QuestionQUESTION: My friend's '99 Ford Taurus wagon went into alarmed mode immediately after he turned of the ignition, following a drive. He can't open the door without it alarming again.
Here is the status: dash light blinks 3 times, pauses, etc.
Opening door causes alarm. Neither lock/unlock with key on both doors, nor using power locks (which work), nor using key fob (which doesn't work, even with new battery), nor putting ignition in ACC or run position will cancel it. Starter will not operate. Horn and lights of course flash as is normal when setting off alarm. Interior lights work so IOD must be OK.
I checked fuses in power box under hood, except for 40 amps which I assume aren't involved.
I noticed a couple of "diodes" in the power box and wonder if one of those might be related to the anti-theft system and gone bad. I don't have any manual other than the owner's to work with.
Any direction as to where to look next would be most appreciated. I am a "fellow" expert, specializing in the Chrysler Repair category, but am totally novice on Ford and its alarm system.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
ANSWER: Roland,
This sounds after market (the dash lights flashing)
to me.
Try this:
See if you can put it into valet/service mode,
and try to reset the alarm to default mode.
Look under the dash area for a button or, a toggle
switch. When you locate it, turn on the ignition
key, press and hold in the button (little
spring loaded micro button, red or black possibly)
until the alarm chirps 1 time. This should over ride
the system, and only the keyless entry part,
if installed, would still be operating.
The LED (light emiting diode) light in the dash
should also go on solid.
At this point. the alarm would have reset.
If this had a starter kill relay installed,
it would now be opened, and the engine would
turn over when tried.
You would repeat these steps to go back to
user mode to see if this was corrected.
Let me know if it works for yours.
ALARMTEK
INSTALLSUPPORT.COM
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the quick response. However, I am certain this is the factory-installed system. There is no mention of an underdash push-button, etc. in the manual but that may just be that Ford didn't want to tell the owner about it?
The dash light I mentioned as flashing is clearly a factory-installed LED to the left of the cluster.
So my question is, if there is indeed such a reset switch under the dash on a '99 can you give me a hint as to where to look specifically under the dash? Otherwise, I will just start searching. Many thanks for the quick response.
Roland
AnswerHmmm, well if it is factory, you have 2 systems
independently working in this car.
The PATS is the fuel rail cut off
system and then you have the noise generating,
headlight honking system. This is one can be circumented
with grounding a wire. I can't not disclose this here,
as it just lends to theft, but that part can be done.
Write to me at installsupport@aol.com and I will share
it as a courtesy to a fellow "expert".
If it's the PATS, then Ford will need to put it on the code
reader to reset it. No other way to do that I am afraid.
Once done though, you can bypass it as long as the friend
has 2 ignition keys to program the bypass kit needed.
But if no siren exists, or the parking lights and cluster lights don't flash, likey as not to be the factory and or PATS.
A.
