94' SSE: Security light comes on during driving

[bonnevilleCyborg]

Hello Everyone,
I have a 1994 Bonneville SSE with 326K on it. Over the past few days my SECURITY light has been coming on only while I am driving. During my drive, like today, the light will sometimes go off. I have noticed that when I put my key in, it won't crank on the first try (lights, radio, wipers all activate), but will crank on the second immediate try (no 3-5 minute wait). During this time, there is no abnormal security light that I can remember.


At first I thought my key/VATS cable had gone bad, but the forums say that when that happens, the car won't crank without a wait. I don't have to wait, I just turn my key back to the off position and crank it again. I'm guessing that it may be my VATS module, but I don't even know where it is so I can't test it.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Maybe during lunch I can get a video up or something.

[Kajidono]

The security light on my 97 is pretty much always on. If I lock the doors, the alarm will go off as it seems to be convinced that the sun is trying to steal the car. I think I remember seeing somewhere on here that it's controlled by a little black box under the passenger side dash that also has something to do with the power windows, interior lights, and door locks, but it could be different on yours and might not be the problem. I hate the built in security system.

[1998 ssei]

When I start my car the security light stays on for like 10 mins or so then turns off and never comes on again. I just figured my key is getting old or something.

[imidazol97]

I have noticed that when I put my key in, it won't crank on the first try (lights, radio, wipers all activate), but will crank on the second immediate try (no 3-5 minute wait). During this time, there is no abnormal security light that I can remember.

My 98 had the security light coming on while driving and going off. The pattern was random. I considered fixing the VATS with a resistor bypass or by cutting the wires while running which supposedly puts the car into a failure mode where it ignores the theft deterrent module's key reading thinking the unit has failed.

x

At first I thought my key/VATS cable had gone bad, but the forums say that when that happens, the car won't crank without a wait. I don't have to wait, I just turn my key back to the off position and crank it again. I'm guessing that it may be my VATS module, but I don't even know where it is so I can't test it.

My car would do that. I started putting the key in and turning to ON then counting to 3 before I rotated to CRANK. I seemed the TDM wasn't reading the resistance right when I turned it quickly. However, that was just a hint that I needed to do the resistor bypass to the system.

I got by for a year and half or more with the system thinking it was in failure mode. But I was careful never to disconnect the battery. When Walmart did a warranty replacement, they kept the power on the theft deterrent module with set of jumpers to keep the car always on battery. Eventually something happened, maybe with a year old OReilly starter failing and sending a spike. But the car wouldn't crank and I had to be towed home.

I'd read up on how to make the resistors and where to find the orange wire with the two tiny white ones inside. Also, you need to know how to solder the tiny white wires to the resistor. The white wires are so thin, that is tricky, especially lying on my back on the driver's floor. But I did it in the middle of winter.

There are some youtube videos that help by showing how someone else did it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQPBRD2T85Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKfn7J9CeZM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oBHpwwc ... re=related