Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

1998 GMC 5.0 2WD - I took the battery out for about two weeks, painted the battery tray and put the battery back in it. THATS ALL. Now it will start, but dies immediately. What could it be?

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

Sounds like the security system. See if the light stays on.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

The security light is not flashing. When I turn the switch on the security light lights up, but does not flash, it just stays on for as long as the switch is on. Is that normal? I tried leaving the switch on for 10 minutes, turning off and leaving on for 10 minutes three times and that did nothing to help, maybe I did it wrong? The security light never flashed or went off thru the whole process.

Looking at the instructions for resetting the security system, I did not try to start it, I just turned it to the on position. Maybe I have to try to start it each time before I wait ten minutes??... Maybe that makes a difference? I will try it again tomorrow.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

If the security light is on then it isn't letting the truck start.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

Everything I'm reading says that the security light will be flashing, mine is not flashing, it just lights up during the bulb check and stays on as long as I leave the switch on. So I'm not sure it's the security.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

Where did you read that the truck will run with the security light on?

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

LOL, I did not read that it would run with the security light on. What I did read is that the security light will be "Flashing". Mine is not flashing. When I turn the switch to the "on" position the security light comes on and stays on. Thank you for sticking with me on this Sean. When I get home from work today, I am going to try the reset procedure again. I hope it works this time. We will see.

That is my question, when you turn your switch to the "on" position, engine not running, is the security light on? If not, then I'd say, that the security is the problem. But I don't have another truck like mine to check.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

The light comes on when you turn on the key to show that the system is working. It stays on when it isn't letting the truck start.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

I tried the reset procedure tonight and NOTHING - the security light stays on and never goes off no matter what I do. Even if the truck happens to start and run for 2 or 3 seconds before dieing, the light still stays on. I'm thinking maybe its the passlock module, but that's just from reading around on the internet about what it may be. It seems strange how I would remove the battery and put it back in a week later and the module go bad tho. Truck has 150k and I have NEVER had ANY issues with it at all. It will be Thursday afternoon before I can get back on it. I guess I'm going to take the dash apart and find the passlock module and see if it looks burnt anywhere inside. I'm lost at this point. Any ideas?

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

I changed everything on mine. The module came from a junkyard because they aren't available new. Didn't fix it, my light is always on. I had to defeat it.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

Took the bottom dash apart and found the passlock module. It has a burnt spot on the board. Rockauto has them (ACDelco Reman). Got one on the way.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

Keep us posted and good luck!

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

I got the remanufactured module in today. I put it in and did the reset procedure. Until now the security light had been solid, no flashing, nothing, just on. The first 10 minutes of the reset procedure the light started flashing for the first time - I was excited. The first 10 minutes it never stopped flashing. The second 10 minutes it flashed for a few seconds but then stayed on until the 9TH minute and then it went out. I was VERY excited!! The third and final 10 minute period the light flashed until the 9TH minute and then it went out again. I was feeling pretty good!

I tried to start it and it started and died immediately, same as it was doing. Tried starting it probably 20 times. Thoughts of suicide, depression, setting the truck on fire, and hauling it to the scrap yard ran thru my head, but I have calmed down now.

However, now, the security light is flashing all the time. Before, the light was solid all the time. I have read that if the light is solid its the module, but if its flashing its the switch. So, now I am thinking that maybe my switch AND the module were bad. I am sitting pondering to order a new switch.

I am afraid that my story will end up exactly like Sean's and I will replace everything, it still wont start, and then I'll just have to figure out how to hack the wires. I hope not.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

You can send the computer to someone to have it reprogrammed without the security system. You can also upgrade the computer to the next generation but would still need one programmed without the security system.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

Damn what a nightmare. Sorry you are going through this.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

UPDATE!!! I did some more research and found that during the reset procedure the light should flash the whole time and it will pause for 5 seconds and then go out right at 10 minutes, and you got to wait for it to go out. If its not flashing or stops flashing and stays on during that 10 minutes, you have messed up something and must start over.

ANYWAY, I did the reset procedure again and BAM!!! It started and ran. I let it run for 15 minutes... I was afraid to turn it off, scared it would not start back LOL, but I turned it off, waited a minute and it started right back just fine.

I think I'm fixed!!:metal:

Looking back, a week or so ago I thought I smelt something electrical burning one day while driving, maybe that was that board going bad, maybe its just my imagination.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT GUYS!!!

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

This what my bad board looked like - the pen is pointed at the burned spot.

Re: Truck starts and dies immediately - need help
 

Cool. I'm glad yours was easier than mine.