12inDr
New Member
Hello All.
Everyone usually posts questions on here - well I have been reading and researching on here and trial and error on my 97 Eddie bauer for a few weeks and thought I should put in with a rare "success story" ...
Here goes ...
I bought a sweet 1997 Eddie Bauer 4x4 Eddie Bauer on ebay from a charity site for a steal ... Unknown history, great visible condition , column plastic pieces slightly mangled but overall - for the meager price - a bargain.
But it would not start ... Unknown tranny and motor condition - when I get the truck it actually does start - but only for a second or two - then - kill with a rapidly flashing anti theft light.
Thus (after adding a new battery) began my education into fords PATS system. The keys didn't seem to deactivate the anti theft system - one start with a couple seconds of run - then every turn of the key without turning to the off position would only turn over.
Here is what I learned:
1997 and 98 pats will start (no starter kill) then die under anti theft conditions
The theft light will rapidly flash for about a minute and then turn off - this is an indication that no key is being read.
After much checking of fuses, relays, PCM connections and grounds - I was at a loss and about to start buying parts. I did buy a Silica key programmer thinking the keys that came with the vehicle were not properly programmed - only to have the machine tell me that I didn't need it for my PATS 1 vehicle and to use the method I had learned (and unsuccessfully tried prior) of the 15minutes x 3 program new key. A which for me never worked once - my light only blinked for 1-2 minutes very rapidly.
So after pulling the codes and coming up empty after pouring over service manuals and wiring diagrams I decided to just check voltagein the system where I could. - starting with the pats key transceiver. I tested the 4 wires and got voltage on each at the unit with the key on and at the input from the module with the key on - seemed to be working normally. Getting voltage at all 4 wires.
Then I thought I would check the voltage if there was a key present inside the circle - we. I had the unit off of the key cylinder and had one key in the cylinder and another loose. I had to keep the key "on" to power the transceiver. So I used one key to keep that on and the other input in the circle of the transponder. When I did that I LOST ALL POWER TO THE UNIT on all 4 imputa wires. This perplexed me was not what i was expecting. I was on my back under the steering column doing this. - turn key to hot, wiring harness hot. Insert key into loose transceiver - lose all power. I did this maybe a dozen times - trying to figure out WTF. This thing kills the module when a key gets into it. - but my wife comes out and looks at me to talk to me and says - hey you got the theft light to stop. Good job - then it clicked in my head that I had finally turned the anti theft pats to start mode. It passed pats - so it killed voltage to that sensor and started right up. Miracle. Same key - loose off of key cylinder transponder.
Moral of this story - everything was working - just the transceiver was really weak! I had to mount my spare key directly into the circle of the transceiver and zip tie it under the dash - truck starts and no theft light.
My gamble Paid off - otherwise truck was mechanically excellent - I got a steal.
I hadn't seen this "weak transceiver" fix out there so I hope this helps someone! I plan on buying a new one and getting her put back together correctly soon - but this is a good thing to try if you are using the right key and getting a fast theft flash on attempt to start!
Good Luck and thanks for the great forum!
12inDr (foot doctor)
Pomona, California via Little Rock, Arkansas
Everyone usually posts questions on here - well I have been reading and researching on here and trial and error on my 97 Eddie bauer for a few weeks and thought I should put in with a rare "success story" ...
Here goes ...
I bought a sweet 1997 Eddie Bauer 4x4 Eddie Bauer on ebay from a charity site for a steal ... Unknown history, great visible condition , column plastic pieces slightly mangled but overall - for the meager price - a bargain.
But it would not start ... Unknown tranny and motor condition - when I get the truck it actually does start - but only for a second or two - then - kill with a rapidly flashing anti theft light.
Thus (after adding a new battery) began my education into fords PATS system. The keys didn't seem to deactivate the anti theft system - one start with a couple seconds of run - then every turn of the key without turning to the off position would only turn over.
Here is what I learned:
1997 and 98 pats will start (no starter kill) then die under anti theft conditions
The theft light will rapidly flash for about a minute and then turn off - this is an indication that no key is being read.
After much checking of fuses, relays, PCM connections and grounds - I was at a loss and about to start buying parts. I did buy a Silica key programmer thinking the keys that came with the vehicle were not properly programmed - only to have the machine tell me that I didn't need it for my PATS 1 vehicle and to use the method I had learned (and unsuccessfully tried prior) of the 15minutes x 3 program new key. A which for me never worked once - my light only blinked for 1-2 minutes very rapidly.
So after pulling the codes and coming up empty after pouring over service manuals and wiring diagrams I decided to just check voltagein the system where I could. - starting with the pats key transceiver. I tested the 4 wires and got voltage on each at the unit with the key on and at the input from the module with the key on - seemed to be working normally. Getting voltage at all 4 wires.
Then I thought I would check the voltage if there was a key present inside the circle - we. I had the unit off of the key cylinder and had one key in the cylinder and another loose. I had to keep the key "on" to power the transceiver. So I used one key to keep that on and the other input in the circle of the transponder. When I did that I LOST ALL POWER TO THE UNIT on all 4 imputa wires. This perplexed me was not what i was expecting. I was on my back under the steering column doing this. - turn key to hot, wiring harness hot. Insert key into loose transceiver - lose all power. I did this maybe a dozen times - trying to figure out WTF. This thing kills the module when a key gets into it. - but my wife comes out and looks at me to talk to me and says - hey you got the theft light to stop. Good job - then it clicked in my head that I had finally turned the anti theft pats to start mode. It passed pats - so it killed voltage to that sensor and started right up. Miracle. Same key - loose off of key cylinder transponder.
Moral of this story - everything was working - just the transceiver was really weak! I had to mount my spare key directly into the circle of the transceiver and zip tie it under the dash - truck starts and no theft light.
My gamble Paid off - otherwise truck was mechanically excellent - I got a steal.
I hadn't seen this "weak transceiver" fix out there so I hope this helps someone! I plan on buying a new one and getting her put back together correctly soon - but this is a good thing to try if you are using the right key and getting a fast theft flash on attempt to start!
Good Luck and thanks for the great forum!
12inDr (foot doctor)
Pomona, California via Little Rock, Arkansas
