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Just bought 89 at auction there are no keys ? Can anyone tell me how I can turn on ? Thanks Gary
You can break into the column through the tilt mechanism if the vats system is bypassed, but I'm guessing your not here to learn how to steal a car. So I think if I were you, I would just replace the ignition lock cylinder as a starting point. Once that's done, you can determine if the vats system is functional, and decide what to do from there.
I'd see if my.local Chevy dealer could make me a new set of keys for it. As stated, theres a fairly significant anti theft system you'll have to contend with.
Hi thank you for info no trying to steel a car , Do you know how much work to replace cylinder? Thank you Gary
Its pretty easy in my opinion. Your car doesn't even have an airbag. Its maybe a one hour job provided you have the lock plate tool. Lock cylinders are not expensive parts either. Probably less than fifty bucks for your car.
Last edited by PatternDayTrader; Oct 24, 2018 at 09:48 PM.
I would think so. Check with AutoZone first.
Even if you had to buy it, its not an expensive tool. Maybe 30 bucks or so. I might have paid 50 for mine, but it came off the Snap On truck, which is the most expensive place on earth to buy tools.
Try a mobile locksmith. It will cost you a little more but they will have all of the tools to do the job.
Sounds like you need both an ignition key and a door key. Mobile locksmith would be my choice.
On the Vats issues, there are a couple of options. I've seen 'boxes' that plug into the wire that comes out of the column and can do any of the 15 combinations. Another is to get a mixed bag of resistors and make up your own combination for now. Connect each combination one at a time to the connector that goes up towards the DIC and try them with the new key. When it cranks, you have the right combo. Know though after each test you either have to wait about 5 minutes or disconnect and reconnect the battery to reset the timer.