Lost keys
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Lost keys
I have an 88 that has been sitting around. So I'm finally deciding to do some work on it and the keys are no where to be found. I have an spare column and a couple of ignition cylinders. My question is can I just swap out the original cylinder and put in another VATS cylinder? Or even a whole column? I know nothing about this system so I'm not sure if something has be programed or even where in the system it reads the info from the key. I do have the key cut # just not what VAT key # it is, and I don't have the title because the car is over 10 years over and I can't for the life of me locate the rest of my papers. Please help. I have read about ways to bypass it but I am trying to keep the system correct.
Thanks
Thanks
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 21,094
Likes: 282
From: Phila., PA burbs
Maybe....maybe not. When you get back that old GM records are spotty at best. When I lost the keys to my 91 a few years back, GM had the ignition cut on file, but not the VATS code. Others have been more fortunate.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
From: Macedon (near Rochester) NY
I had them cut keys for my 88 last year (they told me 88 was the first year gm started keeping track), but they didnt have the vats code. That took twisting a bunch of resistors together and trying 15 different values while using a non-vats key.
It's pretty easy to find where to plug the resistors in, find two white wires with an orange sleeve over them. Undo that plug, then you hook them up to the end that goes under the dash, not the end that goes into the column. Get a multimeter, a couple packs of 1000k resistors, a 0 to 1000 variable one, and try each value one at a time, waiting about ten minutes after each failure until you find the one that lets the starter run. Heres a list of the 15 values http://www.thirdgen.org/vats_passkey_system and heres a picture of how i did it. http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...8vette-154.jpg Once you find out what value you need, buy a vats key of that type.
It's pretty easy to find where to plug the resistors in, find two white wires with an orange sleeve over them. Undo that plug, then you hook them up to the end that goes under the dash, not the end that goes into the column. Get a multimeter, a couple packs of 1000k resistors, a 0 to 1000 variable one, and try each value one at a time, waiting about ten minutes after each failure until you find the one that lets the starter run. Heres a list of the 15 values http://www.thirdgen.org/vats_passkey_system and heres a picture of how i did it. http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...8vette-154.jpg Once you find out what value you need, buy a vats key of that type.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 21,094
Likes: 282
From: Phila., PA burbs
I had them cut keys for my 88 last year (they told me 88 was the first year gm started keeping track), but they didnt have the vats code. That took twisting a bunch of resistors together and trying 15 different values while using a non-vats key.
It's pretty easy to find where to plug the resistors in, find two white wires with an orange sleeve over them. Undo that plug, then you hook them up to the end that goes under the dash, not the end that goes into the column. Get a multimeter, a couple packs of 1000k resistors, a 0 to 1000 variable one, and try each value one at a time, waiting about ten minutes after each failure until you find the one that lets the starter run. Heres a list of the 15 values http://www.thirdgen.org/vats_passkey_system and heres a picture of how i did it. http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...8vette-154.jpg Once you find out what value you need, buy a vats key of that type.
It's pretty easy to find where to plug the resistors in, find two white wires with an orange sleeve over them. Undo that plug, then you hook them up to the end that goes under the dash, not the end that goes into the column. Get a multimeter, a couple packs of 1000k resistors, a 0 to 1000 variable one, and try each value one at a time, waiting about ten minutes after each failure until you find the one that lets the starter run. Heres a list of the 15 values http://www.thirdgen.org/vats_passkey_system and heres a picture of how i did it. http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...8vette-154.jpg Once you find out what value you need, buy a vats key of that type.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,310
Likes: 9
From: KB7TIF Ville NV
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
From: Macedon (near Rochester) NY
I used a pot too, i just wasnt sure if one that would go from 0 to over 10000 would let me get precise enough, so went with the 1k resistors to get close and a more fine pot to get it exact.
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Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,328
Likes: 15
From: Jacksonville FL
If you have to, for a door key, you can take out the console cylinder and a competent lock smith can work one out for you. The console one has one less tumbler tho so it could take up to 5 tries to get the right one. Thats why I said competent locksmith. It took my guy 3 tries.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
From: Macedon (near Rochester) NY
I used one of these http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...Value=Trimmers plus some 1k resistors. I imagine you could use this http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...Value=Trimmers instead of the resistors (but grab a 1k resistor just in case your key is a number 15). use the 10k to get close and the 1k to fine tune. Since this type uses 15 turns of a screw to adjust through it's range, it can get more accurate than the normal type of pot. It might even be accurate enough to not need the fine one.
