My 85 Grand Prix came with a Valet 556T remote start system. It's worked
fairly fine for a long time, but recently let me down.

First off, about 2 years ago, it would occasionally not start the fan when I
did a remote start. The car would start and warm up fine, but wouldn't blow
air.
I figured it was a bad connection, but I never found it.

About a month ago, the remote start didn't work. The remote entry worked
fine, so I know the unit and the FOBs were communicating. I just didn't
take the time to get in there. I'm not sure if the failure was total in
that it didn't even turn on the dash lights or not. The car just didn't
start.

Anyway, Wednesday night I went to the store and came home. Locked the car
with the remote. Thursday morning, went out, unlocked the car with the
remote, put my key in, and it won't start. The dash comes alive, but no
starter. I've looked under the dash and pulled down the harness and can't
spot anything obvious.

As near as I can figure, the Valet unit when it's installed on a car with
VATS (the resistor keys) they cut the line to the key cylinder and put in a
relay so that when the unit isn't active the security system reads your key,
but when the remote start is active the unit triggers the relay and the
system sees a resistor that's picked from a kit that the dealer has.

Due to my symptoms, I'm beginning to suspect something around the relay. I
mean, if the Valet was pulled out, the relay should still have left the key
work for manual start.

But I haven't found the relay yet. It must be tucked WAY up in there. And
I'm going to have to separate the bundle to trace the wires. It's a real
rats nest up there behind the dash.

Anyway....

Has anyone had any issues with the Valet system? Or know of any other
possible failures that this might be?

Just to be quick, I may get up in there and once I find the relay, just pull
it out and jumper across the wires to the key cylinder.

Mike

Sorry, it's a Valet 552T

"Mike Y" <joe (AT) user (DOT) com> wrote

Mike Y wrote:

Before assuming it's the remote causing problems, I'd have someone put
a volt meter across the wire going to the starter. If that's the
original starter in the car, in all probability it's gone bad.

--
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_september

I would suggest you take the car to a competent technician with the proper
equipment to analyze and correct your problem before you get caught in an
unsafe area some night.


"Michael Golden" <gfy (AT) bkbusa (DOT) com> wrote

Well, I tracked it down...

What had me confused was that the 'two failures' in a row. The remote start
failing then later the key start.

I ripped into under the dash and discovered a plug pulled partly out. But
that still shouldn't have caused the key to fail.

So... It was the starter...

Now I just have about 50 feet of wiring to bundle up and stuff back up under
the dash...

Mike

"Mike Y" <joe (AT) user (DOT) com> wrote