havent looked under the hood of many cars or trucks lately or you would see there are still many engines that have distributors in them , was just trying to help you with your problem and all you care about is being a comedian, have worked on automobiles for over 30 years, and have forgot more about them than you will ever learn, or you would not be here asking for Help to fix your starting problem, I wish you Good Luck !!!!!
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I am just trying to find out if GM has programed asystem into teh car to defeat teh antitheft device in the event of a failure of said device? I have heard of some vehicles that have this type of system similar to the '95 Isuzu Rodeo I had that was dsigned to not start unless you first activated the left turn signal. BTW Ken, I realize that you are probably just bating me but I challenge you to find one vehicle legal for sale in the US and made after 1996 that has a mechanical distributor installed by the OEM manufacture. |