have lost the keys to this car..it was originally a theft recovery when I bought it so the column was switched from another car..any easy way or bypass to get around system..or a easy at home way to determin the resistance code of the vehicle..any help appreciated..Thanks

Well if you've got the time & know-how......here'* the VATS Resistance Pelet Codes!
http://www.bonnevilleattitude.com/fo...a4de49bd570f92
Here'* a post thread on getting rid of VATS too.
http://www.bonnevilleattitude.com/fo...a4de49bd570f92

You can also get some help from the dealer. They can look your car up and issue you new keys with the right pellet.

thanks for the responses...I don't have the key so I can't measure the resistance of the old one..I 'm hoping to find a way to determine what key resistance value is requrired from the vehicle...I can't get the ignition code for the key from the dealer because I don't have the VIN of the car the column came out of..door/trunk I can get from my VIN ..thanks

just kept reading one of the posts in the link you sent..about the vats module...if I grab another column from work, with the keys and the vat module from that car ..would I be able to swap all that in...Someone told me that something was built into the wiring that looked for the matching resistance in the key...I'm thinking he was wrong...can't see GM building 15 diferent dash harnesses to match the key values..Thanks again

I don't think the resistance sensor is in the column. I think what you need are the keys that came with the original column, but swap in the resistor that belongs with your car.

There'* nothing built into the wiring-it'* all the same

What it does is use the resistor in the key to run a check for the VATS module--wrong resistance, no worky

I just read thru the factory manual for my 96, and there is a dealer tool for figuring out which resistor it should be--it'* just a box that allows them to try all the different values. You could do the same thing by unplugging the harness at the column, and inserting resistors from radio shack till you found the right value--use the list that DeathRat posted for the values you need. Radio shack sells a big-*** collection of resistors for around 12 bucks that would work great. Just remember that if you need to combine resistors to get the proper value, they need to be in series, not parallel.

It would be time consuming, but you'd eventually figure it out--and if you left the resistor in the circuit, it wouldn't matter what key you used, as it would just over-ride the security system.

Right; the steering column switch contains only the contacts to complete the circuit through the pellet in the key. From there, an orange "wire" (actually a sleeve containing two small white wires) goes down the column to the VATS module elsewhere (don't remember where offhand). That module looks at the resistance value of the circuit through the key, and decides whether it'* the right value to enable the starter relay and fuel pump.

So the short answer is that swapping the steering column won't affect which key resistance value is the right one for that car; that'* determined by the VATS module. I don't know what the official procedure is for determining the correct value, but the trial-and-error procedure would involve opening up the column to get at the wires where they connect to the switch, and using jumpers of different resistance values (the 15 possible values) to see which one allows the starter to crank.

I have a feeling that the dealer has a more straightforward way to do it but I don't know what it is. I can try looking in the service manuals, too, when I get a chance...

???

I only see 13 there. The BulldogSecurity VATS bypass manual lists 15:

http://www.bulldogsecurity.com/pdf/Model781.pdf

(See the table on the fifth page of the PDF manual.)

My list is from GM Canda! I think it may be the difference between Passlock I & Passlock II systems though. :?
Well GM did & didn't actually. The wiring harness is the exact same for all steering colums with the exact same options, BUT, the VATS module is different for every Resistor Pelet Code though!
Jim'* right on again. You can either get the Dealer to tell you what Resistor code you'll need, or you can do it by trial & error with the different resistors.