Hey guys, I have a 2000 EX V10 100K miles. Saturday my anti theft light started blinking rapidly and the truck would turn over but no fuel. No check engine light. Fires up if I use starter fluid. I have read online alot about PATS systems and keys so I tried my extra key.... Did not work. I am planning to try syncing the key with the truck again today. Whats next? I checked all fuses twice. I saw somewhere about the ECM? Might have an issue? Help? 1st time my baby has let me down.

 

I had an issue like that and it ended up being the battery was bad.

Got in the truck one morning and altough everything seemed normal my anti theft light was blinking. The truck would have enough power to crank and none of the usual signs of a low battery were present.

Best part about it was I have to move my truck off the street by 7am or they start ticketing/towing. Obviously I didn't budget time for that so I had a neighbor tow me around the corner. He suggested we try to jump start the battery, which we did, and the truck fired right up like nothing ever happened.

btw, the rescue vehicle was a 4 cyl Ranger. He said he REALLY felt the Ex back there and was glad we were only moving it slowly a few hundred feet.

 

I had a former Ford Mechanic stop by today with his plug in device. He accessed the PATS system and was not able reset it. He said something was keeping it active. Whats next steps?

 

Go see a current Ford tech

 

If the PCM does not see 9 volts or more during crank, it does not turn on the fuel pump. Try jumping the battery or using a battery charger. You can also just pull the fuel pump relay and jump the big terminals.

 

Where is the PCM on this EX?

 

Just get the battery tested, square one

 

Great info.... JUST a related question. What is the failure rate of the fuel shut off switch in the pass kick panel ?? I always read about in the manual BUT I've never seen it, know nothing about it but it does concern me slightly. Thanks

 

Not saying that there is not chance of it being the issue but I have never seen or heard of one being bad or being replaced. Others might have so don't just take my word for it but as far as I know it's an extremely simple switch that doesn't just break. Take the kick panel off though and make sure it didn't trip.

 

OK, back up a little. If the PATS light is flashing rapidly, it means one of two things. One, the pats system has detected what it thinks to be an attempt to steal the vehicle and is actively protecting the truck by preventing the fuel system from running. or two, the PATS system itself has a failure.

Since your buddy could access the PATS system but not get it to reset, sounds like a PATS system failure. You tried your spare key and that did not work, so likely the issue is the PATS key sensor (in the steering column around the ignition switch) or the PATS module itself.

Suggestion; disconnect the battery, close the vehicle up and lock doors manually. After 20 mins, reconnect the battery. Attach a jump battery or charger. Use your remote to unlock the vehicle and then try starting it. Note if the PATS light is flashing rapidly or not. I do not think this will solve the problem, since your buddy tried to reset the PATS system and failed, but it is worth a try.

If the above procedure does not work, likely it is the PATS module in which case you will need to tow it to dealer or shop to replace the module and re-program it to match your PCM. Or, you can use a SCT hand-held programmer to turns PATS off. (Dealer can do this but most likely will not, some repair shops have the tools to do this as well.)

 

I had this issue & had my diesel X towed to the dealer. They claimed it was the Hypertech module that was installed by previous owner.

Hypertech plugged in = theft light blinking, no start.
Hypertech not plugged in = started fine.

So I left the Hypertech module out & later upgraded to a PHP Hydra. Strangely, with PATS enabled on my PHP Hydra tunes, the theft light still blinks while I drive, but has never caused a No Start situation in the several years since I've had it.

When you have a stock X (meaning no chip), then if your theft flashes rapidly, and the vehicle won't start, your PATS system and PCM (vehicle's computer) are no longer in sync/ not recognizing each other. You will need to reset the PATS system.

To reset the PATS, perform the following steps:

Turn the key on, but do not attempt to start the vehicle.
Wait for the theft light to quit flashing rapidly. This should take about 45 seconds, after which the THEFT light will flash multiple times about every 3 seconds.
Turn the key off and remove the key from the ignition for 30 seconds.
Insert the key and turn the ignition to the ON position.
The THEFT light should illuminate for about 5 seconds and then go out.
PATS System should now be reset
You should be able to start your vehicle normally

Hope that helps.

 

Battery checked fine. Tried to jump it off..... no luck. Checked the fuel switch. Works fine. I have an appointment to drop it off with dealer Thursday am...... Hope it does not hurt to bad.
I tried the above procedure. Did not work. I am afraid to try jumping the module in fear of doing further damage electrically.

 

Bummer..Hopefully someone else can pipe in with a fix before then.

 

Where are you located? Finish your profile, someone might be close and be able to lend a hand

 

I had a anti theft not letting the truck start problem too... it turned out to be the windshield was leaking and water was getting into the GEM... A few days to let it dry and I haven't had a problem since