I Need Help......98 Silverado Security Light Issue

[98 silverado]

I've been batteling this truck for a while now and its driving me up the wall. I'd like to set fire to the thing. I've been very close to trading it in but just can't sign the new truck payments.

 

So anyone out there please help!!!!!!!!!!

 

Here is what is happening.

 

1998 Silverado Z71 truck. Every now and again as I'm driving the sercuity light will come on out of the blue it will appear. Normally I can shut the truck off after I arrive to my destination. Do whatever come back and it'll start back up.

 

Sometimes I'll go out to the truck early morning or whatever and get in try to start it and it will START then Die Start then Die Start then die. You can sit there and do that for a good while and it will never stay running. Go out the next day and on first try will start and stay running. WHY is this happening. I've taken it to a mechanic shop and they can't get it to start and die for them. Matter of fact its been sitting at the mechanic shop for the past few days and has started up for them time after time. But the weekend before I dropped it off I got stranded 15 miles from my house. I parked went back to the truck an hour or so later and it start and die start and die. I had to get a ride home. I went back on severall occasions to try and get it started. Nope nothing wouldn't stay running. Finally on the third day it started right up early morning on the first try. So I drove it home let it sit in the driveway. Went out the next day about 6:30 pm and same thing start die start die start die. Went back out 9:30 and it started back up without a problem. Let it run for 4 minutes or so. Shut it off. Then started it back up and the same start die start die. Next day around lunch time it started up and we drove it straight to the mechanic shop where it sits out in the parking lot. The mechanic goes out every couple hours and trys and guess what it starts up every single time.

 

SO I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!! before I set fire to this truck.

 

Anyone

 

Thanks

[L29er]

my truck would do the exact same thing, found a pinched wire under the fuse box, have the mechanic pull it out and look underneath, mine was a reather large red wire and was pinched if you wiggled it it would start, cut it and patched it and has started every time for over 6 months. easy to check anyways.

[98 silverado]

anyone please help..........truck has been sitting at mechanic shop for a week.

[bill190]

I'm not a GM tech and I don't have any wiring diagrams with which I could understand how your system works...

 

However from poking around on the internet, is seems the way this security feature works is by a "resistance" in the key you use to start the truck.

 

With electrical things there is "Off" or not connected. Or "On" which is connected.

 

But there is another "in-between" connection which is in the middle of off and on. This is a "resistance" and the key is part of this electrical connection.

 

If there is a poor connection to your key, the security would see "off" instead of the correct "in-between" connection.

 

If the key switch is worn or dirty or the electrical connections on the key are worn or dirty, then I imagine you could hit a bump in the road and the electrical connections would momentarily be lost.

 

Or perhaps there is a loose connection / wire and the connection is momentarily lost.

 

Anyway from what I have read, it seems this security feature always wants to see this "in-between" electrical connection? Someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

With that said, I seems to me a GM dealer would be most familiar with this system and problem. Is the mechanic you took the truck to a GM dealer?

 

Or is the key for the truck they have the same key you use? Perhaps it is the key which is causing this problem?

[98 silverado]

The key is a regular key with a chip. The key doesn't look worn. I do have another set of brand new keys that came with the truck.

 

where is the GM tech guy?

[Draenor]

The key is a regular key with a chip. The key doesn't look worn. I do have another set of brand new keys that came with the truck.

 

where is the GM tech guy?

Those keys were one of the worse things GM made. Clean the pill/chip. Try leaving it in the ignition with it "on" for 15 minutes. Turn it off and repeat. Then try starting. If. it doesnt work, your gonna need a new one.

[98 silverado]

There is NO chip. Just a plain key

[98 silverado]

bump

[Draenor]

The key is a regular key with a chip.

 

There is NO chip. Just a plain key

 

Which is it?

[98 silverado]

sorry........No chip. I should have reread what I wrote. Sorry

[bill190]

What I read is that the keys for this security system have a "resistor" in them and electrical contacts. I would not call this a "chip". A chip would send out some sort of code and may not depend on electrical contacts.

 

The resistor key would look something like this and the metal parts would be electrical contacts...

 

[Draenor]

sorry........No chip. I should have reread what I wrote. Sorry

Then it may be a ground on the system, or the ignition switch is bad.

 

 

 

What I read is that the keys for this security system have a "resistor" in them and electrical contacts. I would not call this a "chip". A chip would send out some sort of code and may not depend on electrical contacts.

 

The resistor key would look something like this and the metal parts would be electrical contacts...

 

Your correct, its actually not a chip. There is a way to bypass these with putting in a inline resistor.

[98 silverado]

YEAH my key looks nothing like this. Just a plain key

 

My truck is still at the mechanic shop.

 

I need to stop by and see what is going on.

 

It starts dies starts dies starts dies. Won't stay running. Sometimes you can go out and it's start up and run fine. But I don't trust it. I"ve already been stranded twice with this truck. Sometimes takes a good 45 minutes of rest time then will stay running. but this last time took 3 days of trying then stayed on.

 

 

Like I said before in the past as I was driving on the hi-way the security light would come on out of the blue. I don't know if this is related to the start die start die crap.

[bill190]

It is possible that you should be using that type of key.

 

Or someone modified it to bypass using that key and there is a problem with the modification or a loose connection.

 

I would read your owners manual and see what the security light is for.

 

Or go to a GM dealer and have them run your VIN to see what security system you have, what the security light is for, and how it works.