VS Commodore Mods

[b1rsey]

Hi guys, firstly great work with all the help youre giving to the noobs of the car world, myself included.

I have a few questions;
I have recently bought a VS Series 1 Executive Commodore and after 5k total (on the car and gettting a RWC) the car doesnt start, the people i have seen, including mechanics and auto electricians say its the BCM stopping the motor from starting aka the immodiliser, its as if the signal isnt getting through, i have replaced the key head with a new one and even on the handheld comp the mech used its not giving off a error code, the central locking on the car also doesnt work which i am told would also be caused by a faulty BCM, the engine still turns over just it wont go the distance and actaully start. after reading up on a few things i too agree that its the BCM and am looking for ways to fix this problem, a mate who deals with trucks nd cars etc says that it could be some faulty wires in the unit itself and if you bake the BCM in an oven, obviously not for a great period of time, it will melt the solder and fix the problem, can you please advise there? other than that all i can do is buy a secondhand part, ive been told by a mech that it will cost nearly $500 to replace if he gets the part for me, but my usual mech has quoted me about $350, if i find the part myself, how hard will it be to replace provided i have some help from friends who do have mechanical exp? also, will the BCM that i get to replace the busted one need to have the same part numbers? i get it needs to be a 'Low' classification the same as mine but there are heaps of differing part numbers out there that i have seen.

Also, i am looking to lower my car, not stupidly low like ultras or anything. i dont want to replace the shocks as well because right now i dont have the money, but will superlows still be right in terms of the height of the car with say a full car load or lots of weight in the back and the stock shockers? they have been replaced recenty with new ones, but they are still of stock quality.

Thanks Lachlan

[_R_J_K_]

Around the ignition barrel there are two pieces of metal. Bend them out slightly to make sure they car making contact with the key head when you insert the key. I can't say I would advise putting your BCM in the oven for any period.

As for your suspension, FFS if you can't afford to do it properly, don't do it at all. Why are there so many people trying to skimp on shocks lately?

[westbad]

If its an immobilizer problem, put the key in the ignition and leave it on on the acc position (dash lights on) for at least 45 mins, then try cranking it over this should over-ride the immobilizer. If the fault continues then it could be something else.

[westbad]

When you replaced your key head with a new one, did you go to holden and get it programed to your bcm?

[-=ApheX=-]

A couple of things you'll need to consider...
If the ECU isn't giving out an error code this could be due to an electrical failure, or a sensor fark out issue... Sometimes the Crank angle sensor will stop a car from turning over and not show a code at all...
Also if you are wanting to replace the BCM you'll need to call someone who know's there sh1t, eg, the BCM will always need to be compared to the VIN of your car. so yes same part numbers is a must...
Contact Holden in your local area for clarification about that one... P.S. Don't put your BCM in the oven... Just swap it out, $350 sounds reasonable for a replacement.

As for lowering your car... do it right the first time and do not look like a tool... The people here on the forums will generally give out the most logical and accurate advice possible... but you'll need to almost always follow this up with a professional for a second opinion...
With lowering you get the most appropriate shockers, springs you desire, at no point should you ever cut your springs, and you should never really get them compressed either... seek out a few wreckers and see if they are stocking any FE2's from some dusted commodores, depending on IRS or live you'll need to get the right ones...
Shockers should be replaced when lowering so that your wheels etc are not being shredded due to the soft nature of the stock shockers compared to the lowered rigid springs...
Always research things before attempting any work you plan to do yourself, get some opinions from here, and of course a professional and you should be in the clear with your car.
And Welcome to the forums!

[Brett_jjj]

I would get another BCM and matching key if possible.Take it to the mechanics,it should only take them around half an hour at the most to swap them over.You might be able to use your old key if they can change the new BCM's security code to match your old BCM.Im not real sure if this can be done.You might have to use the key that matches the new BCM if the security code cant be changed with a diagnostic scanner tool.I think $500 is a bit to much just to change the BCM unless the BCM they get for you is brand new.Which you probably do not need,a second hand one should be fine,and a lot cheaper.Someone else on here should be able to tell you more about what the go is with the BCM and security codes and keys etc when replacing the BCM with another second hand one.

[b1rsey]

alright, thanks guys ill get onto resetting the BCM as said by Westbad after checking the metal coils as suggested by R J K. my mechanic has one of the hand held computers so he was able to code the key to the BCM for me, at which point there was no coding error from the BCM itself. yeah ive been inroduced to a good auto elec just recently and am just trying to find the time to get round to seeing him and try and figure it out.
with the suspension, say i only drop it an inch via new springs, not cutting or compressing etc. should i still get the new shocks as well? and can youse advise on any brands that would be better or the best in experience?
thanks again for all your help, much appreciated
Lachlan

[knight wombat]

a master key from the dealership can override an immobiliser

[_R_J_K_]

should i still get the new shocks as well?

Yes. Monroe's, KYB's, Koni's are all good. Have a look around, there are tons out there.