BCM problems in your F-body will cause you to pull your hair out when you’re trying to diagnose it. First you’ll start changing fuses and changing relays. Since your problem is intermittent, you’ll believe it is solved only to have it come back again. I have owned 3 F-bodies and all 3 have had this issue.
F-Body BCM Diagnostics Questions
Does your Camaro / Firebird / Trans Am experience any of the following symptoms?
- Does your radio turn off randomly? Or, does your radio not work at all?
- Do your windows not roll up or down?
- Is your battery fully charged but you have no power?
- Do your locks sometimes not work?
- Does your car crank but won’t start?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, or have any of the symptoms displayed in the video below, you more than likely have a failing BCM (Body Control Module)
If your security light comes on or flashes when you are starting the car you most likely have a Vehicle Anti Theft (VATS) problem. VATS can be bypassed through a mix of tuning and/or key resistors to simulate the Pass Key II Key Pellets.
Camaro / Firebird / Trans Am BCM Location
Locate your BCM module and remove it from your vehicle. On All F-bodies, it is located on the passenger side behind your airbag. You’ll need to get it from the bottom. To do this you will need to remove the plastic plate under your glove box as well as the glove box itself in order to access the BCM.
You will see a box that looks like this:
Unhook the wiring and pull it out of the car and take it to a clean workbench so that you can safely open it up as shown.
Do not touch any of the circuitry. Make sure you grab the board by the edges. Before you touch the board ground yourself out by touching a piece of metal (this eliminates you accidentally statically shocking the board with your fingers and possibly damaging it further).
If you fold the box down like this, the board will pull out easily.
Camaro / Firebird / Trans Am BCM Repair
With the circuit board out, turn it around. You will see thousands of tiny solder joints as shown below. You want to locate where I have highlighted with red arrows. These 5 solder joints in the shape of a “T” are where the problems lie. I enlarged the picture so you can easily note where the solder joints are.
If you know how to solder, take a soldering gun, flux and some new solder and heat up all 5 joints and retouch them up with solder. These 5 joints are a known GM failure.
Resoldering these joints will fix your BCM problem 9/10 times and will save you $500 from buying a new BCM through the dealer. It will also save you the headache of having to get new keys cut to match the BCM as there are 15 different Pass Key Pellet Values giving you a 7% chance of buying a used BCM that will work in your Camaro / Firebird / Trans Am.
If you need a basic tutorial on soldering, I found this YouTube video helpful:
Now, close everything back up and reinstall it in your vehicle. If this hasn’t fixed your problem you may need a new BCM. A new BCM from the factory will not require a new key to be cut, however, if you pick up a used BCM you will need a new key cut with the appropriate resistor from the vehicle it came out of put into the new key. The other option would be to perform a VATS bypass.
Please solder at your own risk. We are not responsible for any damages you incur. This is meant as a guide to assist you. You wouldn’t drive your F-body recklessly, so don’t be reckless with a soldering gun. Reach much more about the current penalties for reckless driving here.
Make sure you share this guide with other F-body owners who are are having a hard time with diagnosing the above BCM issues!
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