I just walked up to an explorer at a junk yard and was able to lock n unlock with my truck key. They want 50 dollars or more here for a chip key. Only possible rf I can think of in my truck would be my gps or cell phone.

 

Would fuel pump relay cause theft light to blink fast? I pulled over to help someone broke down today then truck wouldn't start, theft light was blinking fast. I disconnected battery terminals several times then I swapped 2 relays and it fired right up. When my truck won't start the theft light is flashing rapidly and normally taking key out and back in or switching keys will fix it but today that wouldn't even work. But soon as i swapped 2 relays it fired right up. No check engine lights are on.

 

No, that relay has nothing to do with the PATS system.

It's never going to come on for a PATS event. Not supposed to.

Waste of time.
You have to tell us WHICH two, we aren't psychic....

 

I guess the pcm and fuel pump relay. Then it started. There's mention online about my issue and it being a relay issue.
'

 

Ford said key could have went bad and wanted me to have it towed to them. Do keys with chips go bad?

 

http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t11886_ds602159 Many different supposed fixes.

 

Yes, chipped keys can go bad. So can the transceiver in the column.

 

Guessing isn't much of a plan. Also, swap the suspected critical relay with an identical NON-CRITICAL relay. Mark them so you can keep track of them before moving anything.

It is VERY rare for a key's chip to fail, the problem is almost always something else. It cannot be ruled out completely, you'd need an additional key to do so and have to do some comparison testing. Have you done that?

There is so much stupid and wrong stuff in that post that it ought to be erased from the internet. The only valid points in the whole thread are in regards the wiring to the PATS transceiver.


Specific questions, please answer with specific observations:

Turn the ignition key from OFF to RUN (not START). If the THEFT light is fast-flashing proceed, otherwise, turn it OFF, then repeat until it enters a PATS failure state.

1. What is the state of the CHECK ENGINE light, on or off?
2. With the PATS in a failure state, what is the status of the digital odometer display?
3. Put the cluster into the HEC Dealer Test Mode (google it) and go to the DTCs section. Which DTCs is the cluster displaying, if any?

Report your specific observations for analysis.

 

The wires for transceiver is why I posted it. My odometer doesn't show anything including mileage again and I don't plan on pulling it out to re-solder. Currently I'm using my spare key because yesterday when truck started after the 2 hours of being stranded it was with my spare key.

I can always tell when its not going to start based on my theft light.

yes I normally use my everyday key and it has always been the one where I occasionally have issue. So I'm using spare to see if I have any issues for 2 weeks with the spare key. If I don't have any more issues my 2 differences are switching relays and using spare key.

Ford insisted yesterday if it's in theft mode I would have to have it towed. Ford also said Its probably a bad key and it would cost 65 to program key plus 50 for key. I said normally you can program key yourself if you have two working keys from what Ive been told Ford didn't seem to acknowledge this.

I have read of people switching or replacing relays with this problem and problem went away. I had 2 black 5 prong relays and that is the ones I swapped. I'm not sure what relays they are as I didn't have a diagram at the time telling me what they were for. Auto parts store said one is for the fuel pump.

 

Your owner's manual has a fuse and relay chart - if you don't have one, read projectSHO89's sig.

 

pcm and fuel pump relays were the ones swapped based on what I looked up online on diagrams.

 

I was pretty sure it was pcm and fuel pump relay without looking it up. I'll report tonight. Do u think I should buy new relays or a new key or just spare key for awhile?
This has been occasional issue but had problem yesterday and day before using regular key.

 

Absolutely, that's how it's supposed to function. If the THEFT light is fast-flashing, engine operation will not be permitted.

Your dealer (not "Ford") said that because 1) they aren't coming out to your truck and 2) if it won't start, you're not driving it to them. How many other choices does a dealer have?

It *might* be your key, it *might* be anything else in the system. It would take hands-on work by a technician with the proper equipment and training to accurately pinpoint the cause so it can be addressed or they can just start guessing and charge you for every guess, whether it's wrong or right...

Unlikely. It's publicly available information and it's in the Ford factory service information. Perhaps the dealer contact you spoke with was simply uninformed. You must have two UNIQUE keys in hand that are already in the system and the number of keys previously programmed into the system cannot be at its maximum (usually 8) in order to self-program additional keys without special test equipment.

Yes. That's because either the relay's socket contacts were corroded or had a poor connection into the socket or the relay's internal contacts were wearing out and the jostling gave them a bit of a better connection, at least long enough to work for a little while.

 

so replace relays or just use spare key for awhile? which do u recommend? relays for 2 are abour 22.00 key is at least 50. using spare key for awhile is free.

 

Do whatever you wish until you have more information.

Relays are cheap. Carry a spare new one in the glove box for awhile.

If time shows that the spare key ALWAYS works, then it's likely the original key was indeed the problem. Get a new one and get it programmed into the system. As noted previously, you do need TWO unique functional keys to do this yourself using the simple add-a-key procedure.