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Cadillac Repair/2002 cadillac deville key wont turn

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Expert: - 12/27/2010


Question
i have a 2002 cadillac deville dts and my key has been not wanting to turn the car on sometimes and yesterday and will not turn at all had to have car towed any suggestions on whats wrong.  key wont turn at all and security light is on now.

Answer
Hello,

GM had problems with their lock cylinders in certain models. Instead of having the car towed to the dealer ( unfortunately the first thought many car owners have), have a locksmith come to you and code and install a new lock. If it is a bent key, and you have both original keys, he can program a new key as well.

The locksmith and the dealer get their locks and keys from the same place. GM does not make the locks and keys and they are subbed out to Huff and Strattec.

The difference for you is the extrene cost. With a dealer, you have a tow bill and very inflated retail price for the lock and key. With the locksmith, you don't have the towing and can save about 50% on parts and labor.

As for the security light coming on now, I do not know what caused this event after trying the lock a number of times. The first thing to worry about is the lock operation.

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Rob 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.

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