01 06 impala dying

hey, i put a autopage remote start and bypass on a 01-06 impala (not for sure of exact year). the guy i installed for called tonight and said that the car would just up and die for no reason when he would drive it. it would shut off at random times for no reason. he has spent over $600 dollars on various parts. we didnt really think that the remote start was causing the problem but decided to take the start and bypass off the car to see if it cleared the problem. while we were doing so, the 12 volt side of a relay  that i had installed touched ground and now the key switch is locked . the ignition will not even turn over. any ideas on the car dying for no reason and what is wrong with ignition not turning over? thanks in advance

Check main fuse for ignition. I am not sure if that would be under the hood but that is where I would look first. As far as the car dying, it sounds like the ignition is loosing power by either a loose wire or something like that. I hope you didn't use T-Taps on the power wires.
wire code for 2001 - 2004 is about the same then 2005 is different and then 2006 changed again so it would help to remember which year it was so you can diagnose the issue.

2001 - 2005 passlock II
2006 passlock III

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The wire I'm test'n isn't doin' what it's supposed to be doin'... I am so glad I printed that tech sheet, with the wrong info.
Do it right the first time... or I might have to fix it for ya

is the security light on in the veh should be yellow? If so it needs to be reset you can look up how my paper showing how is at the shop.

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Let me do my job, then you can enjoy my work and thank me. :)

sorry fellows, i fell asleep. techman93, ill find out today what year it is. 12jiggawatts, im interested in the paper that your talking about. where can i find that?

Passlock II reset : Turn ignition to the ON position for 10-15 minutes until Passlock light stops flashing. Turn key to off and then start vehicle.

Sounds to me like you shorted out the Passlock fuse. I think it's a 2 amp fuse at the fuse panel. This happened to another installer friend of mine and we traced it back to this fuse. It locks the steering column and doesn't allow you to remove the key from the ignition switch & also doesn't allow you to start the vehicle either.

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Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA

As for that wire that got shorted to ground.......now is the time to see if a fuse got blown.

Test the two heavy red wires at the ignition harness for constant power. If one of them doesn't have power, probably one of the underhood fuses got blown.

As for the dying while driving, more information from your customer is needed.

When the car "dies," how exactly?

If it's only the engine that dies, that is, the engine stalls out, but the radio, climate controls, and dashboard lights continue to work..........this is probably something for a car mechanic, rather than an installer.

On the other hand, if when the car dies, all electrical devices shut off as well, then it'd be good to see if maybe the ignition switch is partially unplugged, or anything of that nature.

GM ignition switches have been known to go bad on occasion too.

NOTE: Passlock II only prevents starting. If the car starts successfully, but then dies later on while driving, it's not a Passlock problem.

ok, hers an update. its a 2000 impala. the car is wierd. when the wire got shorted it made the ignition to where the key will not trun from off to acc, on, and start. you have to wiggle the key to hit the right spot to get it to  turn. i hope im making sense. the car has always started fine. with the remote start and with the key. it just started dying for no reason. you can be driving it and it will die. all electrical stays on just motor loses power. thanks to all for your help. i own a tint shop and a house guttering business. so i dont have alot of time on here for the season is starting to take off for both companies. the reason i tell you all this, is i dont want you to think im just using you all. i think this site is great, and i would like to be here more, just strapped for time. 

If it won't turn from "off" to anything else...that sounds to me like a mechanical problem with the key cylinder. I think that there's a solenoid actuated latch in the key cylinder which won't release the key or let it be turned to "off" unless the car's in park, but that wouldn't make sense if you're initially in the off position.

I'm going to agree with Chris Luongo here that it's a problem for a mechanic...though it could be electrical in nature. I would check your connections at the ignition harness in particular, look for loose fuses, and if you don't find anything there recommend that the customer takes it to a garage.

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C Renner's Auto Electronix
My service is cheap, quick, and good - pick any two

If it were me and I know it sucks, I would completely remove the remote starter and all components and see if the problems still persists, this way when the mechanic gets a hold of it he can't use the old.."its the remote starters fault".

The ignition switch has some bent tumblers.  It will cost 400 dollars to get it fixed at a GM dealer.  That includes the wrecker ride to the dealership.  We have a locksmith around the corner from our shop that repairs the cylinder itself for 85 dollars.  You have to remove the cylinder and carry it in to him.  Call some locksmiths in your area and tell them what year and model of car and they can tell you if they can fix it.  It is a common problem with all of the GM ignitions that are not mounted to the steering column.