chev104275:
Technicians at a Suzuki dealership have tried repeatedly to program the third remote. They have also worked with a staff person at their side from probably the top mobile audio/security firm in town, and the one that installed the 3-rd party alarm system. They've also communicated with Suzuki Canada about this. You'd think there'd be a cheap gizmo that senses the fob's frequencies, and so detect compatibility or functionality issues.
Chris Luongo:
I'm under the strong impression that you're right in saying the Canadian '06 Grand Vitaras had an immobilizer. I'm not 100% sure, because the vehicle can be entered and started either with the presence of the fob, or by using the detachable key with the fob nowhere around**.
When I bought the car, the dealer did the insurance paperwork claimed it had an immobilizer (we get an insurance discount for it).
The '06 Grand Vitara sold outside North America had an oem alarm system, but not here. The Canadian '06 Grand Vitaras has a fake alarm led on the center stack, which leads to even more confusion.
**using only the key causes the aftermarket alarm to go off, but there is a procedure to shut it off when this happens.
(Maybe part of the punishment for people who break into cars or steal them would be to help pay for all this nonsense we all endure on their behalf, even if our cars aren't broken into or stolen.)
I have a copy of the big thick factory service manual, so perhaps it can shed some light on this. See below.
Later...
I have a copy of the '06 Grand Vitara factory service manual. All 5"thick of it. There is nothing on it to say whether it is for US or Canadian spec GV's, but it came from a US source.
There are many pages about the immobilizer/keyless start systems, much of which looks fantastically complicated to me. But here's what I gleaned.
There are two systems, separate but connected through the CAN (computer area network). The systems are the immobilizer system, and the keyless start system.
The immobilizer system utilizes a transponder in the key. The manual has a picture of three different keys, all of which contain transponders. There are cautions about things such as not covering the head of the key with tinfoil. This would mean that all models of the '06 GV had immobilizer capability built into the keys.
There is an ICM (immobilizer control module) that communicates with the ECM, and they shut off the fuel injection system unless a registered key is used. There is a registration system in case of adding new keys, or replacing either of the modules.
The keyless start system uses a different transponder in the keyfob, which communicates with the keyless start control module and the ECM.
There is a description of how the keyless start control module determines if the keyfob's code is registered, and then unlocks the steering lock unit to allow the ignition knob switch to be turned. It goes on..."In the case of vehicle with immobilizer control system, when the ignition knob switch is turned to ON in this state, ID codes of ECM* and keyless start control module are compared through CAN communication. When they match, turning the ignition knob switch to start position will start the engine.."
*presumably the code from the immobilizer system.
The keyless start system operates the door lock functions in conjuction with the keyfob, while the key itself obviously does this manually.
Registering new keys, and registering new keyfobs, are separate procedures.
So, it's possible that either the key or the keyfob is not compatible with either of these systems. It seems to me this keyfob is used for one other Suzuki vehicle, perhaps the top end SX4. Maybe that's what the problem is here.