Having issues with 98 explorer 5.0

[Steve Castlebury]

Just purchased this explorer and I am having issues with it installed a new battery and starter because it would not start when I bought it after I put the starter in and tried to start it nothing happened again so i checked all the fuses all good after that I accidentally locked myself out of the truck with the hood open tried to get in the back door and the alarm went off so I disconnected the battery waited about 10 minutes hooked it back up and the alarm system is still going off so I used a long rod through the passenger side window to open the driver's side door putthep key in the ignition and then hooked the battery back up it sounded like it reset no horn going off and when I tried to start it started right away that was yesterday today it will not start again is there something I'm doing wrong any help appreciated
Thanks Steve

 

[greenthinks@msn.]

Check your fuses .again sometimes they look good but arent Look at a book to find out which fuses are which. Then swap your relays around see what those are for.Cheapest things first. Also try the fuel pump disconnect thing i forget the right name for it but its when you get hit it stops the gas flow find it sometimes .inside upper right side /passenger side under the dash on floorboard Try a code reading if you can get one or get your car to a auto store that reads them for you.

 

[410Fortune]

Watch the theft light on the dash. It sounds like you have an issue with the PATS security key and or the ignition halo that picks up the key transponder signal. Pretty common!
Truck will crank and crank and no start with a bad PATS key, the theft light will be flashing.
How many keys did the truck come with?

 

[Steve Castlebury]

Watch the theft light on the dash. It sounds like you have an issue with the PATS security key and or the ignition halo that picks up the key transponder signal. Pretty common!
Truck will crank and crank and no start with a bad PATS key, the theft light will be flashing.
How many keys did the truck come with?

That is my thoughts also I only received one key with the explorer and it's not a factory ford key do you have any idea what I will have to do to get it either reprogrammed or new keys from Ford ?

 

[fastpakr]

We've had several recent discussions about generating new valid PATS keys, but I'm not clear yet on whether that's your issue. As 410fortune said - is your Anti theft light flashing?

 

[Steve Castlebury]

We've had several recent discussions about generating new valid PATS keys, but I'm not clear yet on whether that's your issue. As 410fortune said - is your Anti theft light flashing?

To answer that question I would have to be in the driver's seat in order to give the right answer ilI' check this afternoon

 

[Steve Castlebury]

Oki stop by my local locksmith on my way home from work to check and see if the key was good and he told me that it was reading the chip in the key so I came home and tried everything again with no luck theft light is flashing on the dash until I insert the key and then goes solid for a few seconds and cuts off then I cycle the key and nothing one other thing is that the factory radio is not in the dash but an after market Panasonic

 

[Steve Castlebury]

Checked all the fuses one more time they all look good is it possible that the ignition switch under the dash is no good ?

 

[Steve Castlebury]

One more thing I noticed is that when I cycle the key to start it the brake light on the dash comes on

 

[410Fortune]

check the wiring to your starter and make sure the grounds from your battery are hooked up properly

It could be a few different things, the PATS system will not disable the starter it disables the fuel injectors.
There is a relay in the power box under the hood that is your starter relay
Check all fuses and relays
Check the wiring to your new starter and battery
Check that you have more then 12V at the battery
report back

 

[Steve Castlebury]

I'll check this afternoon when I get off work yep working on a Saturday go figure but thanks for all your help up to this point going to fix it if it kills me

 

[Steve Castlebury]

Ok now we're cooking with Butter I've gotten it to start I'm not sure if it was the relay's bad connection or the ignition switch under the dash but it's running now and I've started it multiple times so thanks for all the help now I can sleep at night
Thanks again

 

[Steve Castlebury]

Ok maybe I spoke too soon tried to start again and nothing thought I had it fixed but nope so I fooled around with the relay's again but I didn't have a way to check them to see if they were good so I took the panel off below the steering wheel to look at the switch and sure enough someone had installed some type of security system and cut one of the main wires going to the switch so all I did is splice them back together and that was my whole problem

 

[Steve Castlebury]

Thanks again
Steve

 

[410Fortune]

YES!! You did it!
Aftermarket installs are the worst!!!!! I am always removing aftermarket wiring disasters from our vehicles
the sad part is most times the owner wiring jobs are better then the "car toys" or stereo shop installs