A.) you have to use the remote to lock twice, pushing the plunger down does not do it.
B.) if you push lock+panic at the same time you send the same signal as "start", that's why it works when you hold the lock and start at the same time. And why I am suspecting contacts in the fob. Since I do not seem to be making my point clearly, here is more;

the circuit board contacts for "lock" and "panic" are both under the "start" button, so if the "start" button is making poor contact to the "lock" side holding the "lock" button would bypass that.

 

Open up the fob and give it all a cleaning - use alcohol or such on a q-tip. Clean the carbon buttons and the gold contact areas on the circuit board. While it is apart, use a spoon or something metallic to short out the gold contacts for the remote start - that will determine if it is the fob or not.

 

I cleaned the contacts, still with the same results.
Pushing the lock button three time's then pushing the lock and the panic button does nothing.
I know the manual said to push the lock button twice then the start button will engage the remote start, but i never had to do that.
I always just pushed the lock button then the start button and it always worked.
I can get new OEM fob's cheap, i just can't see spending the 100+ bucks to have them programed.
For 100 dollars, i can get a name brand after market remote start/alarm system installed.
These after market units i can have installed will do alot more than the OEM system.
I think i'll just live with having to hold the lock button down while pushing the start button. when it does finally croak, i'll just get a new complete remote start system installed. at least i'll have a warranty on a new unit for a couple year's.

 

"I always just pushed the lock button then the start button and it always worked."

That's because you used the fob to lock the doors last night.

 

This doesn't do anything,
I can hit the panic button by itself and it works, but pushing the lock and panic at the same time does nothing.
I tried a couple different button configurations i found on-line, but nothing seems to work.
Only pushing the lock and start at the same time starts the car now.
But like i said in the post above this one,
I can live with having to push two buttons, once it stop's completely, i'll get a after market system installed.

 

Correct,
The manual states pushing the lock button twice, then the start button. i never did that.