Crank issues

[John J Johnson]

I have a 99 explorer 5.0, I started having battery issues and had to get a jump a few times. I replaced the battery started right up but after about 10 minutes it would shut off and just spin over and not fire while trying to crank the theft light flashes fast. After about I hour it will fire again but do same thing. Ok so I have a theft light code flash of 1-6. Now before the battery issues twice I had a beeping sound coming from dash area turned truck off and restarted sound went away. Upon searching I was thinking about replacing PATS modular and PCM and everything from a donor 99 explorer,well I was looking at PCM and when I pulled the plastic piece to look at it I noticed about 1000 ants in base of floor board by the panel. Also my shifter the little orange thing is no longer lining up with what gear while actually in park it shows it's in R. Any ideas of what the problem could be I'm out of work and have very little money and I need my truck to get a job.

 

[donalds]

Check your battery cables and ground straps

As far as the shifter look under the dash for the shifter linkage for loosened bolts they are gold t30 bit may even be one in the floor board

Good place to start

 

[974X4BLACKSPORT]

Vacuum the ants out ASAP, then give the rest of the vehicle a good cleaning, you might find more ants or other critters. Ants can get do damage to electronics if they get into them seeking warmth to make a nest. Remove food sources the ants might seek out like garbage and human food scraps. Be careful what you load into the vehicle that nothing contains ants giving them the ability to move from one place to another.

 

[J_C]

If it's parked in an enclosed garage, set out ant traps, like the typical corn syrup/boric-acid type that the workers take back to the colony to kill them all. If outdoors, use outdoor granules and reapply after it rains. Move the vehicle at least a few inches, ants use a scent trail to get back and forth to the colony so if left parked exactly where it is, workers outside will find their way back inside... or wash the tires.

Disconnect the battery and pull any electronics modules near the ant infestation and open them if you can. Insects can short circuit boards so if it needs cleaned out (hopefully is not damaged), this should be ruled out first.

Otherwise PATS 1:6 is Faulty link between PATS module (in steering column, around ignition lock) and ECM, so could be either end, or a connector or wire in between. You can replace the module and not need programming, but if you replace the ECM it will not have your current key IDs stored so they will have to be programmed in. For this reason, after looking at both ends and the connectors, my next try would be getting the steering column module from a junkyard.

Forget about the transmission "shifter" indicator for the time being, just don't let anyone else drive it so you know you are the only one that needs to be familiar with the issue and know how many notches it needs to go to be in drive, reverse, etc. However there are topic(s) in this forum about fixing that, but it is not crucial towards using the vehicle.

 

[John J Johnson]

If it's parked in an enclosed garage, set out ant traps, like the typical corn syrup/boric-acid type that the workers take back to the colony to kill them all. If outdoors, use outdoor granules and reapply after it rains. Move the vehicle at least a few inches, ants use a scent trail to get back and forth to the colony so if left parked exactly where it is, workers outside will find their way back inside... or wash the tires.

Disconnect the battery and pull any electronics modules near the ant infestation and open them if you can. Insects can short circuit boards so if it needs cleaned out (hopefully is not damaged), this should be ruled out first.

Otherwise PATS 1:6 is Faulty link between PATS module (in steering column, around ignition lock) and ECM, so could be either end, or a connector or wire in between. You can replace the module and not need programming, but if you replace the ECM it will not have your current key IDs stored so they will have to be programmed in. For this reason, after looking at both ends and the connectors, my next try would be getting the steering column module from a junkyard.

Forget about the transmission "shifter" indicator for the time being, just don't let anyone else drive it so you know you are the only one that needs to be familiar with the issue and know how many notches it needs to go to be in drive, reverse, etc. However there are topic(s) in this forum about fixing that, but it is not crucial towards using the vehicle.

What is the ECM is that the same as the PCM

 

[John J Johnson]

What is the ECM is that the same as the PCM

? If you also would know there are 2 wires 1 white and 1 black running behind the glovebox it is unplugged and hanging the connector runs through the firewall to engine compartment and clue on what it would be

 

[J_C]

Yes PCM and I have no idea what those wire are. Follow them out into the engine bay to see where they go.

 

[crunchie_frog]

Hey JJJ, pull your alternator and have it tested at Advance Auto, Autozone, O'Reilly's near you. Start with the obvious, if that is not it, check your ground connections and battery connections...