3pt1lumina Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 I've seen a bunch of threads on here about security lights being on and it being related to the VATS. This one is a bit different, so I'd like an opinion. On my 97 Lumina LS 3100 driving along at 55 mph the "security" light goes on...stays on for no more than 30 secs and goes off. It did it to me the other day and I thought nothing of it, and it happened again today. So far I have no problems with the key in the run position starting the car. I also switched to the extra set of keys after the first time, so it's not that. So basically...it's cold outside and I don't have time to mess with bypassing the VATS. Am I alright or is this going to fail on me? Or is there an easy way to diagnose it before I go bypassing? If it's the ignition cylinder, I have an extra that I can put in...I'd just have to have the proper keys with the proper chip cut. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 seems like a dirty key cylinder to me. when one of my VATs car has acted up, I have temporarily unhooked the vats wire at the column base while the car is running. as long as your battery doesn't go dead, you;d be left with the security light but no other issue.... temporarily... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 seems like a dirty key cylinder to me. x2... Mine is starting to get where the contacts are loose, and the key ring had to hang off the key a certain way for the light to not be on... I eventually got smart and took the ignition key off the ring of others... Without the other keys, the light doesn't come on anymore... Might be worth trying since it takes about 5 seconds to take the key off the ring... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3pt1lumina Posted December 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 Interesting idea 88red4cyl, I am going to try that! Thanks! Ken, is there any way to clean that dirt out of there without harming anything? Compressed air possibly? Or am I better to just leave it alone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 x2 on that one I always wondered how to clean the ignition besides graphite lubricant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3pt1lumina Posted December 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 Well, it just failed. So on to bypassing or replacing the ignition switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lb79theone Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Yeah! Thats exaclty what happened to mine and still got a new key and it still comes on. I am going to have to do that also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3pt1lumina Posted January 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Car is fixed. One of the guys needed some extra money so he put a new ignition switch in for me. For $30 it was totally worth it since I didn't have to mess with it out in the cold. The switch was ~$50 and each key was $15. I'm not sure if this happens on each car, but according to the tech that replaced my switch, there is a white wire that comes off the switch and goes to another wire which is orange. Apparently, there was a slice in the white wire causing it to arc against the metal switch changing the resistance of the key. But since it was apart, I just had him put a new switch on there screw that. And after watching him do that, I now understand why everyone bypasses it. What a PITA. He had the wheel off, airbag, and some other stuff from what I saw anyways. He says it's no big deal to do... but it looked hard. Besides I hate airbags. If it goes on one of my others and he doesn't want to do it again, definitely bypassing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Don't shy away from air bags - they are nothing to worry about. As I have said in otehr posts I'd work with air bags all day instead of working around gas vapors, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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