GMC Repair: Pontiac Grand Am Theft system, gm dealership, autohelp

Question
My daughter has a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am.  There has been a problem with the theft system shutting the car off a few seconds after you start it.  We have taken it to a GM garage and they can't figure it out.  It usually resets itself in a couple of days.  There are lights that will flash on the dash and when it stops flashing then you can usually restart it after it has sat for awhile.  We figured out that if you start the car in neutral instead of park that it over rides the system and doesn't cause any problems, so this is what she has been doing for several months without any problems.  Well about 3 days ago she took it to have the oil changed and told the guy to start it in neutral not park. He assumed she thought it wouldn't start in park so he tried it. Of course it started, then died and we haven't been able to get it started since.  The light on the dash won't even flash.  Do you have any idea how we can get it started again and do you have any ideas how to fix this problem so it will quit happening?  

Answer
Naturally I would like to have the vehicle in order to perform some basic testing, but this is quite impossible.

The FIRST item I would look at is the NEUTRAL STARTER SAFETY SWITCH which is usually located under the dash mounted on top of the steering column.

If it is a FLOOR SHIFT vehicle it would be located in the console next to the gear shift lever or possibly at the transmission selector shaft IF it is an automatic transmission.

Next would be to run some tests on the theft system and WHY the GM dealership can't figure it out, Does not say much for their technicians.

maybe I should come out of semi-retirement with all of the CAN'T FIX IT questions I get.

These are basic SIMPLE problems that are easily fixed, I just don't understand WHY they make them so difficult.


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