Please Help this idiot...

[aipock]

Greetings! Just got me this 2000 Explorer this year, it had noticable steering column issues (wobbly wheel, turn signals required manual shutoff) but came with an entire column from a 2001. I shelved the spare until recently my son drove it home and and it would not shut off (broken actuator? i think). Anyway he pulled the PCM relay to shut off the engine which worked, but may have led me to this problem in the end and I do not know...I have installed the other column today(with many hardships w/ harnesses but I think I got it) and now through this forum I have learned the complexity of the PATS system. The spare column came with one smart key (I need 2 to reprogram right?) and engine cranks but does not start and has rapid theft light. Did he fry the PCM relay by pulling from running truck? I need to know my course of action here, it does have keyless entry but only one key from the salvage column and I dont have a valet key if that would even help me. I also have only one key that came with the truck from the OEM ignition. It appears the broken column may have been a replacement as well because the electronics on the wheel that never worked have no harness but I see the taped floating wires wrapped up behind pedals. Any ideas on getting it drivable?

 

[VR4]

Swap your original lock cylinder to the new column. Takes about 15 seconds to remove it.

 

[aipock]

Ok will do that after work. Is it not broken though? The key just turns and would not start it or shut it off and when I tried to start from the old switch with screwdriver in hole it would crank but flash theft rapidly just like its doing now with new column. Probably dumb question but does the broken actuator cause the key to do this?

 

[aipock]

update:

OK I changed lock cylinder to old one and action is good but no start...then I realized this new column does not have the yellow box (anti-theft control?) coming off of it like the OEM did - it has an aftermarket Tyco relay with a spade ground on it. The wires are a different color and they connect to another harness that the old column did not have that runs to my fuse box. So am I wrong or will it start if I can figure out what 5 wires to use and hook up the yellow box and harness to this column? Little too much for me right now I will attack it fresh this afternoon.. Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input.

 

[1997XLTRollover]

Ok here's PATS in a nutshell. Your instrument cluster, PCM and chip in your key must match or the truck will not start. As far as I know the box in the steering column does not effect it as it only sends the signal (I could be wrong on this though). If you put your old ignition in it should all work.

Here's the kicker, trigger the pats system and be prepared to wait. If you trigger it (trying to start with the wrong key) or somehow set it off, there's no way around it except wait 8 hours for it to reset. Hopefully this is the issue you are having and it will start for you today. Fords PATS system is an extremely good anti theft system, just can be a pain to work with if you do not know what you are doing.

 

[Logangray02sport]

I would remove the shroud from around the column if it isn't already. The tumble or key switch has a black ring around the outer parameter of where your key tumbler switch would go in this is called a pats transceiver you can look that up to see a picture on Google that is what would need to be swapped honestly I would take it back out and swap all the electronics from your first column to your second especially if it's a tilt I have seen people splice them in then come undone at the worst time due to the tilting of the column

 

[aipock]

Fixed

Yes that did it....Found a loose wire in the harness for the transmitting end of the transciever mounted above the brake pedal. With that fixed and the old lock cylinder she fired right up. Thank you, all of you. :yelexp