This is the 4th time in the past 6 months the car would turn over but not start. Since it is Sunday I went to other web pages that gave me an answer. First the problem seems to be with the passlock system. My dealer had told me that much. But today I found 1) Use other key 2) Turn the car to on and wait until the Security light stops blinking (about 10 minutes) 3) Turn the key to off 4) It then should start. I followed these instruction and it worked. I am going to call dealer and see if they can disable the passlock.

I took my car into the shop only to find out I could fix the problem myself, if your security light is on in the 2001 alero, and it won't start, but tries to crank over, try this before you pay to have it fixed. turn off the car put the key in to the ignition, turn to the on position, and leave it in the on position for 10 minuites, (it will reset your security system), take the key out put it back in the ignition and try to start it, it should turn over and the security light should go off, I have had this happen may of times, dealer says the security system need to be replaced, and it's an electrical problem, i've had this happen many times and it always works.. hope this helps all of you with one of these piece of sh*t cars.

Thank You so much for the advise ......Here is my story....First have to go back 2 years.

July 06' - 11pm - went to fill my tank to complete a trip home. Filled up and tried to start the call and it wouldn't start. Strong engine turn over but engine would just not start. After playing with it about an hour, decided to have car towed to mechanic. Had to spend additional night. Next day mechanic, told me he checked electrical and no power is going back to the fuel pump located inside the gas tank. Had to replace fuel pump, $750.00

Feb 07' - 2p - leaving work my car won't start. Engine turns over and sounds like engine is not getting gas. Had car towed. $80.00 and then an hour later mechanic said it was a fuse $20.00

Jump to today - Feb 21st 08 - Leaving work and same thing, engine turns over but car won't start. I pulled fuse box apart and check it fuse nothing is blown. After an hour decide to call tow company. While waiting for tow truck decided to go back to my office and frustrated with this car decided to Google... 2001 Oldsmobile Alero electrical problems .... and up came this site and exact posting. I read and it sounded so familiar... went out side and tried it on my car.... my car started right up after the 10 minutes. I looked up the issue in my owners manual it is on page 2-20- PASSLOCK theft-deterrent system. Thanks again you probably saved me from getting ripped off again, I suspect that I never needed the new fuel pump so overall I have spent $850.00 and countless lost time due to the problem.

2001 ALERO IS A PIECE OF CRAP!!!!

I HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR 2YRS NOW AND HAS NOT STOPPED GIVING ME PROBLEMS SINCE!! I HAVE SENT SOOOO MUCH MONEY ON THIS CAR IT IS INSANE! OUR FIRST INCIDENT WITH THE CAR NOT STARTING WAS WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 4 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME ON A TRIP AND THE CAR WOULDN'T START. WE CALLED OUR MECHANIC AS HE USUALLY HELPS US OUT..AND HE HAD NO IDEA WHY IT WOULDN'T START. IT WAS THE MAY LONG WEEKEND AND NO MECHANICS WERE OPENED THERE! WE HAD TO TOW THE CAR FROM NORTH BAY TO TORONTO WHICH WAS ABOUT 400K AWAY! WE PAID $300 FOR CAA THANK GO CAA GIVES YOU THE FIRST 200K FREE! THEN WE HAD TO GET A RENTAL CAR AND THAT COST $300!! THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE SECURITY SYSTEM WHICH COSTED $800!! SO THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE WEEKEND! HE FOUND SOME STUFF ON THE SECURITY SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS YOU TO START THE CAR IF YOU HAVE TIME TO WAIT 10MIN!!! HOPEFULLY NOBODY IS CHASING ME WHEN MY CAR WON'T START!! SO HE FIXED IT FOR THE TIME BEING BUT 2WKS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN!! AND AGAIN!!AND AGAIN!! I HOLD MY BREATH AND PRAY EVERY TIME I HAVE TO START MY CAR!! IT HAS HAPPENED OVER 20 TIMES THIS YEAR AND THE YEAR HAS JUST BEGUN!! SO WE ARE GOING TO BE SELLING THIS CAR TO A DEALERSHIP NEXT WEEK BECAUSE I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!! GM NEEDS TO RECALL THIS VEHICLE! I HAVE PAID MORE FOR REPAIRS IN TWO YEARS THAN I HAVE EVER PAID IN MY WHOLE LIFE!! PLEASE DON'T BUY THESE CARS AND SAVE YOURSELF THE HEARTACHE!! HOPEFULLY ALL OF THESE RESPONSES WILL GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE ON "HOW TO START YOUR PIECE OF SH*T!" I WILL NOT BE PURCHASING A GM EVER AGAIN!! OR FORD, OR DODGE!! I AM GONNA BUY CHINESE!!!

Thank God for this site!! I drove home from work without any problems. Next morning, my car will turn over but not start. My boyfriend swore it was the fuel pump, but I wasn't convinced because I didn't want to pay out the %$#&!. I switched out fuses and relay switches, but nothing helped. The day we were going to haul my car to the mechanic, finally a solution. My mother had found online to turn the key on for about 10 minutes and wait for flashing security light to become steady on and then turn key off and then start. And, I'll be damned if that didn't work! Thanks for saving me $100's. P.S. I have had a ton of problems with this car and I hate it soooo much!!

My 2001 Alero has had this problem at least 4 times. Thankfully, I have not be in a bad area when it happens. I park the car, try to start and it won't start. The security light continues to blink. I thought maybe someone was tampering with my car. I had it towed to an auto shop and they said they couldn't find anything wrong with it. I drove it again for a while and again I parked it and the same thing happend, it wouldn't start. I called around to auto shops and dealers and was told it was a passlock problem. This last time I had it towed in they had to search and found the problem and it appears it is the passlock or ignition. I've sinced researched this and have found that some people seem to be having this same problem. It is a recall problem? Have this been looked into.

I bought my Alero about a year and a half ago, and everything seemed fine with it until about a month and a half ago. I was driving to work one day and all the lights in the car came on, ( check engine, ABS, blah, blah, blah) I knew it wasn't normal but the car was driving good so I left it for a while. Then a couple days later the lights on the car started turning on and off on their own, the stereo would turn on and not turn off or I would get out of my car and shut the door and the radio would just start blaring on it's own.Sometimes I would have to get out and open and shut everyone of my doors just to get it to turn off. I knew it needed to be looked at but I had to wait until pay day to afford it. So a week later I ent uptown to the bank before work, came back to the car and it just wouldn't start. I was starting to realize that this car is a real peice fo sh*t or it 's f*cking posessed. I towed it home and was told by a friend of mine that it was probably the ecm (computer) in the car so I went and bought one, installed it and it still wouldn't start. I replaced the battery, I checked the feuld pressure to the feul line, hooked sh*t up to a code reader which read nothing, and checked the spark plugs ( by the way gm, you picked a really stupid place to put those) and everything seemed fine. Well I figured that the computer needs to be reprogrammed so put the old one back in the car and took the new one out to take to a dealership. I plugged it in, let the security light flash until finished so it could reset itself back in to the car, and have an hour later the car just magically freaking stars again. Hooked it back up to the code reader and it read that it was one of the wheel bearings and that's why the lights were coming on. That still doesn't explain the stereo and head lights. I hope maybe this helps someone else. Don't ever buy an alero, they are junk and a huge waste of money. Just wish I would have know that a year and a half ago.