I'm putting this in the 2002 Impala site, and also sent it to the 2005 site, since most seems to have been written about here and since I went to this 2002 description most to read about my problem. My vehicle is a 2005 Impala.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION. IT WORKS FOR US.

A Solution that Worked for Us. Pass Lock, Security Light Problem.

Here's a solution that worked for us and might for others who have had this problem. Background: Bought a 2005 Impala in May. After about 100 miles of driving, the Security Light started coming on intermittently. Then one day my wife went to start the car and no start. I tried it and no start. I did the 10 minute wait and it started. I reported the problem on this site, but read other sites as well. I wrote to the individual who said he had a two minute fix on post #77 of 2002 complaints but he never responded. I had decided to have the lock cylinder and key replaced, but also decided to try all kinds of things first. And I found something that worked. I got into the car, put the key in, turned it to ON, but NOT to start. I let all the seat belt dinging sound stop as well as a slight electrical or mechanical sound in the column. No more sound. Then I turned the key to START. No more Security Light problem since for either of us. We have driven hundreds of miles just to see if something would happen. Stopped on the open road, drove 100 miles in one stretch, etc. THIS WORKS FOR US. So here it is in short:

1. Get in the car and shut the door. 2. Don't do anything except put the key in the lock and turn it to the ON position. 3. Let all the sounds do their thing and come to a stop. QUIET. 4. Turn the Key to START and start the engine.

It works for us and maybe it will for you.

Update from Jul 16, 2009: I wrote to this site almost a year ago. I offered a partial soultion which you can find as #85. Some people worte me and said that it helped, but others who wrote said that it didn't. Now I am writing to offer information on what was for us an absolute solution to the problem. Here is the site you will need to go to: http://alarmtek.tripod.com/CARALARMS.html. This company makes available a system that bypasses the security system in order for a remote start system to be installed. This bypass system is contained in a small rectangular box about 2x3 inches. It is actually made in Canada, but Alarmtek is a Florida company that handles them here in the US. By having this bypass installed, the result is that your security system is bypassed, thus enabling you to avoid the problems that we have been having. It is designed for the purpose of remote start, but that doesn't matter, because it solves the passlock problem many of us have had.

I decided to give it a try since I had inquired about other solutions that many have written about here, and found that I would have to start with key cylinder replacement, etc., but might not solve the problem in the end. I called Alarmtek and talked to a very helpful employee. He assured me that this should solve my problem. I ordered the bypass which came with a number of colored wires. I also received by email some directions that were car specific for my 2005 Impala. I did as suggested, took the bypass to my auto tech/mechanic who installed it. It cost about $100 and might have been less but for the fact that my key/lock is on the dash and not on the column.

The result? Absolutely no more problems. The security light does not come on when it is not supposed to. There is no need to wait to start the car, no need to wait until all the sounds have disappeared as I previously suggested, etc. There is no problem. I even got regular metal keys and can use those as back-ups, although I still can use the keyless/remote opening as before.

This was installed on September 30, 2008. I decided to wait until nearly a year had passed to be sure that there would not be any lagging probelms, and there hasn't been a single one.

As I said before, my vehicle is a 2005 Impala, but I had put my inital post here because it seemed that there were more 2002 behicles that had the problem.

Do the Alarmtek thing! Call them; talk to them. This bypass works for a wide variety of GM vehicles even though the ad may not mention them specifically.

Now it's like we have a new Impala. No start up problems at all, and it's my wife who uses the Impala.

RS

Car would not start when turning key in ignition. Happened to us a couple times. Once at a self-serve gas station, wife got out of car to pump and had left the keys in the ignition. wouldn't start for about 10 minutes no matter what she did... it seemed to have tripped some security delay timer. We have noticed if you leave the keys in the ignition this tends to happen more. I have not had this re-occur for about 8 months by implementing the following habits (maybe I'm just lucky)

1. Never leave the keys in the ignition

2. Always turn the key completely off before pulling out (the key can be pulled out of the slot slightly before the off position)

Here is my story with a happy ending.

So I am aware of the passlock system but am looking for some more precise directions. Here is the story. Nieces car- She drives it home with no problems, gets in it the next morning and the key will not turn. I go and get a key and tumblers for it which also has the pass lock 3 wire sensor on it. I get that installed and it won't crank, security light flashing 3 times then battery light, back to security and so on. I let it set for ten minutes and the security light is no longer flashing but is steady, still alternating between security and battery light. Try to start it, still no crank and the security light goes back to blinking.So I read where this ten minute thing needs to be done 3 times, try that same result. Try the reset six times, try the E-brake set while doing it, door open, locked, unlocked, battery unhooked and rehooked after a minute, reaching through the window while on my knees and praying, etc. you get the point. Got the old key to turn in the old tumbler, put it back in and went through the resets and it does the same thing. Jump a screwdriver across the starter and it cranks fine. Next step is to haul the car to my house to work on it, just not sure what I am going to do once it is at my house.

So here is what I have done. I had hauled the car to my house to work on it rather than going to where it was at every night after work. I took the locking piece out from the old key and tumbler set that keeps the cylinder in place (normally the key must be in a certain position to release the cylinder) just in case the key locked up again and would not turn I could now pull the cylinder out at any time. I run the whole reset/reprogramming thing on the old key/cylinder. It works this time and when the key will turn, it starts and there are no security lights. I take the old key and cylinder out and put the new one in. The car starts but the security light is on steady. Stick the old one back in and it still starts with no security light. There are 3 wires (black, white and yellow) going to the passlock sensor, I cut the yellow and hook one end of my OHM meter to the yellow end coming from the cylinder and pierce the black wire with the other end for the OHM meter. At this point the car will still start but has the security light on and will not give me a constant reading so I put the car in reverse (won't start in reverse) and turn the key to the start position and hold it there. The meter slowly climbs to a steady .887K of resistance. I mention the slow climb because when the car was starting it would crank longer than I would expect before starting, in fact it cranked for about the same time it would take for the reading to settle. I do not know that much about resistors, normally if I need a resistor I just go to radio shack and find the one closest to my reading. The problem that I ran into is that they did not have anything that matched what I was looking for. So I buy an assortment of resistors for $12. There are literally hundreds in this bag. I plan on experimenting with resistors in series and twisting two together and such to get the correct resistance. I learn that by twisting two together you get roughly half the advertised resistance reading (some or many probably already know that but I did not). After testing numerous resistors with the meter I find one that reads 1.7??K, I twist two of those together and get a reading of .879K, close enough to the .887K a was looking for. So I strip some of the coating off of the black wire, not breaking it's connection to the cylinder. I hook one end of the resistors to the stripped section of black and the other end to the previously cut yellow wire (end going to the BCM this time, tape off end to cylinder). I solder these connections and tape everything. I did the reset of leaving the key on for ten minutes. Now with new key and cylinder it starts immediately and there are no security lights and I don't think there ever will be on this one anymore. All of the searching that I had done shows that the passlock system is a known problem on these cars, leaving people stranded until the 1/2 hour key reprogramming is done. This could be something that could be done to avoid that problem in the future. I have since performed this bypass on other vehicles with the same security system. Anyone that wants more advice to do this or lives close enough and wants me to do this can contact me by E-mail. shofner_aron_w@yahoo.com I will gladly perform this bypass for much less than what most have already paid the dealerships. Located in north/central Illinois. 61565 Aron S.

Just flat out embarrassing, really. I couldn't lend the car out to anyone, didn't want to risk stopping off at a convenience store on the way home from work for fear of it not wanting to start again. The occurance is completely random, and the remedy's are completely random. It's not a matter of doing things in a certain succession or waiting a certain amount of time. Problem is a loose connection at the terminal of the Body Control Module (BCM). Either simply needs to be cleaned or the BCM and opposing terminals needs to be replaced. Replacing relays, starter, ignition switches, etcetera won't solve the problem; it'll just waste your money.

Tell your mechanic to find GM Technical Service Bulletin #040847003 for instructions on how to fix this problem. FYI: GM will charge 200-500 bucks to fix this.

All I have to say is I am glad I am adding to this escapade. I drove my car literally out of the showroom and away I went!!! I absolutely LOVE this car and I have never had ANY problems with this car until now. Its roomy, great handling, sporty and great on gas for its size.

Lets reiterate now what everyone has said and my past experience, Check Engine light on one day off the next? No response from the ignition when you turn the key? Security Light Blinks or on one time then off the next? Dash lights blink on and off and then after the key sits in ignition for a minute all the dummy lights come on sometimes they blink Check Engine Soon, Service Traction System, Battery, Low Fuel, BUT, I have found that if all the lights come on the dash and the radio does NOT come on there really is no power to the car, as soon as that Radio comes back on you are in action!!! Or When you put the key in the ACC position you are getting a ticking noise from the passenger side fuse panel, I pulled those relays out and it didn't do anything, when car decided to start it started without the Battery Relay so no worries there its not the relay. I have taken the key out and back in several times no response from ignition. I have taken the key out of the ignition and the car would still be chiming like the key was in the ignition : ) I too have taken the battery out, unplugged computers, and the problem is intermittent!

This started happening about two weeks ago and its getting more frequent. From reading I heard there may have been hope to bypass the passlock. If you know of anyone who has had this done, PLEASE email me. I don't want to get rid of this car ITS PAID OFF FINALLY! Still love GM but not if they can't address the #1 thing wrong in the Impala category!!! Makes me look at that Foreign Competitor closer since they have almost forever warranty and I have never heard of anyone having problems that couldn't be fixed! Get off your A** GM and fix this! Count me in for a class action!

Finding this site through searches on the internet I am surprised by how many people have the same problem I did as far as the intermittent crank and waiting for 10 mins because of the passlock system failure. I want to thank all of the people for the valuable information. From all the reading I've done it looks like even the newer Impala's are having the same problem. Its a shame that Chevy is dancing around this issue and cannot fix this. I see alot of people spending alot of money and there problem is not fixed. Clearly this is a recall problem that even a blind man can see. However dealing with the same frustration that all of you had to endure I believe I have come up with a fix that worked for me. Ever since I did this fix I have not had the security light come on at all and my car has started fine now. I have not had the intermittent crank or the having to wait 10 mins to start the car. Also this fix is very easy and takes about 2 mins to do. The thing I find amazing is the fact that I am not GM certified and I fixed the problem that they should know. Now first of all Im not going to say that this fix is going to work 100% for everybody. It worked for me.

Ok so I'm another added to this list of owners whose Impala's have this stupid passlock problem. In short the security light comes on and I can't turn over the engine. Waiting 20 minutes and cycling the ignition a few times starts the car but its getting more frequent.

I visited the dealership a few days ago and they said "the sensor needs to be replaced". So yeah about 300 bucks...but wait there's more to this tale.

Months back there was only one issue with this car...it didn't like to start on the first try. Never though anything of it...just tried again and away I went. After doing some research I've found people who have had starter issues that have caused this passlock issue to arise. Apparently the wiring is bad with the starters...which I would agree as the starter works...just not the way it should. Anyway I'm going to look into the issue further...I refuse to pay hundreds of dollars for an electrical problem...thats ridiculous. I agree that there should be a recall for these issues as there's definitely enough of them.

My car would start only when it wanted to....sometimes without a glitch, then out of nowhere, I was stranded! There was no pattern, just random!! I tried everything my manual told me to try, including some extra stuff (holding my breath, finger in ear, foot on the ground-other one sticking out the window) you get the idea...nothing worked! Finally, I took it to someone who knew what they were doing (at the dealership), after taking it to someone who did not know what they were doing, and after he replaced the ignition and gave me the new keys(that was the most expensive part $95) I was home free!! Never happened again!! The other work did not cost but $50..I had a warranty!

What is up with the security light on this car? I have had the passlock sensor replaced 2 times already once under and extended warranty and the second time out of pocket, now 5 moths later after I had it fixed its broke down again due to the passlock sensor, sad part is my mechanic is going back and forth with Chevy to get the part replaced under warranty because its only been 5 months and Chevy wont do anything about it considering this is the 3rd repair in less then 3 years, If so many Chevy owners are having this problem why hasn't a class action suite been filed against Chevy, I mean come on its 400-600.00 a pop everytime it has to be replaced and its just not fair!!!!!

I purchased my Impala new and never had any issues until about 2005. We were driving home from a trip and the check engine light came on and stayed on for about 400 miles. We had to have it reset by the local auto store even though there were no error codes.

Then about a year later I drove about 10 miles to the bank, got out, went in, came back out within 5 minutes and my car would not start. I never noticed any lights coming on such as the security light. I called my husband and by the time he got there, it started. It has only done it 4 times since, usually at inconvenient times or locations such as at the gas station, at work at night on a very cold winter night, and twice in the garage when I needed to run errands.

I just noticed last year that the security light would come on and then go off. Sometimes it would stay on for a long time. I also noticed my Onstar lights started acting weird. One day the light on the right would be green, the next day it would be red. I would call Onstar to have them run a diagnostic check and they would always tell me that I had a bad connection in my Onstar antenna. I never had that checked out since I didn't plan to keep the Onstar much longer.

We have never spent any money to try to fix it. The dealer says they have never heard of it so why bother giving them money for nothing. They did say that it could be the chip in the key. I have tried both keys and that didn't seem to help.

We have found that if we wait 10 minutes, it usually starts right up. However, the most recent time (which happened to be on that cold winter night) I tried to start it when leaving work and it didn't start. I let it sit for 10 minutes and it didn't start. Then my husband suggested I take the key out and wait 10 more minutes. It didn't start that time either so he suggested that I put it in neutral and it started right up without waiting another 10 minutes. It has not happened since! We dropped our Onstar subscription in December. I wonder if that is somehow related? Or it could be that it is about to happen any day now.

We just purchased a new car in November. Guess what? It is not GM!! We purchased our first foreign car--a Nissan! There was no way we could bring ourselves to purchase another GM and we had decided a long time ago that we were finished with Ford after owning several with all kinds of problems.

I've been putting up with this for almost a year. The initial time it happened, I was stumped. Came in the house, got online and did a search for "starting issues with 2002 Chevy impalas". This site was a top hit, I checked it out and was very surprised at how many other people are putting up with this.

At time it does not start. I have to do the emergency brake routine. Sometimes the security light stays on sometimes not. Service engine light is on, sometimes not. Sometimes the security light stays on for the duration, sometimes not. Today I noticed that my security light is on and there is a "tick" noise coming from the passenger fuse box. Head lights blink in sync with the tick noise. Tick noise stops when I pull on my headlights. Now the A/C system likes to tick when I use it when the security light is on. If the security light is off, the the A/C works just fine.

I come from a GM family. Many relatives and friends have worked, still work or have retired from GM. I did my part to support the auto industry since is was falling so far behind in the competition by purchasing this car brand new. Sad to say, my next car will not be American. Sorry GM...the quality of the foreign cars is superior to our lack luster domestic models.