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Intermittent Security Light


3pt1lumina

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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

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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...

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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...

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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?

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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.

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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.

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