Alarm Glitch Help (car won't start)

So this happens from time to time but recently its been happing a lot. For the past 3 days I have had to spend 1.5hours trying to start my car because of an ignition lock issue.

I had a cheap alarm added to my car about 4 years ago and in the cold it goes into an anti theft mode. I put the key in and when I turn it a light flashes on my dash letting me know it won't start. Once the light stops flashing I can usually just take the key out and try again and it works, but because of the intence cold where I life it hasn't even let me do that.

I was told by our local stereo installer (futureshop... yes thats all we have) that its because I do not have a remote start in the car. Their fix is to install a new alarm system with remote start, but its $400 and I am a student, so money is tight. My question is does the remote start really seem like a possible problem to this issue? I am willing to get it all installed but ONLY if it solves my issue 100%...

Its on my 05 Saturn Ion Sedan

Thanks

Adam

I know on older remote starts/alarms they needed to use a chip out of the key (if you have a chipped key which im sure you do) to bypass the antitheft. but on an alarm system you shouldnt need that. When you disarm the system it should turn the factory security system off. To me it sounds like the alarm is getting outdated and it would be time to upgrade or take it out. Its your call and hope some of this info will help

Low temperatures increase the strain on your battery, starting and charging system therefore tends to bring out any weaknesses in these components. I don't know how cold it is where you are at but freezing temperatures can also sap the battery's ability to supply amps. At 0 degrees F, most batteries can only deliver about 65% of their normal cranking amps. At -20 degrees, battery power is cut in half so with that in mind, if the theft/security light flashing when your car won't start. You could have a weak battery or corrosion on the battery cables causing a low voltage condition.
Good luck hope this helps :TUP:
-H

Artstart,

On your saturn you have type of passlock gm system. If you oem anti-theft light flashes, it has no corrolation with your alarm or a remotestart, unless you also have factory alarm(unlikely) and the factory alarm disarm wire is not seeing signal from aftermarket alarm. In which case you can aleviate that issue b simply unlocking your car with your factory remote. It sounds like you chip in your key or the car side of the passlock system is having problems. So putting a rs on it wont help anything, bc it too will require ur system to read the keycode either through a immobilizer bypass module(xk06 or flcan for your car ) or a 556u which would hold a spare key in it. I would try another key if you have it, and if not, visit your local gm dealer to diag it for you. The way gm passlock systems work, if it sees a false start(no proper keycode) three times, you get locked out for 45 mins.

--dlp
mecp advanced installer
bby 687

there was no factory alarm for my car, just a normal key (no chip). It did come with power locks, but you activated those with a switch in the car.

Thats odd you dont have anything. So the light that flashes is the led for the alarm? If so you may want to check the relay and wiring for a starter kill. Most alarms have a starter kill relay that requires the starter wire to be severed and wired through the relay. If this is the case, you can cut the wire loose from the relay and reconnect it like factory. But from what i can tell on directtechs, ur car has resistor based key through the white and the white/black wires on your ign harness. Good luck.

--dlp

to be strait with you, every shop I ever worked at would not add to or trouble shoot alarms that we didn't carry are selves. There are good reasons: you said your self its a "cheep alarm". with cheep alarms comes intermittent and unusual problems that are hard to trace. Different brands use different colors for the same wires so an experienced tech is going to have to spend more time to trace the wires witch could run upwards of what a new piece of hardware would run. Another good reason is the programing procedures, you could have unknowingly entered the program mode and changed a setting but if the tech doesn't know how to reset the defaults on your brand and doesn't know what those defaults are, he could chase his tail forever. Most alarms are not expensive, its the labor your are paying for, because of that its almost always keeper t rip the old one out and wire in a new one them try do diagnose an issue

--------------------------------------------

david lee said:

Thats odd you dont have anything. So the light that flashes is the led for the alarm? If so you may want to check the relay and wiring for a starter kill. Most alarms have a starter kill relay that requires the starter wire to be severed and wired through the relay. If this is the case, you can cut the wire loose from the relay and reconnect it like factory. But from what i can tell on directtechs, ur car has resistor based key through the white and the white/black wires on your ign harness. Good luck.

--dlp

--------------------------------------------

most modern remote start alarms do not have an external start kill relay since the starter wire has to be tapped for remote start anyways

Its the light on the dash, not the alarm it self. I think I may just get a new one installed and have the shop just take out the old one (which they said they would do)