Starting and PATS problems

[bflood]

Hi, I have two problems with my 3.0 tour... please help.

1. The only way to start the car is to lock and unlock the doors with the key fob and then use the key. If you just use the key to unlock the doors and then turn the key nothing happens. Is something wrong with my PATS?

2. Occassionally the car will not start, randomly and out of the blue. Not flooded, or at least doesn't smell like gas. New plugs, wires, Fuel filter, fuel pressure reg, IAC valve. This used to happen about once every 2 months, now about once a week. The real mistery is that if you wait a hour it fires right up like nothing happened. This really SUCKS! and it's totally intermitant.

PLEASE HELP

Thanks,

Bryan

 

[BrApple]

first we need some more information on your vehicle

year, miles, type of 3L, etc


to determine if pats is working correctly monitor the pats led and let us know what it does when the car doesn't start.

to me it sounds like you have some sort of alarm the is locking the starter out

 

[bflood]

more info

more info

Car is a 1998, 3.0L V6 "sport" problems are:

1. Always need to use key fob to start car

2. It always cranks, but sometimes does not start, no sent of fuel and always starts an hour later.

problems may not be related

bryan

 

[FavoriteMystaque]

In my Mystique, the Factory Installed keyless entry has no interaction with the PATS. PATS is a part of the key itself. Is your "key fob" a Ford device? Like this:

 

[bflood]

Mistake 1999 ford contour

Mistake 1999 ford contour

My key fob does not look like that b/c it doesn't have a trunk pop-er but it does have the lines across the bottom. I believe it is factory however I made a mistake my contour is actually a 1999 ford contour! Oops sorry, but thanks for all the help. My problem is really wierd b/c some times I will turn the key w/o unlocking on acident. So then I have to unlock with the fob and then turn the key again to get the starter to turn.

So anyway its a 1999 contour.

Thanks,

Bryan

 

[rouar]

My key fob does not look like that b/c it doesn't have a trunk pop-er but it does have the lines across the bottom. I believe it is factory however I made a mistake my contour is actually a 1999 ford contour! Oops sorry, but thanks for all the help. My problem is really wierd b/c some times I will turn the key w/o unlocking on acident. So then I have to unlock with the fob and then turn the key again to get the starter to turn.

So anyway its a 1999 contour.

Thanks,

Bryan

Your remote is not factory. Are the buttons round instead of square?

I think you have a Ford "System 1" keyless entry system. It is actually a dealer-installed keyless entry, manufactured by Code Alarm. In my old Contour, the control box was tucked behind the plastic panel right by your left dead pedal (it is black and has a huge Ford sticker on it).

This system IS tied into the starter. It does not interact with PATS, rather it is individually wired to the starter. It will lock your ignition when you lock your car using the remote. If you lock the car WITHOUT using the remote, then you can open the doors with the key and start the car. Of course this defeats the purpose of having keyless entry.

If you need to bypass it, there is a tiny button (silver I think?) to bypass. On my car, it was installed in the left plastic panel, positioned next to the fuel pump shutoff switch, near the dead pedal. Press that button WHILE attempting to start the car, and it will bypass the ignition lock.

You can get rid of this "feature" if you want. Remove the panel underneath your steering column. You'll see the wiring near the ignition, and notice an ignition wire tapped into the control box (when you find the box).

Lastly --- to pop the trunk, press and HOLD the unlock button for 2+ seconds. The trunk will pop ONLY IF it was hooked up to the system. (A solenoid needs to be physically installed, and it was never done on my car.) You will also hear the black control click as it sends signals -- for example if you hold the unlock button, you'll hear it click once for unlocking the doors and then again to pop the trunk.

 

[rouar]

I attached some pictures I have from my old Contour. Sorry they're not more detailed. The back of the control box has a wiring scheme - states what each wire goes to. The ignition lock was a separate harness from the main wiring - it's very obvious when you find the box.

The wiring is the stuff wrapped in black tape. There was also other wiring that was tapped into wiring that ran under the driver's door sill (by the trunk release). That might have been for the locks but I can't recall.

I also have the System 1 owner's manual I can scan if you're "that" interested. It doesn't really say much in terms of wiring though, mainly owner operation -- how to lock the car, etc.

 

[bflood]

Ford Anti Theft

Ford Anti Theft

Wow, great response, that is exactly my problem... or pehpaps lack thereof. I think I am going to disable the starter and ignition interlock b/c it seems reasonable that my occasional not starting problem could be the control box ignition interlock begining to fail but the starter interlock still working. Not really certain but this will test that theory.

Im assuming the ignition wires running to the control box get connected to disable the interlock? b/c they previously spliced into the ignition wire?

thanks

Bryan

 

[rouar]

I can't guarantee that, since I never tried myself (and this is all from memory anyway, sold that car 2 years ago) ... but it sounds reasonable. Good luck!