QuestionThank you for your response...the red THEFT light on the dask display blinks - intermittently as normal before the car is started and then when trying to start and it will not turn over, the THEFT light blinks rapidly. We do not have any other type of alarm system on the car, just the factory Passive Anti-theft system - No siren, no lights flashing, no horn blaring. Just the stupid THEFT light blinking rapidly preventing the car from turning over and moving. Thanks again for your help! Shanna
P.S. I agree w/ your dealership comment; my husband spoke w/ them initially and he was told it's not the keys, etc. Well now he's out of town and the Ford dealership will hear from ME first thing tomorrow morning!
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The text above is a follow-up to ...
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I have a 1999 Ford Mustang. It's been all checked out. No battery, spark plug, etc problems (battery spark plugs, alternator are all brand new). We had two brand new keys made at the Ford dealership and programmed there. We have intermittent problems with it starting. Some times you go out and it starts right up. Other times, you try to start it and it cranks but will not turn over (forgive my ignorance w/ auto terms). It's like it's stuck in THEFT limbo. Most times, if you leave and come back 10 minutes later, it will start right up. It's like the car does not recognize the key and the Passive Anti-theft system locks. Is there a way to reset/trick the car in to starting? Tonight, we waited an hour between trys on 3 separate occasions and it still will not start up. HELP! How do we get the THEFT system to let the car start? (We called the dealership when this first happened after the new keys were made and programmed and they said it is not their fault and there's nothing they can do.) Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
*sll
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Dear Shanna,
I need to know if there is a worded
blinking light that says "anti theft" or "security" when this is happening, or is it a bright LED light in the dash, a blaring siren, and the parking lights flashing? Or,
is this the car's horn & head lights flashing?
If neither, then the dealership needs to look after
the code reader in the ignition column as the "programmed"
code keys they sold you are not always being read by the Mustangs key code reader, and you paid a gazillion dollars, and want that famous "Ford Cares" moto to kick in here, or your money back on the fouled keys they sold you.
To be fair, Not all dealerships suck like that, but lately, the work ethic and blame game seems to be the norm at the
local car dealerships. I would think that it does have a lasting affect on the NEXT vehicle purchase choices I would make if this was the kind of reply Ford offered me, and I were you. "service" is becoming thin out there!
But still, that does not help you today.
Let me know about the kind of experience and describe a bit to me as to if there is an alarm issue or the immobilizer.
Alarmtek
AnswerOk, first, go get um Shanna! Shoddy work desrves a good swift kick in the pants. Tell the dealer that the
key is intermitently scrambling the code that they programmed to the keys THEY sold you, and they need to follow up on that sale.
It is the problem you took it to them to fix in the first place. They might want to consider inspecting and or replacing the reader in the ignition this time, as opposed to charging again for the reprogramming to a system that may be actually be malfunctioning.
Let me know what develops tomorrow.
A.
