Cadillac Repair/VATS

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Expert: - 9/27/2010


Question
Dear Rob it seems 99% of most of your answers is to bypass this VATS for cades that wont start, to go to a car alarm experts to have it don, this is the question do they all so install this hidden kill switch.thank you.John

Answer
Hello,

First of all, I would rarely call these people car alarm experts, because I will use the same number and say 99% of the alarm people do inferior installations. The reason: most have no clue as to the methods of theft that are vehicle specific.

I had one guy that I told that if the valet (alarm disable) switch was accessed easily, that the installation was worthless. If the ignition is in the on position, the switch
can be flipped and the alarm features are turned off. The goof at the alarm store actually stated the thief would need an ignition key! This sutomatically shows his ignorrance in theft methods because a thief can force rotate an ignition lock with a screwdriver or better yet, knock the lock out of the housing all together.

I have found this thinking quite common with locksmiths and alarm installers.


In theory, these installers should be capable. They know how to install starter disables when installing alarms. There are also starter disables that they sell that work with remotes.

You could of course pick up your own toggle at a parts store and have them install and hide.

I used to put them behind the ashtray, under a door sill. Sometime I would paint the handle the color of the carpet. I hid them, but they were easy to get to.  Under no circumstances are they to be wired to anything but the crank circuit!


You can flip the switch while the engine is running. You just need to remember to flip the switch back when you go to start the engine after you parked it.

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Rob Painter

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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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