The remote entry system on my ’02 F250 SDSC stops responding to the remotes about 22 seconds after I close the doors. Actually it seems to happen 22 seconds after the last of any event that the system takes note of (open/close doors, push remote button, push manual lock switch, insert or extract key from ignition…). This seems to roughly coincide with the dome light shutting off, though I’ve caught it responding to the remote a few times within a second or so after the dome light shuts off. It happens slightly later than when the door unlock disable kicks in at about 17-18 seconds. I’ve tried them all. Note that if I’m inside and hit the disabled door unlock, this wakes the system up and it will then recognize the remotes.

My father died and I inherited the truck a few months ago and am still learning about it. Fixing it means more to me than the truck’s otherwise very cherry condition. But it came without remotes and I only accidently discovered that it had the remote entry system at all. 3 new Ford OEM remotes all registered in the system programming procedure just fine (door lockers confirmed), and they consistently work great within that 22 second window. I would think the system was being powered from one of the timed accessory lines, and the main power cut, but the manual lock buttons always work just fine (except for the door unlock disable feature which also works just fine).

Any ideas where to start? The system is really useless as it is.

I am a new user and hope I'm posting this correctly. Please advise if not.

 

I think that's how it's supposed to work (actually 20 seconds per the manual) - some sort of safety measure

The manuals are available online for free - just google 2002 super duty.

 

From the owner's manual:

Power door unlock disable feature (if equipped)
The UNLOCK feature on your power door locks will not work from inside the vehicle when:
• the ignition has been turned to the OFF position, and
• 20 seconds elapse after all vehicle doors are closed and locked using the remote entry transmitter,
or the power door unlock control (while the accompanying door is open).
The UNLOCK feature will work again after:
• a door has become ajar,
• the ignition is turned to the ON position, or
• using the UNLOCK control on your remote entry transmitter.

Power door unlock disable feature — activation/deactivation
Please see your dealer in order to activate/deactivate this feature.

 

I understand the unlock disable feature, and it works just as described and prevents someone from coat-hangering the manual unlock button.

My problem is that the remotes stop working. If I shut the door and walk away with the remote in my pocket. 22 seconds later the truck will not longer respond to the remote. This means that I can't unlock the doors with the remote, I can't use the panic alarm, I can't even lock the doors with the remote if I wait more than 22 seconds after I leave the truck.

I found the wiring diagram last night and it looks like the VSM is powered from un-switched power (4 fuses), so it shouldn't be due to one of the delayed accessory circuits. I have no ideas.

 

Update:

I used the procedure in the owner's manual to disable the unlock disable feature that seville009 and Alloro talked about above. (Thanks for chiming in, by the way, even with the misunderstanding. Any help is welcome, even just to know someone is listening.)

So now I can turn off the key, open the door, hit the lock button (or the remote if it's still working), and close the door, and then wait about 18 seconds to when the door unlock would have quit working, and it continues to function and will indefinitely.

The effect on my problem was interesting. Now the remotes stop working after only 10 seconds instead of the 22 they lasted before. As before the remote receiver never wakes up until I unlock the door with the key and open it. Hmmm.

Really. Has anyone at all seen this before???