Sentry Key Immobilizer Module (SKIM) Install / Retrofit

Took several weeks before OUR friend the Jeep Tech was able to source a few remaining AA version keys.
I presently have (3) of the OEM AA keys programmed and (2) of the aftermarket keys programmed.
Many thanks to OUR friend for installing SKIM in my '01.
 
CharlesHS said:
Took several weeks before OUR friend the Jeep Tech was able to source a few remaining AA version keys.
I presently have (3) of the OEM AA keys programmed and (2) of the aftermarket keys programmed.
Many thanks to OUR friend for installing SKIM in my '01.
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Beyond annoying.
 
56009-712AC I cant find that part number anywhere for a 99 wrangler. I stumbled across this thread for ideas on a kill switch. Very cool find. Verified my dash light with a drop light then took lower panel off to verify I do have the plug. If the dealer cant come through I hope mrblaine is still offering this.
 
custommuffler said:
56009-712AC I cant find that part number anywhere for a 99 wrangler. I stumbled across this thread for ideas on a kill switch. Very cool find. Verified my dash light with a drop light then took lower panel off to verify I do have the plug. If the dealer cant come through I hope mrblaine is still offering this.
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The part isn't out there easily. May find NOS but that's it.
 
Frank M said:
Can the keys be programmed if left blank and the cylinder has no tumblers installed yet?
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That is the only way we do it now in case a key won't program. Makes it easier to return it. You don't need a cylinder with no tumblers if you have one already keyed, just pull the tumblers.
 
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as (unfortunately) expected, my local dealer was a dead-end. They referred me to some vehicle customization and body shop 40 miles away, who told me what I was asking would have to be a dealer thing.

Currently looking into some independent options. I still need to get back to the dealer and get the PIN, and cut my keys, so I'll at least be ready once I find somebody to finish the job.
 
this is the relevant section in the 06 FSM, for anyone interested.

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What follows is the section referenced above. I think what we are doing is akin to replacing the PCM and SKIM at the same time, so we need to complete programming of the PCM, then the SKIM, and then add the keys. I'm not sure how the PCM knows to recognize the PIN if it's been replaced and isn't matched to the vehicle yet, but I guess I'll find out somehow or another. I guess the "secret key" is like a serial number unique to each device and exists before the SKIM is programmed.

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freedom_in_4low said:
as (unfortunately) expected, my local dealer was a dead-end. They referred me to some vehicle customization and body shop 40 miles away, who told me what I was asking would have to be a dealer thing.
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No, we do it fairly often.
freedom_in_4low said:
Currently looking into some independent options. I still need to get back to the dealer and get the PIN, and cut my keys, so I'll at least be ready once I find somebody to finish the job.
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If you cut keys, only cut them to the VIN. If the ignition lock cylinder is incorrect, correct it to work with the VIN specific key cut pattern. Unless you have a time frame issue, it isn't that hard to send the bits we need over.
 
mrblaine said:
No, we do it fairly often.
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Oh, I know. It's just what they said.

mrblaine said:
If you cut keys, only cut them to the VIN. If the ignition lock cylinder is incorrect, correct it to work with the VIN specific key cut pattern.
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That's the plan.

mrblaine said:
Unless you have a time frame issue, it isn't that hard to send the bits we need over.
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LJ is my DD so I'm trying to get it done locally if possible. I've got two leads right now and if neither work out you'll probably be my next contact. 👍 I've got a couple work trips planned in the next few weeks during which the jeep can sit in the garage without a PCM. My business will actually be in Chino Hills so it might not be completely out of the question to hand-deliver it.
 
Ok @pagrey you win, lol. Not simple apparently.

Following the instructions in the PCM, but it kept saying it didn't get a response from SKIM before even getting to enter the PIN. He thinks it may be a somewhat common issue with the PCI hardware on the device he's using with the drb3 emulator software.

Now trying to get rid of the SKIM so I can drive it... Whatever tool he had to do that didn't get the job done, so he's connecting a bunch of stuff directly to my PCM to reflash it I guess. And now he's on the phone.

To say I'm a little on edge would be an understatement. At the very least I'll be leaving here without skim. Hopefully not on a trailer.

@mrblaine if it is this something your guy can handle if I bring my stuff out with me next week?
 
Update... It starts and runs now but the skim indicator beeps and comes on 10ish seconds after starting. Headed home, not gonna stop until I know it's not gonna refuse to start on me.
 
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another update:

I made it home, lol. Read up a bit on the SKIS indicator light and it sounds like maybe something latched in the cluster and it's now thinking something is wrong with the SKIS since it was there for a few minutes and now it's gone.

So now I'll be taking my stuff out and sending it to someone I know has done this before, which is what I should have done to start with, but wanted to try taking care of it in an afternoon instead of days having to depend on my wife for transportation. Nothing against the guy, I think he knew what he was doing and it would have worked if the tool had been functional, but apparently that particular tool commonly breaks a trace that grounds a particular chip needed for PCI...and since nothing really uses PCI anymore, it's never given him a problem.
 
A word on trying to do this using a DRB emulator on one of those Chinese micropod clones: many of them have a defective conductor grounding one of the chips used for pci, so it will connect with the pcm but no other modules, including the skim, and you'll have to fix the tool to complete skim initialization or reflash your pcm to be able to drive until you fix the tool or find someone with one that works.

Here's a thread on the subject.
https://www.jeepforum.com/threads/micropod-2-clone-only-reads-pcm.4425073/page-2
 
Stopped by blaine's today and Mike got me all fixed up! Can't wait to get back home and put it all back in my newly-Skis-equipped LJ.

Thanks @mrblaine !

For the record...the PCM and SKIM replacement at the same time shown in the service manual is close but not exactly the sequence to do this. Apparently dealers sold SKIS as an option that could be dealer installed and enabled on vehicles that didn't have it from the factory, and the instructions for doing it were published with the parts for that dealer option. But based on my observation it was done entirely within the standard DRB3 menus and no additional chicanery such as reflashing was necessary.
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
Stopped by blaine's today and Mike got me all fixed up! Can't wait to get back home and put it all back in my newly-Skis-equipped LJ.

Thanks @mrblaine !

For the record...the PCM and SKIM replacement at the same time shown in the service manual is close but not exactly the sequence to do this. Apparently dealers sold SKIS as an option that could be dealer installed and enabled on vehicles that didn't have it from the factory, and the instructions for doing it were published with the parts for that dealer option. But based on my observation it was done entirely within the standard DRB3 menus and no additional chicanery such as reflashing was necessary.
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Glad to hear he got you all squared away! (y)
 
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Irun said:
Glad to hear he got you all squared away! (y)
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It worked out really well that I had work travel to his area this week. No downtime with the Jeep waiting for the stuff to ship back and forth, plus I got to see some of his work in progress and put a face to the wizard avatar 🤣

It's all downhill from here though. I spend the next two days on the roof of a grocery store installing my controls on their refrigeration system. Which reminds me I need to grab some sunscreen.
 
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LJRubiconGuy said:
Okay, so this is my very first post on this forum (which looks pretty awesome so far). What better way to introduce myself than to post a how-to for fellow Wrangler TJ owners.

Anyways, I live in a pretty sketchy area and sometimes leave my Wrangler out at night. Because of that, I want to make sure it's as safe as possible from potential thieves. Some of us Wrangler TJ owners were lucky enough to have the Sentry Key Immobilizer Module (SKIM) installed and setup from the factory. However, others of us weren't as lucky. For those of you that don't know what the SKIM does, let me sum things up in a nutshell: SKIM will prevent your Wrangler from being hot-wired or having a non-chipped key being duplicated and used to steal it. When a non-coded key is used it will kill your Jeep after about 2 seconds, therefore effectively preventing someone from stealing it.

It's not perfect by any means, but I would speculate that it's enough to deter most thieves from attempting to steal your Wrangler.

So, this little how-to isn't my own. I found it on another forum and figured I'd repost it on this forum since it helped me immensely with installing SKIM on my Wrangler TJ. That being said, enjoy!

Parts
I bought the below keys and module to help deter the theft of my Jeep. Please consult with your Jeep dealer using your VIN # to determine part numbers specific to your vehicle. The following part numbers came from my receipt and are for a 2005 Wrangler TJ / LJ:

Key Blank # 5018699AA
SKIM Module # 56010209AD

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The SKIM keys are grey and thicker than the black non SKIM keys.

Installation
Once you get the parts together remove the top and bottom half of the steering wheel covers, by removing the 2 screws at the bottom of the steering wheel as indicated. There are 2 screws at the base of the steering wheel...

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and 2 screws on each side of the steering column and dash piece. The dash screws are longer and thinner so keep them separate from the steering screws. The panel has two metal clips at the top so you need to pull lightly and they will pop out once the screws are removed.

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Once you have all that removed take your module and place the ring over the ignition. It slides over snuggly and seats up against the back of it...

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Then rotate it down as needed to slide the clip onto the steering column support...

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Take note of the small plug not being used and snip the tape holding it to the harness...

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That is the plug that will be used by the dealer... DO NOT PLUG IT IN!!! Just remove the tape to make access for the dealer easier.

Now drive to your dealer of choice. They will need your VIN to get the PIN code to program your keys. They just enter it in their computer and it pulls it up. No need to call anyone. They will need the DRBIII tool for 05 and newer or scan gauge for 04 and older.

Once they have the proper tool and code they will need to take that loose plug and connect it to the SKIM module and activate it first by placing your VIN in the module via their tool.

Once the SKIM module is recognized/activated they can place the key in the ignition, turn it on, (Not start) and enter the PIN code and hit "yes". If you have more than one key they just repeat the previous sentence. Now you are done.

When you start your Jeep with a key you will now see the yellow/orange "No Key" symbol next to the cruise light on your dash. It will stay on until it sync's the key and module/computer. One of 2 things will now happen, the light will go off and let the Jeep continue running because a good key is being used or stay on and shut off the Jeep because a non-chipped key or bad key was used. It will do this in about 2-3 seconds.

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If you brought your screwdriver with you you can place all the plastic back together or go home and finish it up.

I bought 3 keys. The reason is that if you have one key go bad you can replace it and program it yourself as long as you have 2 working keys. If you only have 2 keys and one goes bad you have to have the dealer program the new key.

To program a new key if you have 2 good ones, you simply place one good key in the ignition and turn it all the way on but do not start it. You repeat this with the second good key, then you use the new key and your all set. This procedure is in your owners manual. The system will keep track of up to 8 keys.

If you want to test to see if your Jeep shuts off after the install is complete, take your old key and start the Jeep. It should shut if in about 2 secs. DO NOT do this several times. After the 3rd or 4th unsuccessful attempt, it will lock you out of the computer and your Jeep will need to be towed to the dealer. Im not sure on the exact number of tries but it will lock you out if you do this too many times.

For information on the two methods used for programming the SKIS keys, check out this thread: SKIS (SKIM) Sentry Key Programming.
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Hello, great write up, I know this is an old post but hoping someone might see this that can help, I am currently having the opposite issue, my 2000 Jeep TJ sport has the immobilizer, this part seems to have failed, all of a sudden it would start and shut down after a couple of seconds, I had it towed to the Dealership so I could purchase new keys and have them programmed and now they are telling me my immobilizer is faulty, the original Mopar part is obsolete with know replacement and there is nothing they can do. Has anyone come across this? is there a way around this with an aftermarket part? Can I by[ass this somehow?
 
gallbee said:
Hello, great write up, I know this is an old post but hoping someone might see this that can help, I am currently having the opposite issue, my 2000 Jeep TJ sport has the immobilizer, this part seems to have failed, all of a sudden it would start and shut down after a couple of seconds, I had it towed to the Dealership so I could purchase new keys and have them programmed and now they are telling me my immobilizer is faulty, the original Mopar part is obsolete with know replacement and there is nothing they can do. Has anyone come across this? is there a way around this with an aftermarket part? Can I by[ass this somehow?
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We have not found the early SKIM module any place. They are just gone. The way to solve the issue is to remove the PCM and send it in to Mark @ wranglerfix and he can turn off the SKIM function. That will leave it without the factory theft deterrent so you may want to rig up something else to slow down the wannabe thieves.
 
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