Securilock driving me crazy!!

[ginger]

I am new, so be kind!! For the past two months I have been having an intermittent problem with my PAT system on my "98 Explorer. Sometimes it refuses to disengage when I get in and try to start it. The X will crank forever, but it will not even attempt to start. I have been to a good local mechanic, who discovered that when this is happening, he gets a code saying that the anti theft system is engaged. I have observed that when it won't start, my "theft" light is blinking rapidly instead of staying on while its cranking. I have read everthing posted here, but I still don't know the answer. However, for the past two weeks, it has started consistently. But only if I have the tilt wheel all the way down before I try to start it. Is there anything inside the steering column that might be shorting out? Any ideas at all? I would be grateful.
ginger

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! Was the steering column opened up to check for skinned insulation? Did you try to pull the fuse for it when this happens?

 

[ginger]

No, I haven't gotten into the column yet. But I was wondering if there might be something in there grounding out. I guess that should be my next step. I'm still driving it 50+ miles daily for work. As long as I remember to have the tilt wheel the whole way down, it has started every time.
Is the fuse in that large box under the hood, or the little one inside ? Haven't pulled it because I figured they would have it designed to prevent me from disconnecting it. I would be very happy to do without the added "security" at this stage of the game.
Thanks for responding. It was a little scary posting for the first time.

 

[IAmTodd]

Does this happen with all of your keys?

 

[ginger]

I have had the X since it was new, and these are the original two keys. Yes, it happens with either key even if they're not on the key ring with other keys.

 

[BrooklynBay]

I've read about wires being pierced in the column which affected cruise control, and transmissions shifting erratically. One recall I believe involved wires underneath the driver's seat for the power seat motor. They got pierced by the seat track moving on them instead of routing the wiring harness under the track. It wouldn't hurt to open the column to check in there.

 

[ginger]

I've read about the clockspring in the column causing all sorts of problems. My husband's F150 has intermittent cruise control and horn due to the clockspring. Either one works or neither does. I guess this might be something similar...

 

[ginger]

I'm going to sleep on it. Sometimes my brain thinks and solves something while I'm asleep.

 

[IAmTodd]

I would check inside the column. I don't believe the PATS reciever is wired into the clockspring, so you should be safe there. Sounds like a wire grounding out somehwhere in the area of where the column pivots.

 

[ginger]

Well, here it is mid-June and my temporary solution of putting the steering wheel all the way down to de-activate the anti-theft system ceased to function Thursday evening. So I finally got up the nerve to go into the column and look for bad wires. Didn't find any. But when I pulled out the ignition cylinder, there was a broken part in there. It's a small contact that rides in a slot in the socket area that the cylinder fits in. It is a black wire with purple slash marks on it which ends in a blue plastic clip that holds this contact in place. When the key is turned the parts of the cylinger rotate and a contact area on it lines up with this 3/16 wide spade-shaped contact and I don't know what happens next...Is it possible that this is part of the anti-theft system thats supposed to read my key and disengage the system?? Right now my little red theft light blinks rapidly again when I try to start it, and the engine only cranks. If anyone out these has a clue what this little contact does, or a picture with a brakdown of the ignition area, please help me.