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Whats Wrong With My Car!?!?!?

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Old Oct 7, 2005 | 10:48 PM
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Unhappy Whats Wrong With My Car!?!?!?

Ok, heres how it goes. I get back from Iraq, and my father tells me that 3 days before I got back, he couldn't get the car to start. Note that he has been letting it run for at least 15 minutes a week, and driving it once every two weeks for about a half mile to 3/4s. This was done for 7 months. So, 3 days before I get back, my car takes a **** evidentally.
What we first thought was the fuel pump crapped out. It wasn't kicking on, we weren't getting any fuel pressure through the fuel rail, car wasn't firing. Must be the fuel pump! So, a new fuel pump, fuel filter, and access panel later, the fuel pump still doesnt kick on. Oh boy, what is going on here, right? So, we start the obligatory cursing and scratching our heads. We then got a friend, who is a Trans Am enthusiast as well, to bring out his code scanner, just in case. He doesn't pick anything up of course. So we call up a guy who has some kind of wild diagnostic scanner or whatever. It traces the car's electrical system or something, and he determines that the PCM is dead. Great. A new PCM, towing my car to the dealership, installing and programming later, the car still doesn't fire. Fuel pump still doesnt run, and whatever else is wrong with the car is still wrong, obviously. So, cursing and scratching ensues once more.
Now, what we've been doing is ripping out the dash, the carpet, and everything else removeable and tracing wires for a short, and break, and burn, melt, chewing, whatever! So yeah, a day later, we still have nothing to go on. We found nothing. What we're thinking now is maybe its something in the steering column. Yeah, we are definately at our wits end with this car. My wallet especially.
So, I ask, does anyone have any insight....AT ALL. I'm open to just about anything. I'm home for 10 days on leave, and I really need my car to be healthy again, but we have no idea what could be wrong. We're down to tracing wiring schematics and ****, sucking back massive amounts of coffee and smoking like freight trains. PLEASE HELP!!
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Old Oct 7, 2005 | 11:45 PM
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This may be a stupid question, but have you pulled every fuse and relay from your fuse boxes (both underhood ones, and the one in your dash) to see if any have blown? That probably would have been the first thing you did, but just wanted to make sure.
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Old Oct 8, 2005 | 12:17 AM
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What is the security LED on the dash doing?
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Old Oct 8, 2005 | 09:56 AM
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Yeah, we pulled all the fuses first thing. A few of them had a little bit of film on the prongs, but we cleaned 'em all up and put them back. The security LED, I'm not sure. I haven't paid it much mind. I'm not sure if I remember what it supposed to do in the first place. I haven't been in or around a F-body (let alone my own) in about 8 months, so I've forgotten a lot of basic things like that.
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Old Oct 8, 2005 | 11:26 AM
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If your security light is flashing or staying on...thats the problem.
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Old Oct 8, 2005 | 01:58 PM
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Yeah, yellow SECURITY light on the dash is flashing. What do I do now?
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Old Oct 8, 2005 | 10:52 PM
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get a new key... lol. or thats what i read on another thread...
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Old Oct 8, 2005 | 10:55 PM
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Yeah, I think I have it narrowed down to either: A. a new key, or B. a new ignition cylinder. Hopefully its the key.
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Old Oct 9, 2005 | 02:46 AM
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Are you in DFW? I can turn off that ******* security!

Go to Ace hard ware...ten bucks! Lot better than 40 at the dealer!!! Also, gonna take the fuel pump back?
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Old Oct 9, 2005 | 12:53 PM
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DFW?

No, I'm leaving the fuel pump in there. I figure, might as well have a strong new pump for the cam.
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Old Oct 9, 2005 | 04:33 PM
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Just for S&Gs, have you tried your spare key?
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Old Oct 9, 2005 | 05:24 PM
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I wish I had a spare...
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Old Oct 9, 2005 | 05:41 PM
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find someone with hp tuners to see if they can turn off the security to the pcm
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Old Oct 9, 2005 | 05:43 PM
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I could do that, but then what would I do about security? I like the factory alarm.
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Old Oct 9, 2005 | 09:30 PM
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factory alarm will still work, its the passkey feature that'll be disabled with hp tuners.
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Old Oct 9, 2005 | 10:57 PM
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Ohhh, alright then. I'll see what I can do about that then. But in case I can't round up anyone nearby, what other options do I have?
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Old Oct 9, 2005 | 11:07 PM
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test the resistor in the key if you can. also try cleanin it with contact cleaner(electrical, not eye)
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Old Oct 9, 2005 | 11:25 PM
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Already tried cleaning it, as well as the inside of the ignition cylinder. We got a lot of crud off them both, but still no dice. The chip in the key is a tad loose, it kind of wiggles. So naturally, I'm hoping a new key will solve my troubles. But who knows.
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Old Oct 13, 2005 | 09:11 PM
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any new update?
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Old Oct 14, 2005 | 01:44 AM
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DFW= dallas fort worth area

I have Hptuners for 98, and your year, 99.

That security is ******* retarded, I turned it off in my 98 T/A.

What area are you from?

And I assume you went back to IRAQ (sucks there!!!) since you havent posted in a while.
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