How to bypass the immobiliser, don't want the car towed to the locksmith!

[nodrim]

Hello everyone,

I am a backpacker from Slovenia and I am having a problem with my Holden Commodore VT 1999 station wagon. I am in Agnes Water right now and I dropped the only key I have in water and now it doesn't start the car anymore.

I have talked to a couple of locksmith companies in Bundaberg and a Holden dealer and they quoted me on a new key from 100-180 $. But they need the car there or they have to travel here and the tow companies quoted me 350-450 $ to move the car there.

So I was thinking if I could only get it to start once to drive to a locksmith in Bundaberg. I have tried to wait one hour with ignition key in the ON position, but it didn't work. I am waiting again now and I figured I could ask up here if anyone knows what else I can do, because the cost of the towing service or the locksmith travelling here is just absurdly high. I have also booked Fraser island already and have to be there on Monday before 2 pm. If I don't get there I don't get a refund, so I'm screwed if I don't get the car to Bundaberg today to get the new key.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Oh, yeah, I also don't have the BCM number anywhere on my papers (I do have the VIN number and the Key number), so they have to physically be at the car to read it for programming the new key.


Thanks for any help, Milan

[nodrim]

74 views and no answer? Anyone?

[wraith]

Your not likely to find an answer due to theft.

[accentstencil]

I think the majority of us wouldn't know how to by-pass the immobiliser anyway.

[Brett_jjj]

Try leaving the ignition key in the "on" position for 120 minutes. The immobiliser bypass time was changed from 1 hour to 2 hours back in the series 2 VS's.

[nodrim]

Really? It's been changed to 2 hours? Thanks very much, I will definitely try it out and let you know. Unfortunately I'm not at the car now and we'll have to try tomorrow.

Thanks Brett ... and what happened to freedom of information? I mean, I know theft is a crime, but passing on this kind of information would be really useful for people in my situation. And there's been quite a few questions like this up here. If someone uses the information illegally that's got nothing to do with it.

[HSV5L]

Becouse its how you steal. and theft is not just a crime its steeling someones transport and pride and joy so you dont want to go around telling everyone how to steal a car...

[nodrim]

Sorry man, but that's bulls*** ... people who want to steal will still your car without major problems and people like me and others who have asked the same question and have been in a similar situation would appreciate it to be able to save 450 dollars for towing, if it's not necessary. Or you can go ahead and send the 450 $ to my PayPal account, geez.

[304runner]

^^ Very true, if people want a car, they get it.. Simple....

But the mods tend to jump up and down for obvious reasons when peeps post up ways to get around an anti theft device. And for whats its worth, from memory it actually tells you in the manual how to bypass the immobilizer, as mentioned above.

Sad thing is most people still think their car is safe with a factory immobilizer....

[Tim Smtih]

be able to save 450 dollars for towing, if it's not necessary.

I can save myself $450 by not dropping said key in water. Accidents happen but don't come to a forum and blame people that don't know you or if you're potentially a thief looking for an easy way of doing a job. Fyi my last key was that worn i went to a key cutter and had another key cut and programmed for $100, followed the instructions given to me and was on my way without any issues.

[accentstencil]

Sorry man, but that's bulls*** ... people who want to steal will still your car without major problems and people like me and others who have asked the same question and have been in a similar situation would appreciate it to be able to save 450 dollars for towing, if it's not necessary. Or you can go ahead and send the 450 $ to my PayPal account, geez.

I must say, you write in English quite well, considering you are from Slovenia. Even throwing in a bit of Aussie slang.

[TI3VOM]

Sorry man, but that's bulls*** ... people who want to steal will still your car without major problems and people like me and others who have asked the same question and have been in a similar situation would appreciate it to be able to save 450 dollars for towing, if it's not necessary. Or you can go ahead and send the 450 $ to my PayPal account, geez.

How do we know your not some young prick that has no other way of stealing a car, and if you were to get this information say goodbye to a lot of peoples VT commodores!!

[HSV5L]

TI34OM and accsentstencil. That was my exact thoughts some boagan trying to lern how to steal a vt. theifs are to dumb to read a log book....

[connorw]

take vin number and proof of ownership into a holden spare parts and they will print you out a list of codes. take the codes to a locksmith and they will know what to do with it. holden are ery strict on who they give codes out to so dont bother trying to do it over the phone.
And thats if the locksmith has the right machine to do it with... id say most do by now but you never know

[nodrim]

Slow down guys I really am a Slovenian backpacker, the reason I can write in English quite well is that I'm a professional translator and have been living in New Zealand for 10 months and now I'm here in Oz 2 months now. Here's my website, if anyone wants to send any translation work my way http://www.bb-qualitas.com

As for dropping the key in the water, that's not the whole truth, 'cause I wanted to avoid all the jokes about me going surfing with the key. The remote on it was dead and I just didn't know about the immobiliser part of it, that it shouldn't get in the water.

I have of course talked to 3 or 4 different locksmiths and the licensed Holden dealer in Bundaberg and the VIN number and key numbers are not enough for them to make the key and just send via a courier service. They would also need my BCM number, which I don't have written down anywhere in my papers and it would have to be read by special equipment. And the closest person that has it is in Bundaberg, so what all of this is about is trying to get my car to a locksmith in Bundaberg to get a new key and not having to pay so much for towing it. If there is any way possible to do it, of course I want to do that and not pay 450 $ if I don't really have to.

So thanks again to everyone who have offered help and shared information like this. I haven't found anything in the Owner's Handbook or the service manual about this.

And I do have to say it again, that I believe in freedom of information and that it should be shared. Just the fact that something (information or physical stuff, i.e. knives, guns, etc.) can be used for something illegal, doesn't mean we shouldn't share such information or sell this kinds of products. All of it can also be used in normal situations, such as mine for example. It goes the same for questions how to get into the car, because I locked my keys inside. Or how to unscrew the wheels or whatever, everything can be used illegally.

Aaaanyhow, 30 more minutes and the 2 hours will pass and hopefully the immobiliser will be switched off and that will be it. And yes, I will definitely share this with everyone here and possibly somewhere else, as well.

[HSV5L]

Did you let the key dry out in the sun than it should work.

[Brett_jjj]

How did it go,did the 2 hour bypass work?

[padrickz88]

Just a heads up for everyone else.
If you drop your key in water, Put it in a tub of rice .

Shouldn't there be some sort of number on the actual BCM?

[nodrim]

The 2 hour bypass unfortunately didn't work my battery could be going flat as well, but the immobiliser light was still flashing anyway. The flashing light above the trip computer buttons would stop flashing if the immobiliser was turned off, right? I am trying to find a legitimate source for this 2-hour bypass for the immobiliser and I can't find it anywhere. It's not in any manual, nowhere on the internet, except in a few forum threads like this, where the time varies from 40 minutes to 2 hours.

I am woofing on a farm over the weekend and we towed the car here, so I'll charge the battery overnight in the house and try again tomorrow morning. The key has been out of the water now for 4 days and it's not working yet. I can leave it in rice over night or find some of those drying pellets that come in packaging for different stuff.

To be continued ...

[machone]

Just a heads up for everyone else.
If you drop your key in water, Put it in a tub of rice .

Shouldn't there be some sort of number on the actual BCM?

hmmm i must of missed that on masterchef lol.....and nodrim even though you are probably legit there's a difference between freedom of information and telling someone how to steal a car mind you in your case if you were to steal the car the car would of rusted by now lol

[mattbombers]

Just a heads up for everyone else.
If you drop your key in water, Put it in a tub of rice .

Shouldn't there be some sort of number on the actual BCM?

Also works for mobile phones that enjoy a dip in tge pool ... Lol

[CapriciousWL]

Hire a car and trailer. Cheaper than $450. Otherwise, I would suggest not posting for a method to bypass the immobilizer. Could be a flat battery in the key - can be replaced nearly anywhere.

[HSV5L]

Mate just ring around and get the cheapest tow. Yeah you are a back packer but you should have money aside for problems like this.....

[Brett_jjj]

I just checked out the immobiliser section in the holden VT service manual, and it definitely confirms that the VT has the 2 hour override time, just like the later VS models. The manual says that after 2 hours with the ignition key in the on position , the theft alert indicator LED will go out and the car can then be started. Before the 2 hour time was introduced, the bypasss time was 45 minutes.

[nodrim]

Hm, I have one service manual and it's got nothing about it. I managed to find one guy who's going to Bundaberg with a truck tomorrow and he agreed to take my car for 220 $ and we're going straight to an automotive locksmith and hopefully that we'll be the end of it.

Every dollar saved means more travelling and diving. But I would really like to try this 2 hour wait again, 'cause it's really bugging me having to have my car towed, if it's not necessary.

Thanks again, Brett. Cheers!