VAT Number Help
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 653
Likes: 10
From: Walton Kentucky
VAT Number Help
I lost my spare set of keys to my 94. I went to the dealership to get a new key made. They told me they could not read my key's vat number and they couldn't trace it through the VIN.
They did offer for $80/hr to hook up the car to download the info.
They told me it could take all day to extract the code.
In my opinion that is BS.
Does anyone else know what I can do?
They did offer for $80/hr to hook up the car to download the info.
They told me it could take all day to extract the code.
In my opinion that is BS.
Does anyone else know what I can do?
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,867
Likes: 3
From: Pasadena Maryland
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 304
From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Find another Chevy dealer they are BS'n you. Lets see, at $80/hr for $8hrs work plus parts price....never go back there.
Just take the key in along with the Vats number you get from measuring the chip resistance and a reputable parts guy will verify the code before cutting the new key.
The job took about 5min and cost $35 at my local Chevy dealer.
When I replaced my lock cylinder earlier this year the entire cost of cylinder, master key, two sets of keys was <$100.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 653
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From: Walton Kentucky
Originally Posted by SJW
If you still have one working key for the car, you can measure the resistance of the pellet with an ohm meter.
Be well,
SJW
Be well,
SJW
I tried measuring the ohms with my meter and it showed 555.
The list below doesn't show this but do any of you think it is number two?
Someone posted this a while back in C4 tech. Corvette VATS Key Codes and Associated resistance Codes in OHMS Pellet Resistance Code Ohms 1 - 402 2 - 523 3 - 681 4 - 887 5 - 1130 6 - 1470 7 - 1870 8 - 2370 9 - 3010 10 - 3740 11 - 4570 12 - 6040 13 - 7500 14 - 9530 15 - 11800
Last edited by tvetta; Oct 12, 2005 at 05:17 PM.
Navigator
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Source for $10.00 VATS keys...
I just purchased two VATS blanks for my 96 LT4 CE yesterday for $8.50 each plus shipping ($5?). I will then take the blanks to any reputable person with a key grinding machine and I'll have two new keys.
Here's the link to obtain the blanks: http://www.mysecuritypro.com/index.a...ROD&ProdID=434
This page describes how to measure the value of the resistor imbedded in the key (the little 'nib'). Just look up the resistance in the given table to determine which VATS number your key is (one of 15) and order the appropriate blank.
Hope this helps!
Here's the link to obtain the blanks: http://www.mysecuritypro.com/index.a...ROD&ProdID=434
This page describes how to measure the value of the resistor imbedded in the key (the little 'nib'). Just look up the resistance in the given table to determine which VATS number your key is (one of 15) and order the appropriate blank.
Hope this helps!
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,329
Likes: 2,256
From: Central Maryland
Originally Posted by tvetta
I am going to ask a dumb question. The pellets I assume are the two metal nubs stick out of the key shaft. And a standard ohms meter will work?
I tried measuring the ohms with my meter and it showed 555.
The list below doesn't show this but do any of you think it is number two?
Someone posted this a while back in C4 tech. Corvette VATS Key Codes and Associated resistance Codes in OHMS Pellet Resistance Code Ohms 1 - 402 2 - 523 3 - 681 4 - 887 5 - 1130 6 - 1470 7 - 1870 8 - 2370 9 - 3010 10 - 3740 11 - 4570 12 - 6040 13 - 7500 14 - 9530 15 - 11800
I tried measuring the ohms with my meter and it showed 555.
The list below doesn't show this but do any of you think it is number two?
Someone posted this a while back in C4 tech. Corvette VATS Key Codes and Associated resistance Codes in OHMS Pellet Resistance Code Ohms 1 - 402 2 - 523 3 - 681 4 - 887 5 - 1130 6 - 1470 7 - 1870 8 - 2370 9 - 3010 10 - 3740 11 - 4570 12 - 6040 13 - 7500 14 - 9530 15 - 11800
A measurement of 555 ohms would indicate to me that it is indeed a VATS code 2 resistor that's nominally 523 ohms (the tolerance range for this VATS resistor is 502-564 ohms, according to a chart I found on the web).
Anyone who's trying to charge you a lot of $ to figure this out is somebody who doesn't deserve your business. Go elsewhere. A well-stocked and well-equipped locksmith shop should be able to handle this for you.
Be well,
SJW
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
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From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Be sure and either call the Chevy zone manager or write a letter to the president of GM and tell him how your local dealer treated you when you asked for a key for your Corvette. I think that is outrageous!
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 653
Likes: 10
From: Walton Kentucky
Originally Posted by jfb
Be sure and either call the Chevy zone manager or write a letter to the president of GM and tell him how your local dealer treated you when you asked for a key for your Corvette. I think that is outrageous!
The only solution they knew was to hook the car up and decoded it.
I can't blame the dealership parts guys but I could blame GM for not providing them with better tools and information. I will go back to the dealership and tell the guys the solution that I found on the Forum. I wouldn't want anyone else to have to suffer if they didn't have resources like the Forum.
If anything, the Forum will receive more recognition.
All is good! I will pass the knowledge I have gained and hope that others will learn from this thread and experience
Last edited by tvetta; Oct 13, 2005 at 05:58 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,111
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From: My redneck of the woods louisiana
the place i had my keys cut had the interrogator and checked to see if the key i had matched the ones i bought from ecklers so check the mom and pop key and safe stores.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Originally Posted by ScaryFast
Just take a 523 Ohm resistor and put it across the two pins on your CCM...you'll never have to worry about it again. You can use any key.
Of course you have to get to your CCM.
Of course you have to get to your CCM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,871
Likes: 15
From: Detroit's West Side MI
Originally Posted by jfb
You do that and you will be subject to 99% of all car thefts......bash the column and jump the ignition. I recommend that you keep all the systems in your car in good repair. When your headlight burns out do you epoxy a flashlight onto the hood?
Of course it's always in my garage, so that's probably not the best reference point.
I don't have headlights, either. But I do have brakes lights, so I guess the same statement applies.
I was just being facetious, BTW...
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Joplin Missouri
You do that and you will be subject to 99% of all car thefts......bash the column and jump the ignition. I recommend that you keep all the systems in your car in good repair. When your headlight burns out do you epoxy a flashlight onto the hood?
I too am being facetious, BTW...
Ive parked in a huge parking lot with lots of cars in it, came out of the store and couldnt find my car for a second. This thought came into my mind "Holy crap my cars gone" ....it wasnt. But that was one of the scariest moments in my life...Would sure hate to be violated in that way. Ill leave my VATS ...ENABLED... Sure if they want it theyll get it, but at least some punk kid with a hammer and a screw driver aint gettin it that easy.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,871
Likes: 15
From: Detroit's West Side MI
It would suck. Although until recently when I put $5K into my motor, I would have been happy for my car to be stolen.
i can just see the discussion with my insurance company...Holy crap! They stripped out the entire interior! (see "my photos" to the left)
The motor was bone stock and all of the suspension parts and brakes could have been recovered if the vehicle was found, leaving me with a nice check toward a new C6.
i can just see the discussion with my insurance company...Holy crap! They stripped out the entire interior! (see "my photos" to the left)
The motor was bone stock and all of the suspension parts and brakes could have been recovered if the vehicle was found, leaving me with a nice check toward a new C6.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,596
Likes: 19
From: Portland Oregon
Just to let you guys know. There is no way to download the VATs code from your car. I know of no way that a dealer has a means to download the code from the VATs module. Especially in the older cars. In the later cars with a CCM it maybe possible to read the information from the CCM. I can try that later today in my 95 with my TECH2. But I don't recall the TECH2 having the ability to extract the VATs information from the CCM. Even if it can be done, the dealer saying it is an all day job is just plain BS. If the TECH2 can read it, the job should be done in no more than a 10 minutes.
When reading the resistance of the keys, it is important to also take into consideration the resistance of your DVOM meters test leads. All you need to do is to short the leads together, read the meter, the leads should typically be 1 ohm or less in resistance. Then read the key pellet and subtract the lead resistance from the pellet reading. But when there is over 100 ohms tolerance it won't make much difference
When reading the resistance of the keys, it is important to also take into consideration the resistance of your DVOM meters test leads. All you need to do is to short the leads together, read the meter, the leads should typically be 1 ohm or less in resistance. Then read the key pellet and subtract the lead resistance from the pellet reading. But when there is over 100 ohms tolerance it won't make much difference
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 264
Likes: 1
From: La Grande Oregon
GM does require all dealerships to buy the tools and books to service your vette when it was new, all that dealer had to do was send a tech to the book room and spend a liitle time reading. ( this is of course that the dealer was in business when that car was made) joe