THe_DeTAiL3R Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 My 95 has the key with the stupid little chip or whatever in it, so I went to the stealership to get an extra one made (since I only had one). The guy goes on the computer and finds the key. $46CAD!!!! They didn't charge to cut the key and they even cut me a door key for free. I went home and the key wouldn't turn, so I put it in the vice and took a file to it and now it works. Stupid keys! Stupid stealerships!! Quote
jeremy Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 a locksmith could have done it for about 1/3 of that price.... Quote
slick Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 a locksmith could have done it for about 1/3 of that price.... Damn, are you serious??? I had keys made for my 94 GP when I had it and payed a shit load of money to have them done... Quote
GutlessSupreme Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 My key doesn't have a chip.. but regular keys I can get for like 2-3 bucks a piece Quote
THe_DeTAiL3R Posted August 25, 2004 Author Report Posted August 25, 2004 I doubt any locksmith carries keys with the stupid chip in it. I would think its a dealership-only item.. but who knows. Quote
WhiteOut Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 Lock smiths DO have the PASS system keys. I've had one cut before, and it was $17. Quote
slick Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 Yeah, i can believe that locksmiths to have them. When I was at the dealership getting the keys made, he did them right in front of me. Basically, each chip has a number(like 1,2, etc. clear up to like 12 or 15 or something not that high). I'm thinking it's some sort of resistor. Anyways, he checks to see which number it is, gets into the spare key bin with that number, and cuts it. I was thinking this whole time that "hell, if i can figure out the resistor size, i could just bypass the whole key chip system"...... Quote
THe_DeTAiL3R Posted August 25, 2004 Author Report Posted August 25, 2004 Hmm well I guess I took it in the ass then. Oh well. I do think it would be hard in my area to find a locksmith that has those keys though. Hell, I couldn't even find any that just say "GM" on them for my 88'... Quote
jeremy Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 Hmm well I guess I took it in the ass then. Oh well. I do think it would be hard in my area to find a locksmith that has those keys though. Hell, I couldn't even find any that just say "GM" on them for my 88'... gotta love the great white north... Quote
supreme_style21 Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 Get some bypass deal for the chip. I had a remote starter put in my car, the passkey had to be bypassed with a simple resistor.. so I don't need those special keys to run the car. Quote
DiscoStudd Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 Locksmiths do have the blanks, except they pay just as much for them as the stealerships do. My neighbor is a locksmith on the side and he told me that the blanks alone for the PASSkey are $20 each! You can disable the PASSkey (or VATS, or whatever the fuck it's called) system. I did it to my 92 LeSabre (but switched it back later on.) Check out this thread: http://www.w-body.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17432&highlight=vats Any questions, holla back! Quote
slick Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 So does that completely elimate the function of the key too, or do you still have to use the key?? Quote
GP1138 Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 Hmm well I guess I took it in the ass then. Oh well. I do think it would be hard in my area to find a locksmith that has those keys though. Hell, I couldn't even find any that just say "GM" on them for my 88'... Don't you love those older W-body GIANT keys? They have to be that big because the ign. cylinder is so hard to turn. I had a new key cut, and they gave me one that didn't have the rubber/plastic, just normal flat metal, and I damn near broke my fingers trying to start my car! After I bent the key using my keyrings to turn it, I went back to the hardware store and asked if they had one with the rubber on it. They did, but it was just plastic. It's still better than the damn flat key. Why didn't they just stick with the regular size keys? Quote
THe_DeTAiL3R Posted August 25, 2004 Author Report Posted August 25, 2004 w-bodies are a mystery.... Quote
GP1138 Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 Did any other GM car get those huge keys? I can always tell if someone has a W-body by looking at their keyring. Quote
slick Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 Did any other GM car get those huge keys? I can always tell if someone has a W-body by looking at their keyring. Lumina's did. My ex-gf had a spare key that she used instead of her GM key, and it didn't have the plastic that you were talking about. Talk about a PITA to turn. Quote
GP1138 Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 Did any other GM car get those huge keys? I can always tell if someone has a W-body by looking at their keyring. Lumina's did. My ex-gf had a spare key that she used instead of her GM key, and it didn't have the plastic that you were talking about. Talk about a PITA to turn. Oh, I meant non-W cars. I should have specified. I know Cuttys and Regals got them too. Quote
DiscoStudd Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 So does that completely elimate the function of the key too, or do you still have to use the key?? You still have to use the key to physically turn the lock cylinder and start the car, but this trick overrides the starter cutout function that the VATS system oversees. Basically, the VATS system "reads" the resistance in the pellet on the key, and if it matches, it gives the "go ahead" to enable the starter circuit. If the teeth of the key match the cylinder and turn the switch, but the pellets don't check out, the starter will not be enabled. What this trick does is fools the VATS system into thinking the correct resistance is there so it starts the car (even if you have the wrong pellet in the key.) Did any other GM car get those huge keys? I can always tell if someone has a W-body by looking at their keyring.91-94 Cavaliers had the keys with the huge head, except they were double-sided like Ford keys are... Quote
slick Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 So does that completely elimate the function of the key too, or do you still have to use the key?? You still have to use the key to physically turn the lock cylinder and start the car, but this trick overrides the starter cutout function that the VATS system oversees. Basically, the VATS system "reads" the resistance in the pellet on the key, and if it matches, it gives the "go ahead" to enable the starter circuit. If the teeth of the key match the cylinder and turn the switch, but the pellets don't check out, the starter will not be enabled. What this trick does is fools the VATS system into thinking the correct resistance is there so it starts the car (even if you have the wrong pellet in the key.) Ahh, ok, gotcha. I knew that each chip had it's own resistance(my post above somewhere), and I had wondered if there was a way to bypass it. Kinda cool actually that someone figured it out! Quote
94CutlassSLCoupe Posted August 25, 2004 Report Posted August 25, 2004 one of my buddies has a '92 Skylark that has keys which DWARF the '88-'93 W-body ones...hell its even cut on both sides. GM is wierd as hell... Quote
DiscoStudd Posted August 26, 2004 Report Posted August 26, 2004 one of my buddies has a '92 Skylark that has keys which DWARF the '88-'93 W-body ones...hell its even cut on both sides. GM is wierd as hell... I think the 92-93 N-Bodies had the same column as the 91-94 Cavaliers, so the keys are most likely the same... Quote
GP1138 Posted August 26, 2004 Report Posted August 26, 2004 All I know is, without the extra black plastic on the key, I actually had the ignition cylinder sticking in place I had to push it so hard. The key itself was bent from using my keyrings to turn it, because it hurt my hand to do it repeatedly. Maybe mine is just fuxx0red though. Quote
93CutlassSupreme Posted August 26, 2004 Report Posted August 26, 2004 i've never had a problem with a metal key it is a little harder to turn vs a original GM key, but not much Quote
digitaloutsider Posted August 26, 2004 Report Posted August 26, 2004 Some GMC/Chevy trucks of the era got the novelty keys too. Quote
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