This is me showing how I cut the passlock wire on my car. My car would not start on damp, cold mornings, often taking 30 – 40 minutes to get it to start. Aft…
This is me showing how I cut the passlock wire on my car. My car would not start on damp, cold mornings, often taking 30 – 40 minutes to get it to start. Aft…
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I cut my white wire on my 04 saturn ion 1 and let me tell you guys this works. My car failed to start 1 time and I said bye bye white wire. Car has started everytime since last year.
My car’s started every single time! So thankful. No problems except for the service vehicle light and the passlock light remains on. I strongly recommend this to anyone having to deal with that annoying ten minute wait. Its been a month for me and that’s the longest I’ve ever gone without starting issues.
thanks bro. used that to hopefully fix my daughters car. will let you know. I’m cheap and braver than I should be….lol
My last straw was last week when I was at a car wash vacuuming my car and was being watched by 2 creepy men. So I rush the job and got in to pull off and guess what happens?
I cut the wire this morning (after it made me late for work by not starting) and so far so good. I’ll be sure to update this post a few months down the line though, whether it continues to work or not.
Thanks so much for posting this!
“I’m just cheap.. And braver than I should be” classic
Mine still works find, better than before where I never knew when the car would not start. It is a shame that GM did not fix all their screw ups and we had to cut wires to make our Saturns work.
Our family have 3 Saturns, two Ions and one L300 SW with a V6 engine and about the fastest SW I have seen.
Haven’t had a problem since! Thank you again! Taught my mechanics something too, haha!
How did it work out for you?
Glad it worked for you!
Hope this worked for you! Thanks!
How’d it go?
I have not but it was really straight forward. If you know which end is the hot end of a soldering iron you’ll be fine. Just used an “automotive” on off switch from radioshack. Made sure it was in the off position. Soldered the wires to it. Started the car and switch it to the on position. Leave it that way until it starts to get cold again.
Car still works fine. I have since added a switch but nothing else.
Is the car still working fine? And have you needed to replace any parts because you cut the wire?
Have you made a video about putting on the switch?
I’m going to clip it and see what happens……
I don’t live in cold weather..yet I have the same problem..
Put the toggle in shuts the light off
Yep the device he pulled the wire from is the bad one
Its a $25 part in the steering wheel. GM used crappy dialectic grease and it takes about 40 minutes to pull and reset the “feature”. Did it to my wifes 2004 and hasn’t done since for over two years
I can’t believe I never ever found this video! I’ve been dealing with this issue for two years now. I thought that it was an electrical issue so I added an extra battery recently (actually I did this due to a loud sound system) in hopes it will work.
So thanks Oblio…greatly appreciate it!
I scrolled further down and found the answer to my question!
I followed your video a while back and fixed my no-start problem. Now I’m thinking about adding the switch to eliminate the service light. How did you do that? Connect both ends of the cut wire to the switch?
how about on saturn SC1 2001
Finally after several years and several hundred dollars and so many “10 minute waits” when it does not start, I finally cut the white wire while the car was running and……..that’s it!!!! I didn’t even get the service light. Just the Passlock light stays on. Who cares!
Thank you again for posting this and making many people happy and saving us a bundle.
Yup! That’s it. Going to try this this weekend, I’m fed up! I have to get up so early every morning in case it doesn’t start… thank you so much!!!
Just so you know, you can actually get a toggle switch put in and then that light wont be on. I do not know how to install one but I learned after talking so much about it with mechanic friends. Update on our saturn….it was a pain in my butt for 4 years and I havent had one single problem with it since we cut the white wire. You have to make sure the car is running before clipping. I learned the hard way!
You have gotten a lot of meat out of this video you made. Did you ever think it would become this popular?
When did you make it? in 09? Great video BTW. I am taking the plunge this weekend I think. My only worry is that light. First thing they look at when they inspect your car for that $40 inspection
I know that when you put in a new switch, you have to put it through a relearning process that takes about an hour. You probably already know this, but if you don’t, I have the instructions
I had to have a exhaust inspection. I was afraid that the service engine message would fail me so I installed a switch so I could reconnect and disconnect the wires at will. It has worked fine thus far. And it turned out the would pass me even if I had a service engine light on. Oh well.
How’d it work out for you?
It comes on because by cutting the wire while it is running it thinks there has been a failure with the passlock system itself. The light will stay on as long as the wires are disconnected.
After I cut the wire and shut off the car and turned it on again to make sure it still started I shut the car off and put the fuse back.
Glad the video helped you! Thanks!
I bought the switch from Radio Shack and put it in. It is just under my steering wheel, tucked up behind the plastic. I removed the airbag fuse. I made sure the switch was in the ‘off’ position and tested it with a multimeter to be sure. Stripped the ends of the wire I cut and soldered them to the switch. I started the car, flipped the switch to ‘on’ and shut the car off. I turned it on again and the service engine light was off. I put the airbag fuse back in. Not as hard as I make it sound.
I had all my power, radio worked, horn and lights. It would sound like it was about to turn over, then nothing. After that just a click until I waited long enough for it to start. I did this 4 years ago now and the only time I have had a problem in all that time is when I reconnected the wire and forgot to disconnect it on a cold morning.
No I didn’t put the switch in I simply followed the directions in the video and cut the wire. And yes if you have to get it smogged and are worried about it failing because of the light you can always reconnect it. Good luck.
Sorry to bother you again, but I just wanted to ask you that you did not put the switch in then.
I believe Oblio9 here bought that radio shack switch.
I have made up my mind and take the plunge. I can always put it back, right?
There’s probably a way to get the light to stay off. For me it is worth it as now I don’t have to worry if my car will start such a relief.
The light stayed on so I put some electrical tape over it. A week after I did I had to take it in for a fuel leak issue which thankfully is covered in a recall. I live in CA and the people at the dealership (now chevrolet) noticed the light but it didn’t matter as they fixed the fuel issue free of charge. I just got my car smogged earlier this year, not sure if it will be an issue when it has to go again. Other than these issues it’s been a great car. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
Did you cut the wire while the car was running?
What you are saying does not work for all cars.Gm put the wrong type of grease in their switches. The problem is, it gets worse for many of the cars where you have to wait from 30 minutes to hours. Do that in 30 below weather.It HAS to be fixed for many, many of the Saturns and other GM models with this kind of VAT?Passkey system. It’s a real problem.Many people are first responders where waiting just 10 minutes as you say means nothing. You should think this out
The People’s Republic of Massachusetts has it. Ever hear of State income tax, we’ve got it, plus 6.25% of anything you buy,outside of food and clothing.Ever hear of car excise tax? We’ve got it. Plus high property tax. On an On.. Then high Fed tax.When you add it all up, in a work week, at about 2pm on Wednesday, you finally get to keep your own money
I have the same year as yours and exactly the same problem. I have already paid big bucks to replace and relearn the ignition switch at the Saturn dealer where I bought the car.They sell KIAs now. But we love this little car, it is great otherwise. I am just worried about the service light staying on. Cannot get a sticker in my State with it on.Could you give me some advise as to what you did after you cut the wire because it has been only a few days for you.I wanted to do this a year ago