I Need Your Help

this is why you get it recalled on time. There was a recall for all malibus for the ignition lock cylinder that caused it to turn the car off while driving etc

also yeah dealership to reprogram desu i dont ever trust most mechanics with things like that. Maybe even a locksmith should have the required stuff to do that.

>Does anyone know how to re-program the theft system with a new ignition cylinder?
grandamgt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74971
It's for the sister car, but this guide should work.. just bypass the whole system. It's a pain in the ass anyways. I've had a few cars with the Passlock 2 system

seems like he does

the whole car is a big pile of crap

ive only had the car for 3 years, and it's been a winter car. besides, i did get the recall notice taken care of but apparently it was only a key fix and not the ignition switch, even though it said on the paper ignition switch recall

thank you i will check this out

OP here again, managed to get the key cylinder out and am now searching for a replacement part. Any suggestions?

>Pic related

Ok so a lot of the parts im seeing are 100 dollars plus but i dont get why they cost so much. Is there a cheaper alternative method to start the car? I dont care if I have to nigger-rig it as it's a winter beater.

late night bump but I'll check back in the morning for replies. Also, would it be a bad idea to go to a junkyard and pull an ignition lock cylinder and key to use?

Pull the ignition switch out and start it with a screw driver you said nigger rig so do that.

>the whole car is a big pile of crap

I'll explain to you how to bypass passlock 2 if you want, I've done it for years because it's junk. You'll need basic hand tools, a multimeter, soldering iron/solder/shrink wrap or good tape (33+) and a selection of resistors. It's not hard but I also don't know if that's what your problem is.

My friend had issues with his Malibu as well. Something about the anti theft system

Can't tell if you are serious or not but how would I start it with a screwdriver when there is no switch in to turn? (as I already pulled the switch)

Heh

I'll be honest bud I don't know if the 03 malibu has the passlock 2 system on it; however I'm always down to learn something new so yeah let's discuss

Mhmm, I'm not at dealing with the anti-theft system yet but if you know more do tell

>I'll be honest bud I don't know if the 03 malibu has the passlock 2 system on it; however I'm always down to learn something new so yeah let's discuss

Does the key have a plus mark or circle with a plus mark? If no, it's passlock 2.

Just looked up your car. Man that's retarded the switch is like one whole piece with the lock cylinder.
Sorry I was comparing it to older Honda's because that's what I did on my old integra before I replaced the switch it was just 3 bolts and you stick the screw driver into the circle switch and turned it. Takes a minute to steal those cars.

OP here again - so I took the ignition lock cylinder to a professional locksmith in my area and after spraying lubricant into the key hole and checking the integrity of the tumblers and car keys, he was able to turn the cylinder freely to all positions. Doing this, he suggested it's the ignition starter switch causing my trouble. So I just went to AutoZone, Advanced, and NAPA to get price quotes for this part; so far NAPA is the cheapest. But this also begs the question of could I get one from a junkyard car? Should I? Also, the guy at Autozone said that I would need to get a computer specialist to re-program the anti-theft system if/when I replace the part other the car's computer will go haywire.

After pulling the cylinder I shoved a flathead screwdriver into the switch and was able to start it, but it took longer to start, and immediately died while the anti-theft system flashed, killing the engine. Now, I have found a guide online that says to reprogram the anti-theft system you turn the key to START (it won't start), let it sit in the ON position for 10 minutes, count to 10, then turn the key to START and let it sit again in ON, to do those steps for a total of 3 times. But the guy at Autozone said the described method is a bypass and not a true re-program which will cause headaches down the road. I'm not sure if I believe him but ultimately I don't want to have to fuck around with this again.

I do agree, it is retarded. I was able to pull the cylinder and have access to the switch, but so far from what I'm seeing if I want to replace that I'll have to remove the instrument cluster. Ugh.

Here is a photo of the key as you can see it says Axxess+

>a winter car
Why not just part it?

Yes. That's passlock 2. The markings would be engraved on the key and I don't think they even started PK3+ until 2005

I dont want to part out the car because right now it's the only viable winter car in the family and until my work schedule changes/get a better paying job I'll scrap it then. But for now I have to keep it hence why I'm trying to fix it.

Also forgot to mention I went to a chevy dealer to get a price quote from them; they thought I wanted them to fix it and they said it'd cost me 400 dollars - yeah right, get outta here.

Okay so it's passlock two - does the link above to the pontiac grandam site cover this bypass? Also, why would a bypass be needed? What exactly does it bypass? Doesn't the method of re-programming the anti-theft system I described above deal with it?

Sorry for so many questions, I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to cars.

Thank you.

What is in that link is pretty accurate. In your car, they will probably be in a orange sleeve, put the car in gear and test resistance with key in the crank position as opposed to starting it and letting it die over and over. But yeah, that's about the gist of it.

OP Here with an update:

The car started! With a cleaned out key ignition cylinder, my relative and I put it back into the ignition starter switch and it fired right up. However, there was some trouble getting it in at first. We tried to slide the cylinder in but it wouldn't budge; that's because there is a little metal piece that is stuck up in the OFF and START positions, but is free when in ACC and ON. Still, it wouldn't slide all the way in and connect, that's because the rotating piece in the key ignition switch was still in the OFF position. So with a flathead screwdriver we turned that switch to ON (ACC wouldn't work) and it slide right in and started with no anti-theft system light.

Not sure why it acted up in the first place, but I'm glad to have this issue fixed (and for however long I own the car).

Thanks to everyone who helped! It's much appreciated!

I checked the link out and while it's descriptive, I am not comfortable doing that. I've already fucked around with it, I don't want to mess with the electrical/wiring aspects of the car.

My grandpa had this same issue;

Just jiggle the shifter and the key

Could call a locksmith and ask

You have no idea how long I tried that and it still wouldn't work.

We went to a locksmith and he was able to clean out and get the lock cylinder working again.