PATS Issue - No Fob and Only One Key!

[flyingmonkie]

Hi everybody!

My parents just bought a 2002 Sport Trac and are already having PATS issues. They removed the battery cables to clean the terminals, and now the "THEFT" light flashes at them and the engine won't crank. I've spent some time this evening on the forum and am pretty confident this is a PATS issue... I'm also afraid they may be in trouble as they only have ONE key, and have no key fob.

Any ideas on what they can do... other than going to a dealership?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[ncranchero]

Welcome to the site and Sport Trac forum!

The THEFT light flashing is normal, flashing really fast is not and indicates an incorrect key read. The FOB is a non-issue, pick one up on eBay and program it yourself. Only one key IS going to require a trip to the dealership or a high-end locksmith with the programming equipment.

Now for the no crank issue. Make sure the battery is fully charged and installed correctly. Did they take the cables off and clean them as a result of slow cranking or a dead battery? If the key has been working, and I assume it has been, then there is another issue. Also be sure and check the fuses.

A similar thing happened on my Mustang after it had sat & not driven for a month or more. I put the key in and it didn't crank, theft light flashing rapidly. I took the key out, turned it over, started right up. The battery did act a bit weak in my case.

First thing though is to make sure the battery is fully charged.