PASSlock and THEFTLOCK are two distinctly different security measures installed on third-gen J-cars.
PASSlock
Also referred to as the Vehicle Theft Deterrent (VTD) system, PASSlock is designed to prevent vehicle theft by disabling the fuel injectors unless the lock cylinder is engaged by the correct mechanical key. The theft deterrent system uses four components for theft prevention:
- the lock cylinder
- the ignition switch
- the instrument cluster (IPC, 96-99 models) or body control module (BCM, 00-05 models)
- the powertrain control module (PCM)
When starting the engine, the PCM waits for the fuel password from the IPC/BCM. If the password is not recognized or not present, the PCM disables the fuel injectors. The vehicle will either start and then quickly stall, or fail to start entirely. If one of the four components listed above is replaced, then the PASSlock system must be reprogrammed.
There are several versions of PASSlock; J-cars use PASSlock-1 which uses three wires compared to PASSlock-2 which uses 2.
THEFTLOCK
THEFTLOCK is a radio feature, which prevents a stolen radio from working in another vehicle. There are two versions of THEFTLOCK. The 95-99 version must be activated by the vehicle owner and has a three or four digit code that is chosen by the person activating the THEFTLOCK® feature. In the 00-05 version, the radio and body control module (BCM) communicate with each other to ensure that the radio is installed in the correct vehicle. If the radio display reads LOC, then the THEFTLOCK system has been activated.
