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A little background: 2014 Stingray. Came with only one fob and I have been trying to program a second for months with no success. So last week I called a locksmith specializing in auto locks/fobs. After a l of diagnosis he said that the programming slot in the steering column was dead. Said there may be a wire unhooked somewhere. In any case today I removed the steering wheel and separated the bezel where the programming slot is located. The pic below is what is located there. The round part you see slides down over some pins directly over the programming slot. So, I removed the module you see below and checked the part #. I have no idea if it can be tested or not. Wouldn't know how to go about that.
However, when I put the part number in a google search it comes up as the theft deterrent module. Can anyone help me with understanding what the correlation might be between the theft deterrent module and the programming slot? This part is not over expensive - around $49 - but I don't want to just buy one to see if that might be the problem. If the module was bad would that not net off the theft deterrent light? And it seems that if I do purchase a new module there are a number of steps after installation to program the module. Appreciate any help someone can give!
I would suggest you reinstall the module as it more than likely isn't the problem. There are a bunch of diagnostic codes related to the immobilizer and you need a scan tool capable of reading GM codes (an OBD2 scanner will be useless) to see what is happening. The issue may be with the key fob you are trying to learn. If it is the wrong type of fob or doesn't communicate with the immobilizer system.
If the immobilizer is at fault then you have to program the replacement module before things work properly.
I would also suggest putting it back together. I don't know if this would work, but with your one fob, with the door open, open up the fob and remove the battery. Put the fob back together and insert it in the slot and see if it starts. If it does I'd be willing to bet that the slot is good and however you're trying to program a new fob isn't working. Are you sure the replacement fob is correct? They are different depending on year and car configuration.
I would also suggest putting it back together. I don't know if this would work, but with your one fob, with the door open, open up the fob and remove the battery. Put the fob back together and insert it in the slot and see if it starts. If it does I'd be willing to bet that the slot is good and however you're trying to program a new fob isn't working. Are you sure the replacement fob is correct? They are different depending on year and car configuration.
I didn't think of that simple step but it is a very good idea.
Thrft Deterrent module question
