Old old Buick guy

I'm old (71 years), a retired mechanical engineer, and I like old Buicks. I've owned at least seventeen that come to mind. I presently have two Rivieras, a 1997 SC3800 and a 1983 V8 convertible. The '97 is a low mileage car, having just turned 35,000 miles and has become my everyday driver, but it has a few issues. I happened on the Riviera Performance site as I was looking for help/ideas in solving its' starting problem. I discovered that I was not alone when it came to malfunctions of the Pass Key ll/theft deterrent system. I've determined what I perceive to be the problem with my system and am still evaluating the effectiveness of my solution. If successful, I will share my findings with forum members in the near future. I recently sold a 1995 Riviera which never failed to start and that car had 151,000 miles on it. Strange! Next on my list of things to do on the '97 is to replace the a/c compressor, accumulator, and orifice tube; improve performance and handling; and do some body work and a repaint.
I also own a 1972 Skylark convertible that was cloned into a 1970 GS 455 4 speed (couldn't afford a real one). One additional Buick I'd like to own is a 1986/7 Grand National.
Riviera Performance appears to be an excellant resource and I plan to make extensive use of the experiences and advise of the membership. I also intend to contribute whenever I have something of value to add to the discussions.

Regards, Ray Gorski

WELCOME Raymond.Here 71 is NOT old.

71 is the new 55! Welcome and Greetings!
As far as the Pass Key, my mechanic soldered a resistor in place and no more problems. I had that happen for the first five years I had my 98 Riv. I do believe there is a thread here for that and anything else you could possibly want to do!

rivieray wrote:

I'm old (71 years), a retired mechanical engineer, and I like old Buicks. I've owned at least seventeen that come to mind. I presently have two Rivieras, a 1997 SC3800 and a 1983 V8 convertible. The '97 is a low mileage car, having just turned 35,000 miles and has become my everyday driver, but it has a few issues. I happened on the Riviera Performance site as I was looking for help/ideas in solving its' starting problem. I discovered that I was not alone when it came to malfunctions of the Pass Key ll/theft deterrent system. I've determined what I perceive to be the problem with my system and am still evaluating the effectiveness of my solution. If successful, I will share my findings with forum members in the near future. I recently sold a 1995 Riviera which never failed to start and that car had 151,000 miles on it. Strange! Next on my list of things to do on the '97 is to replace the a/c compressor, accumulator, and orifice tube; improve performance and handling; and do some body work and a repaint.
I also own a 1972 Skylark convertible that was cloned into a 1970 GS 455 4 speed (couldn't afford a real one). One additional Buick I'd like to own is a 1986/7 Grand National.
Riviera Performance appears to be an excellant resource and I plan to make extensive use of the experiences and advise of the membership. I also intend to contribute whenever I have something of value to add to the discussions.

Regards, Ray Gorski

welcome!

You probably already know this... but the simplest thing to do is use an ohmmeter to check your key then solder in a resistor - there is a thread on this site on the details.

When mine went, for personal reasons I repaired it, having the dealer replace the failed module.

I hope you checked for the simple stuff - your riv is low mileage and ostensibly not driven a lot, it could be as simple as smut or corrosion on the contacts for the pass-key -- some dry gas or 91% rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab, to wipe the contacts (you can see them in the end of the keyway of the ignition switch) will fix that if it's the problem... I suspect you already looked at this, but if not have at it and wipe them off really well. (and you don't hafta lay upside down on the floor of the car) Also need to check that the resistor part of the pellet in the key is not damaged, dirty or missing. Dealer can find the right key code using the VIN, then you can get the blanks inexpensive off eBay, if you can't read the key with a meter.

Welcome to a retired ME from a senior ME/materials student! Once you get those few things done on the Riv it'll last you a long time, especially since it only has 35,000 miles. Think of how many cars with that low mileage which are this inexpensive to buy and maintain!

WELCOME ABOARD !!! You've found the right place

Welcome "Old Man Buick." Thanks for joining I look forward to reading about your findings. Where were you a mechanical engineer at?

Welcome to the forum Raymond.