AboutRob Painter Expertise Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet.
My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine.
This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle:
Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?
Experience Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.
Question I picked up a used '99 Deville a week ago and it ran great until today. Only around 50k miles. I took a few trips in it today but tonite, it just wouldn't start. Lights are all on so I think the battery is ok, although the service engine soon light remained on. (It never came on when I drove the car.) But I just get one click and then nothing. I didn't see any of the service codes come up that everyone seems to refer to in this site. I tried jumping it but that didn't help. Is there a way to access those codes to see if a diagnosis can be obtained? Thanks.
Answer Hi,
There could be many things, but possibly a bad starter or a problem in that Junk factory installed anti-theft system known as PASS Key or VATS.
If you say it clicks once, it may very well be a starter. If possible, try tapping on the starter case and see if it will crank. If it does, you know it is starter time.
Unless there is a message to wait 3 minutes to start on the dash, there are no other on board diagnostics to detect a starting problem and the check engine light is for emissions and if not on while running, there is no problem there.
