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Hey all - someone tried to steal my kids 2002 Ford Ranger. They busted the cap on the ignition. The anti-theft system has been activated and now the truck won't start.
the lock on the driver's door was punched in, too.
I read that the system could be reset by turning the ignition off and on 8 times. That hasn't worked.
I tried disconnecting the battery and reconnecting it for a hard reset.
that didn't work either. I'd appreciate any suggestions on getting the system to reset.
thanks!
Sounds like they might have broken the PATS transceiver. It's the part that energizes the chip in the key and reads the code. It can be replaced without needing to reprogram anything.
The key off-on thing is old anti-theft stuff. A 2002 will have codes that you can read, but if the transceiver is obviously broken or the wires are damaged you'll need to fix it.