GKL
Forum Supporter
I very reluctantly took a break from detecting to take time to try to figure out how to fix my 1999 Astro van as it would not start and the battery would drain unless I disconnected it.
Our 1999 Astro van is what I would normally need to use to go detecting elsewhere, I have found more than I expected on my own 1 1/2 acre property with my new Nox 800 but wanted to try other areas now that I was feeling more comfortable using the Nox 800.
Doing research online I finally figured out how to fix the problems and fixed them, only thing is now that the van is running again, we are now going thru an unusual cold snap, morning lows in the 20's and 30's this week, what happened to our normal Fall temps of around 70 degrees ?
I can handle the warmer weather much better than the extra cold weather, hopefully it won't take too long to get temps back to closer to normal for this time of year so I can get back out detecting again.
Anyhow, here is how I fixed my problems, I can't vouch that these same fixes will work for other's cars, only that they worked for our 1999 Astro van.
PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT an auto mechanic, this was a DIY fix I found online !
(I have fixed many things, automotive and otherwise, that I had never done before, thanks to the internet and youtube)
Research online showed it is not an uncommon problem for older GM vehicles to no longer start due to a failure of some part of the PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM (or similar system) as it makes your vehicle think someone is trying to steal it and prevents the fuel pump from working.
Online research shows several different possible fixes, the one I used seems to be holding up as I have been starting the van successfully each day for about 4 or 5 days (only missed one day) as I wanted to make sure it was fixed before driving it off our property.
The fix I thought I would have to try was if you could not get the engine running at all and involved cutting 2 wires and connecting them together, but when I was about ready to try that I managed to get the engine running (sometimes the PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM failure is intermittent and will sometimes allow the engine to start) so I was able to try the fix that did not involve cutting any wires BUT can only be done WHILE the engine is running.
The fix involves simply disconnecting a 3 wire plug that goes into the top of the ignition key cylinder but the page I read about it on the internet said it must be done WHILE the engine is running. The only side effects are that the security light on the dash stays on while the vehicle is running but it does not keep the vehicle from starting AND there is no longer the theft deterrent, but with it being a 1999 vehicle it doesn't look like something anyone would want to try to take anyhow, but you could still use one of those bars you lock on your steering wheel if you did have a concern about theft.
Here is a pic of the wires I disconnected
To find the battery drain problem I connected a multimeter between the positive terminal of the battery and the positive battery cable (with the key out of the ignition) and I saw a current flow on the multimeter, so one at a time I started pulling fuses until I saw the multimeter go to zero current flow. (you must ignore the fuse for the battery itself as that disconnects the battery) then I noticed hearing a click sound when I put the fuse back in and tracked the click down to the Remote Function Actuator Module (it receives the signal from a key fob to unlock the door without using the actual key). Well since it was no big deal to have to use a key to unlock the door I simply unplugged it and saw the current flow go to zero so now I can leave the battery connected without having to worry about it draining down if the van sits for a few days.
Here is a pic of the module under the dash -
(These fixes are more for when you have an older vehicle that you don't want to spend a big amount of money to replace parts that could be on the expensive side)
Our 1999 Astro van is what I would normally need to use to go detecting elsewhere, I have found more than I expected on my own 1 1/2 acre property with my new Nox 800 but wanted to try other areas now that I was feeling more comfortable using the Nox 800.
Doing research online I finally figured out how to fix the problems and fixed them, only thing is now that the van is running again, we are now going thru an unusual cold snap, morning lows in the 20's and 30's this week, what happened to our normal Fall temps of around 70 degrees ?
I can handle the warmer weather much better than the extra cold weather, hopefully it won't take too long to get temps back to closer to normal for this time of year so I can get back out detecting again.Anyhow, here is how I fixed my problems, I can't vouch that these same fixes will work for other's cars, only that they worked for our 1999 Astro van.
PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT an auto mechanic, this was a DIY fix I found online !
(I have fixed many things, automotive and otherwise, that I had never done before, thanks to the internet and youtube
)Research online showed it is not an uncommon problem for older GM vehicles to no longer start due to a failure of some part of the PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM (or similar system) as it makes your vehicle think someone is trying to steal it and prevents the fuel pump from working.
Online research shows several different possible fixes, the one I used seems to be holding up as I have been starting the van successfully each day for about 4 or 5 days (only missed one day) as I wanted to make sure it was fixed before driving it off our property.
The fix I thought I would have to try was if you could not get the engine running at all and involved cutting 2 wires and connecting them together, but when I was about ready to try that I managed to get the engine running (sometimes the PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM failure is intermittent and will sometimes allow the engine to start) so I was able to try the fix that did not involve cutting any wires BUT can only be done WHILE the engine is running.
The fix involves simply disconnecting a 3 wire plug that goes into the top of the ignition key cylinder but the page I read about it on the internet said it must be done WHILE the engine is running. The only side effects are that the security light on the dash stays on while the vehicle is running but it does not keep the vehicle from starting AND there is no longer the theft deterrent, but with it being a 1999 vehicle it doesn't look like something anyone would want to try to take anyhow
, but you could still use one of those bars you lock on your steering wheel if you did have a concern about theft.Here is a pic of the wires I disconnected
To find the battery drain problem I connected a multimeter between the positive terminal of the battery and the positive battery cable (with the key out of the ignition) and I saw a current flow on the multimeter, so one at a time I started pulling fuses until I saw the multimeter go to zero current flow. (you must ignore the fuse for the battery itself as that disconnects the battery) then I noticed hearing a click sound when I put the fuse back in and tracked the click down to the Remote Function Actuator Module (it receives the signal from a key fob to unlock the door without using the actual key). Well since it was no big deal to have to use a key to unlock the door I simply unplugged it and saw the current flow go to zero so now I can leave the battery connected without having to worry about it draining down if the van sits for a few days.
Here is a pic of the module under the dash -
(These fixes are more for when you have an older vehicle that you don't want to spend a big amount of money to replace parts that could be on the expensive side)
