It's been awhile since I have had a j-body but just acquired a 98 Sunfire GT 2.4 Auto...Forgot how much I missed these cars. Anyway I have a few issues I need to iron out...

ETS OFF: Will not engage, from my research I have gathered this is most likely due to a faulty abs wheel speed sensor, I have no CEL, I have not been able to locate a testing procedure for these sensors, does anyone know of a way to pinpoint for sure which sensor may be at fault?

Anti Theft Light: bear with me here and I will try to lead you down the rabbit hole...OK car starts and runs fine, it has had the ignition lock replaced. ATL is on solid, never flashes, I have tried the 10 minute relearn twice with no luck, for a little more info things are pretty not normal....there is no door lock switch or solenoid(i dont hear one anyway) on the driver side door, passenger side has switch and solenoid. driver kick panel has been replaced with a non electric trunk version and a toggle switch wired in, this switch runs back to the black wire coming from the module on the drivers side shock tower. When the switch is "on" after about a 1-2 second delay both the trunk and passenger side door solenoids engage to release the door lock and the trunk at the same time. In addition I recieved a non functioning key fob but there is no jumper connector in the trunk to put the keyless entry into learning mode. Any chance the lack of equipment in the door or the splicing into the black wires could be causing a fault in the TDM?

One last thing that I want to figure out...the rear seat "release strap" has been removed or is otherwise non existant...I would like to get the seat open but cannot remember well enough the function of the latch...any suggestions to getting it open? I can get finger/screwdriver/pliers in there but cant really feel how to release it.
Thanks in advance

Looks like I need to update my sig...

Ok last night I got to thinking on the theft light problem, maybe the learn procedure was not being triggered or completing properly, since the engine would run I never actually turned the key to crank, and I believe that is what kinda starts everything. So this morning i pulled the fp/inj fuse in the dash, cranked the engine then let it sit for 15 minutes...Theft light remained lit, so I attempted 2 more times thinking maybe it needed the 30 minute method 20 second wait between each crank/sit cycle and still no luck.

At least its in a failed-enabled state so i can drive it but afraid that might just change at some point and I will end up stranded somewhere.

Does anyone know if the factory service manual second revision goes into the passlock system diagnostics at all? I found one on ebay but don't want to throw money at it just to find out it will not help me for this particular issue..

for the theft light, try just turning the key to the on position without cranking it for 15-20 minutes (had to do this for my 01 z24) could work possibly ?

"If one day the speed kills me, do not cry because I was smiling." - Paul Walker

I will give it another go with the key just in the run position for a good 20 minutes tommorow, would do it tonight...started to and noticed my lic plate lights were on with the key in run, its pretty rainy right now and don't want to have the charger hooked up in this garbage. We have barely seen any rain this year, I get a new car and it just pours go figure...I think i will also double check the passlock module for a short just to be safe.

Wow it sounds like the wiring in this car is all messed up. Do you know who the previous owner was? They might be able to tell you more about what they messed with that started these problems.



"In Oldskool we trust"

Unfortunatly the previous owner is of little help, about all I could get out of them was paperwork for some work they had done in the time they had it...which have nothing to do with the problems at hand. I think I am going to start by getting the lock solenoid, door switch, and trunk switch back to stock, I am kinda thinking maybe about picking up a pcm if i can find one, just incase something is going bad in there. I did come across a relay under the hood that "shouldnt" be there third party wiring and everything...going to trace that out today and see if i can figure out what it is running I wouldnt be the least be surprised if it is somehow bypasing the anti-theft stuff but more suspect it is related to the cooling fan. I was also thinking about trying the "resistor" trick on the passlock module to see if I can trigger a relearn, but I might be better off to start looking for continuity failures in the wiring between the cluster, pcm and pass lock module...I know one thing is for sure...It wont beat me

I wonder if a can-bus scan tool would read out the Anti-Theft DTC

Is the car shifting HARD. If so the trac off light might be the intake air temp sensor.

I'm betting that someone installed a bypass module from an alarm to get the car to run...and that is why the theft light is on.




PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO

Going off memory from my previous jbodies I wouldnt say its shifting "hard" but from 1-2, 2-3 is noticeable where 3-4 is super smooth almost no feel to the shift at all, only notice drop in rpms at speed, looks like I might have some decent weather today so ill really tear into under the dash and this electrical problems. Wouldn't IAT cause a CEL as well?

Possibly it would but hopefully it isn't a wiring issue and is just something stupid and my way of doing the relearn could work.. Best of luck...

"If one day the speed kills me, do not cry because I was smiling." - Paul Walker

In process of the relearn now, Just did some checking and the relay under the hood is wired up as a starter relay...havent really traced things out but when pulled the engine will not crank...stuff is running down into looms so i need to do some checking on that but if I am not mistaken the theft system does not lead to a no crank situation just no fuel, but I could be wrong...this is going to turn into a nightmare i am sure, I also pulled the kick panel on drivers side there is no harness for the electric trunk wiring to the "toggle" that is there is just speaker wire running back to the trunk.

Sounds like you're on the right track. My plan would be to get it all back to stock. It sounds like someone put a stupid alarm system in it and really messed things up. I wouldn't bother picking up any computers yet, it sounds like a wiring issue. Definitely don't get a pcm, these are bcm related problems mostly.



"In Oldskool we trust"

lol another update smh....ok its definately bypassed somehow just havent found it yet...I completely disconnected the passlock wiring and it made no change, at least under the column there is no "resistor" bypass installed, all the wiring from the ignition is wrapped up tight in tape like from the factory, I havent pulled anything from the upper dash to see if there is anything under there,
I didn't think the 98's had a BCM, I could be wrong but if there is where would it be located?
Oddly enough....when I pulled the column apart i pulled the airbag fuse, disconnected the airbags and when I turned the key to "run" my ETS OFF light was off....of course as soon as I started it up it came back on. Getting where I am not to worried about the antitheft for a bit but want to address some of the other issues like the ets, looks like the coolant level sensor is bad, I will probably end up ordering factory service manuals in hopes that it will have much more detailed schematics.

im gonna say the bcm would be under the dash, close to the clutch pedal, thats where my 01, 03 are... just a shot in the dark on that one lol

"If one day the speed kills me, do not cry because I was smiling." - Paul Walker

No bcm in a 98...00-05 only.

Jerry Barr wrote:I didn't think the 98's had a BCM, I could be wrong but if there is where would it be located?

Reading > me. Didn't realize it was a 98.



"In Oldskool we trust"

Y3llowCav wrote:

Jerry Barr wrote:I didn't think the 98's had a BCM, I could be wrong but if there is where would it be located?

Reading > me. Didn't realize it was a 98.

Lol Reading > You

This hacked up alarm system > ME lmbo

I gave up for the time being on the alarm anyway I have bigger fish to fry...like comfy seats, replacing the coolant reservoir so the stupid coolant level light will go away and getting that ETS OFF light sorted, pretty sure that one is going to be a wheel speed sensor, but we will see. Prolly going to jack it up today and crawl under there and see whats whats.

Thanks for all the input everyone...this is not a dead issue but will be on the back burner for a few days