Pontiac Repair: Security problems 2004 Grand Am, engine cranks, pontiac dealers

Question
I recently purchased a 2004 Grand Am 3.4ltr Ram Air GT.  The car came with a Valet 554T remote start/Alarm.  According to the dealership that was installed as an upgrade at the dealership (when the car was purchased new), but by a contracted company.  I noticed from the 3rd day I had it that the remote start does not always start the car... the engine cranks but does not fire.  I also occasionally have the same problem trying to start the car with the key.. but if I hold the key long enough, it eventually starts up.  A week ago, I went to start the car with the remote and it did not start, when I went to start with the key.. Nothing happened.  The car had power, lights on the dash, radio everything worked but the starter would not engage at all.  The dealership told me the Passlock went bad and replaced it.  Since then, the security light comes on.. only while driving the car (does not blink)... and only when I used the remote start to start the car (so far).  The dealership that replaced the passlock told me I need to take the car to a remote start place and reffered me to the place that installed my system.  I've read hundreads of complaints about the passlock problem online and I'm concerned that this is a problem with the car itself and not the alarm.  I've also read that if the remote start is installed "properly" on my car the security light will remain on all the time.  I'm so confused and feel like a ping pong between Pontiac dealers and alarm companies.  The alarm complany told me not to use the remote start to start the car and that will stop the security light from coming on (I've only used the car 5 times since then and so far they are correct)until my appointment on Monday.  I'm concerned my fuel pump is going bad, but have read this could be from the pass lock as well.  I believe my alarm needs to be re-programed due to a few issues when it does go off.. but I'm not convinced that the alarm/remote start is the real problem with the security light coming on the dash.  Could you please shed some light on this issue.  Just to clarify, I have 2 issues.  1)car cranks for an unreasonably long time before starting.... sometimes having to hold the key for up to 10 seconds to start. 2)Security light on dash comes on after a new Passlock was installed, only when car is in operation... and it comes on after aprox 30 minutes of driving.

Answer
Hey Sheri:

First off get rid of the remote starter all together! I know people like them but they are ALL piece of garbage and to top it off most of them are installed poorly by minimum wage "kids" so you have a piece of crap alarm alarm/remote starter that's been installed shotty! I'm not a fan in case you couldn't tell. Most of the time the systems are really cheap to buy and have them installed and the F&I department at the dealership marks the price up a lot to make a quick couple of bucks. and the service department has to deal with problem after they made all the money on it in the first place. I have see way way WAY to many issues with these systems. when one of these systems is installed the factory system is more than likely been bypassed any way so the factory pass lock system isn't hooked up In most cases the sensor has been bypassed by either a cheap resistor set up or by a little black box to mimic the security system from the factory. so back to square one have it disconnect and the wiring to the sensor hooked back up by soldering the wires back together and not using wire connectors. You may very well have an issue with the sensor in the ignition lock housing but you will not know until it's hooked back up and the vehicle theft deterant relearned to the sensor. enough on that. As for the long crank to start it could be any number of things but more than likely a fuel pressure concern. Something as simple as a plugged or restricted fuel filter or a fuel pump that the pressure is bleeding back down into the tank once the key is turned off. You could have a pump that's slow to build up pressure on the initial "prime" when the key is first turned on. You could have a leaking fuel injector which will #1 "load up" the engine and also bleed off the pressure. You could have some kind of a power feed issue off the ignition switch see part one of this answer about the remote starter. I would not lean towards an ignition "spark" problem it's more like a fuel issue from the way you have described the problem. One last though on the security light issue I have seen in a few cases just a few though that the BCM Body control module has had water dripping into the connectors and causing a multitude of issues including a no start It take 2 minutes to pull it down and just double check that to make sure it's not the problem. Hope it helps and good luck :)