Jerrald’s 2002 Avalanche: A Year of Research, Three Wrong Parts, One Right One

Jerrald Braiuca bought his 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche in 2015 with 201,000 miles on it. Within six months it had developed the no-start, and his July 2017 story to us is the most methodical hunt in our archive: he eliminated everything else first, including his own aftermarket equipment.

No code, no pattern

“After having it for less then 6 months it developed a ‘no start’ problem, but then would start after letting sit for 10 minutes or so. Put a code reader on it and nothing showed up. After doing research online, I was directed to the fuel pressure regulator (replaced it), the fuel pump (had it replaced), the MAP sensor (replaced it) and still would not fix the problem.”

“The thing that puzzled me was how random the ‘no start’ issue was. It would go for weeks and even months without a hitch then there it was.”

Three fuel-system parts replaced, because the symptom genuinely is fuel starvation: Passlock kills the injectors, so every clue points at the fuel system. The randomness, weeks of good behaviour then a refusal, is the tell that separates a drifting security sensor from a failing pump, which fails more consistently. And in the early stages, no code is stored, so the scanner shrugs.

He even blamed his own remote start

“I had an aftermarket alarm and remote start system installed right after buying the truck and I blamed the ignition bypass module for the problem. Had the ignition bypass module removed and it still did it at random.”

This was reasonable, and on Desiree’s Toronado and Jack’s Impala SS the old aftermarket kit really was part of the problem. Here it was innocent: the factory system was failing all by itself. Finally the truck produced a code, and it pointed at Passlock.

A year of homework

“After seeing your ad on Facebook, I spent the next year doing more research into your company and found no negative reviews. I purchased the PRO Bypass Module and took a Saturday morning to install it (took longer then everyone said due to my lack of attention to detail on one of the wiring connections). Did the relearn process and the truck started right up.”

“Now everything works together (alarm/remote start) and the truck starts every time. Thanks for doing the R&D and making a quality product. It will be the first thing installed on the next vehicle I buy with a Passlock/VAT system in it.”

Worth underlining for anyone with a remote start: after the module went in, his alarm and remote start kept working alongside it. The factory security system leaves the starting decision; the accessories stay.

If you have one of these trucks

The 2002 Avalanche shares its Passlock wiring with the new-style Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon and Sierra, and the guide is here: 1999-2002 installation guide. As always, confirm the connectors and wire colours in front of you match the guide before cutting, and send us a photo if anything disagrees. The NEWROCKIES PRO Module is the part Jerrald spent a year verifying, and we are glad it passed.

Related stories on the blog. Same platform: Matthew’s 2001 Silverado and Dale’s Suburban.

Read more customer stories →