i have a 89 eldorado, and have had problems with the lovely security system-i stopped lockin the car due to the starter being disbaled for 3 minutes. last week i was have this problem, even though i didnt lock it, and got stuck at the gas station.
i called the dealer today(ick) and they informed me due to that my key does not have a chip- i might have to replace the whole steering column, that the pervious owner replaced the ignition and disabled the security chip, and thats why now it wont start.
can someone please help me with this, shes sitting in my drive way, and i really dont what to do now, would replacing the whole steering wheel be the best?? its a v-8 engine if that helps!

 

although they are probably correct on the why, they want to replace the steering column?
how tall are the boots they are wearing?

the way the VATS system is disabled is by installing a jumper with a resistor to match your key chip, bypassing the chip. sounds to me like something has disconnected or come lose on that jumper.

get under the dash and trace it for lose leads. There is a FAQ thread in this site on the subject matter.

also, you got AAA ? call a lock smith, AAA will reimburse $100 of the bill.

 

when i bought the car, the keys had no chip i dont know why, the service dept even questioned me on that.(shrug)
we have a repair manual -the ones you buy at autozone, shes parked in the driveway now, not going anywhere.ill try looking up the VATS system on hereand look for the loose leads. we have auto club, but no AAA, and yes, we have free locksmith service, why would i need that???

 

Actually steering column replacement is usually faster and cost effective on a 20 year old car. If you do this make sure the column you get has a set of keys with it. Most salvage yards have the sets with the columns. You may not get an exact colur match either so be prepared to paint or live with it.

 

well to update... im going to end up selling it, not due the steering column, but i have a several gas leak. this was due to when the tow company last week towed it to my house, broke the seam on the tank, and found gas under the car today and all over my driveway. i dont have the time or wanting to search for a new tank( i dont want to even think about it), if it was just the steering wheel, it wasnt going to be a big deal. hopefully i can get rid of it and get new one. thanx all who did answer my questions