Cadillac Repair: 1991 El Dorado PASS system, tilt column, card keys

Question
QUESTION: Car will not start after waiting the 3 minute period or even the next day. Problem is the PASS system. Tried two different keys and still no start.

Please Advise

Don Clark

ANSWER: Don,
What makes you think the Pass-Key system is the problem? Are you getting a "Pass-Key Fault" or "Security" warning light on the dash?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Yes, I get the security warning on the dash board. Gives me a 3 minute wait. Tried it several times with two card keys. Still does not start.

Answer
Okay Don,
Stupid question but, you KNOW the keys are ones that have previously worked on this car, right? If they are the right keys, I'm going to make an educated guess that you have a broken wire in the steering column (very common) but you need to verify that. Before we go that far, let's make sure it's not simply a dirty key or lock cylinder. Clean off the key where the resistor contacts are. Then see if you can clean the contacts in the lock cylinder. One last resort would be to try starting it with the tilt column in a different position (the break could be intermittent due to tilt column movement). After all that, you'll have to measure the resistance of the key (measured across the resistor pellet), and then compare that to the reading you'll get along various parts of the circuit from the column all the way back to the VATS module.