TIA for your wisdom.
Purchased 2005 2.4 MT for project car with bad engine (jumped timing). It came with one key. It did run when I got it, with frequent misfires.
Just finished the engine swap and went to start it up. Crank…no start. It DID randomly start and run once for about 2 seconds before stalling, when I had one spark plug out. Diagnosing this showed good fuel, compression, but no spark on any cylinders. No power to ignition coils. I was checking fuses and relays when I read about green key symbol/immobilizer system. I DID have a flashing green key on the dash with key in ON.
So I go to programming mode (key ON, press lock, key off, x4) and cranked it…and it started! Great, problem solved with zero new parts. Let it run for a few minutes, turned off, cleaned garage. Couple hours later I’m ready to run it longer, so I crank…and crank and crank…no start. Once again, no power to ignition coils. This time there is NOT a green key flashing on the dash. For that matter, the green key on start-up showing that the immobilizer system is live is also not showing up.
I tried programming the key a couple more times, no good. Thinking the root problem might be in the key, I notice that the red LED turns on when any button is pressed, but nothing else happens—lock, unlock, panic, trunk; no response. The master lock button in the car does work though.
I checked the fuse for the immobilizer system, it’s good.
may be relevant—car has been sitting 8 months during engine swap. I have no rodents in my garage, so it’s not a new rodent issue.
possibilities I’m contemplating: immobilizer circuit in the car has some intermittent failure. If that’s the case, I would prefer to bypass it entirely at least as a stop-gap.
or, the chip in the key is damaged/dying. Maybe it was good before but didn’t like sitting around for 8 months. I think this is separate from key fob battery, so would maybe mean getting a new key. And paying a mobile car locksmith to set it up.
thoughts? Theories? Other things I should try before getting new key programmed, or bypassing immobilizer system?
Purchased 2005 2.4 MT for project car with bad engine (jumped timing). It came with one key. It did run when I got it, with frequent misfires.
Just finished the engine swap and went to start it up. Crank…no start. It DID randomly start and run once for about 2 seconds before stalling, when I had one spark plug out. Diagnosing this showed good fuel, compression, but no spark on any cylinders. No power to ignition coils. I was checking fuses and relays when I read about green key symbol/immobilizer system. I DID have a flashing green key on the dash with key in ON.
So I go to programming mode (key ON, press lock, key off, x4) and cranked it…and it started! Great, problem solved with zero new parts. Let it run for a few minutes, turned off, cleaned garage. Couple hours later I’m ready to run it longer, so I crank…and crank and crank…no start. Once again, no power to ignition coils. This time there is NOT a green key flashing on the dash. For that matter, the green key on start-up showing that the immobilizer system is live is also not showing up.
I tried programming the key a couple more times, no good. Thinking the root problem might be in the key, I notice that the red LED turns on when any button is pressed, but nothing else happens—lock, unlock, panic, trunk; no response. The master lock button in the car does work though.
I checked the fuse for the immobilizer system, it’s good.
may be relevant—car has been sitting 8 months during engine swap. I have no rodents in my garage, so it’s not a new rodent issue.
possibilities I’m contemplating: immobilizer circuit in the car has some intermittent failure. If that’s the case, I would prefer to bypass it entirely at least as a stop-gap.
or, the chip in the key is damaged/dying. Maybe it was good before but didn’t like sitting around for 8 months. I think this is separate from key fob battery, so would maybe mean getting a new key. And paying a mobile car locksmith to set it up.
thoughts? Theories? Other things I should try before getting new key programmed, or bypassing immobilizer system?