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June Contest Winner: Mike’s 2004 Saturn Ion Security Light Fix
This story comes to us from Mike Rutledge of El Segundo, California, about his wife’s 2004 Saturn Ion. He told us how his vehicle started the “Spiral of Death” in 2011, with no idea of the cause or a fix for the dreaded SECURITY light. Like many of us, the car would refuse to start, get towed to the mechanic, and then start right up when they tried it. If you’ve ever dealt with a security issue, you know this all too well. He struggled with it for years, until GM issued a recall on the Ion’s ignition. Problem solved, right?
Not So Fast: A Recall That Didn’t Fix It
“I got the car back from the Chevy dealer after they replaced the ignition under the recall. We picked up the car, it started, and I’m thinking — great, problem solved. Not so fast. The Ion made it to the gas station and never started again. No amount of reprogramming cycles or anything else would resurrect the car. Finally, after a lot of Google and Bing searches, I came across a blog thread that described the exact sequence of my failure. The recommendation was to install the NEWROCKIES PRO Module. Now, I’ve got to say, I was not necessarily confident, but people seemed to be raving about its effectiveness. I took the plunge and ordered the unit, which arrived in 3 days flat, perfectly packaged with simple steps to download the installation instructions from the website.”
“Well, if you’ve ever worked on a Saturn vehicle, some things are just not easy, but I’ve got to say, the instructions were clear, and after taking the car apart to get to the proper plug on the BCM, the install went perfectly. Programming the PRO Module proceeded exactly as described and after a few hours of work, the car started right up and is running perfectly. For those of you out there thinking you have to spend $2,000 at the dealer to get your Theft Protection System replaced — think again. The PRO Module absolutely works, and I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone in the same situation. Here are some photos that hopefully encourage other customers to take the plunge.”
— Mike Rutledge
Proof It’s Not Just for the Young
“I’m nearly 64, and not nearly as ‘flexible’ as I used to be, so if I can do an install like this, I think anyone that can read directions and pay attention should be able to be successful as well.”
Fixed for Good
Thank you Mike for taking the time to share your story. We at NEWROCKIES wish you and your family many more trouble-free miles in the Ion.
Mike’s 2004 Saturn Ion shares its Passlock/BCM hardware with other 2003–2007 Saturn Ions — if you’re working on one, the full wiring steps are in the 2003–2007 Saturn Ion installation guide.
