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Shawn’s 2007 Chevy Colorado Passlock Fix in Honduras
Most people with a Passlock fault can call somebody. A tow truck, a friend, a garage across town.
Shawn is a missionary in Honduras, living in a remote village three hours from the nearest major city. When his 2007 Chevrolet Colorado started refusing to start, there was nobody to call.
“I am a missionary in Honduras and own a 2007 Chevrolet Colorado. For the past 9 months I have been dealing with starting issues. At first, it was maybe once a month and then here lately, it was almost every other start. Since I was in Honduras, plus a remote village that is 3 hours away from a major city. I didn’t know who to turn too. Honestly, it was pretty concerning.”
And then the line that explains why this fault is different when you live where he lives:
“I had only one chance to get it right when driving in town to get it fixed.“
A truck that starts every other time is not a truck. It is a gamble you take every time you turn the key, three hours from help.
He left it at the airport and went looking for answers
Scheduled to travel back to the USA, he drove the Colorado to a friend’s house near the airport in San Pedro Sula and left it there for a month while he researched from the States.
What he did next is the part we did not expect:
“When getting to the USA, I did a lot of research on NewRockies and the owner. I found him on LinkedIn. He seemed like a guy I could trust and felt very comfortable with the reviews that I found as well.”
He also worked out, correctly, why the dealer route was not going to solve it:
“I was more concerned about trying to replace the whole lock assembly with the PassLock sensor. Many people stated that they still had troubles later down the road. I didn’t have that option.”
That is exactly right. Replacing the lock cylinder puts a fresh sensor into the same ageing system, and the value it produces will drift again. For somebody who can nip back to the garage, that is an annoyance. For somebody three hours from a city in another country, it is unacceptable.
Thirty five minutes, and then the key
“The day we flew home, my friend and I installed the module. It was extremely easy due to the complete instructions provided by NewRockies. It was complete in about 35 minutes. I must admit, I was a little nervous during the relearning process. I didn’t think it would start. On the final step, I turned the key and it started. NO joke, I wanted to cry! The nightmare was over!“
Anybody who has lived with an intermittent no-start recognises what came next, because the fear outlasts the fault:
“UPDATE: Almost a month now, it took me a little while to get over the, ‘Is it going to start,’ thoughts. To this day, we have started our truck over and over with no issues at all. Thank you NewRockies! I know I made the best decision! I would purchase it all over again!”
Shawn P., Honduras
Why the Colorado does this
The 2004 to 2012 Colorado uses Passlock. A sensor in the ignition lock cylinder produces a reference voltage, the Body Control Module compares it against a stored value, and if they disagree the injectors are shut down. The engine cranks and will not run.
Shawn’s pattern, once a month at first and then almost every other start, is the classic signature. The reading has drifted to the edge of what the BCM will accept, so some days it falls inside tolerance and some days outside. Nothing is broken. The measurement has simply moved.
That is also why the fault gets worse rather than staying steady, and why replacing parts appears to work for a while.
If you have a Colorado or a Canyon
The wiring is in the 2004 to 2012 Colorado, Canyon, Isuzu i-Series and Hummer H3 installation guide. The BCM is behind the trim panel by the passenger’s right foot, and you will need connectors C1 and C2.
One tip that comes straight from Shawn’s install and from a good many others on this platform: check that the wire colours and pin positions in front of you match the guide before you cut anything. If they do not, send us a photo of the connector and we will read it with you.
Not certain which system your vehicle uses? Identify it from the key and the symptom here.
The NEWROCKIES PRO Module covers this failure across the GM range, and the full vehicle list is on the home page.
