Ford antitheft

[jaybee]

Anyone know how to tell if the antitheft has been triggered on a late model Ford and the key needs reset?

I'm looking at one that won't trigger the starter and I'm not sure why.  Tomorrow once the parts stores reopen I'll get the battery checked.  It was completely flat, wouldn't even run the dash lights beyond a dim glow on one of them.  Doesn't seem to want to charge, the needle doesn't come off "0" and I've tried 2 chargers.

With sufficient time on the charger and a boost it makes a rythmic "Kick-Kick-Kick-Kick" noise.  Not dissimilar to the "d-d-d-d-d-d-" of a starter that won't engage due to a flat battery but MUCH slower.  

I wouldn't be concerned about the antitheft but at one point I tried to turn over the engine by disconnecting the PCM and hitting the key.  That was the first time the car did this, but it hadn't been turned in a while so the battery could have gone flat in the interim.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

year , make , model?   Engine size?

[jaybee]

2001 Ford Taurus 3.0L

[Harry]

I had a similar problem. Someone told me to unlock the driver's door using the key.
It worked.

[wayne petty]

sounds like a completely bad battery or dirty battery cables to me...


it could also be the positive battery cable connection at the starter relay..


or the ground end of the negative cables at the block/transmission.. or at the body... i have had to fix multiple ground wires right at the core support on many fords... they fray until there is only a few strands until the car just won't start...

remember.. electrons move from negative to positive... so if you have a bad ground.. you will not have enough electrons to operate the circuit.. ,


headlights are not part of the alarm system on 99% of cars... so they should turn on...   turn them on....   for about a minute... turn them off... measure the battery voltage with your digital volt meter set to 20 volts DC scale..

12.65 volts is a full charge..

12.45 volts is half a charge..

12.25 volts is a quarter charge..

you can also test the wiring system..  if you have over half a charge on the battery...

turn on the headlights and the ignition key..  even if they don't come on..    

test from the positive battery post to the threaded part of the starter relay ....  0.02 volts is good..

test from the negative battery post to the engine block.. 0.02 volts is good..

test from the negative battery post to the body...  0,02 volts is good..

if you get more... or less post what you get...

[jaybee]

Thanks.  I'm about convinced it's a bad battery but can't shake the worry that something went pear-shaped in the antitheft.  This car sat for months with a dead battery before it was brought to me and sat for another 1 1/2 months in pieces with me unable to even get to the garage to touch it.  I pulled the heads based on someone else's diagnosis only to find out it was a bad front cover gasket.  My garage heat even quit right in the middle of the project.  I'll be very glad to get rid of this one.

[jaybee]

Sure enough the battery was bad, dead cell...

But did I mention this one has fought me every step of the way?  Now the fuel pump isn't running.  No pressure whatsoever at the fuel rails.  I'm tracing the circuit to find out why.  The fuel pump relay socket goes live with the switch.  I checked the relay with jumpers.  It goes live with power and shows continuity at the switched contacts when powered.  The inertial switch doesn't depress so it's apparently not tripped.  I'm about to test the switch for continuity and check to make sure the wiring harness is live at the plug.

[wayne petty]

dead in tank fuel pump tip......

takes 2 people....   one person under the car.. pounding hard on the bottom of the fuel tank... while another cranks the engine...

this will about 80 percent of the time... get the fuel pump to spin at least a few times more...

i have found cars with fuel pumps that were so bad.. and i had to use the intake pump to lower the fuel level before i could drop the tank... without spilling the fuel all over the shop....  i had the caravan jacked up on one end...  i wired a fuel pump relay with a remote wire switch .. so i could control the power... sat under the truck with a big rubber mallet and pounded and pounded as the fuel pump chugged along..  took over an hour... to drain the totally full tank...  this one was equipped with a roll over ball in the filler neck so i could not get a siphon hose in..

do you have a harbor freight near you... they have the little plug in amp tester that rooster got for his 95 olds thread to monitor amp draw...

there is a amp draw spec for most electric fuel pumps...  and that can be monitors at the fuel pump fuse...    when the pumps go bad.. they draw more current usually...

autozone does have some wiring diagrams on this...

http://www.autozone.com:80/autozone/repairinfo/repairguide/repairGuideContent.jsp?pageId=0996b43f8036e090

you will have to log in to get at them...


here is the exact wiring diagram for the fuel pump..

http://repairguide.autozone.com/znetrgs/repair_guide_content/en_us/images/0996b43f/80/23/d5/aa/large/0996b43f8023d5aa.gif

[jaybee]

Interesting.  No voltage by the time it gets back to the inertial switch.  Instead I have continuity across the two terminals at the inertial switch plug.  I assume it's connecting through the fuel pump to ground on one side, through the PCM to ground on the other.  

My read of the wiring diagram leads me to guess that 926 to the PCM tells it that the fuel pump relay has called for the pump to run, and 727 to the PCM tell it that the relay is routing power to the pump.  

I think my next step is to unhook the PCM and see if the circuit opens.  That won't tell me why there's no voltage, but one thing at a time.

[wayne petty]

wait... edit... i was looking at the motorcraft parts page.. there seems to be a fuel pump driver module...

Callout Name: 9D372
Part Number   Part Description   Price   Your Price   Availability   Quantity

Fuel Pump Driver Module
``BEFORE 1-1-03''
$109.70           
9D372

Fuel Pump Driver Module
All Wagons
$104.55       

http://www.fordparts.com/Default.aspx



this is a clear picture of one on a Crown victoria..

http://i775.photobucket.com/albums/yy37/red_spetsnaz/thing1.jpg



more info..



Pin #1: Fuel Pump, Control Signal
Pin #2: Ground
Pin #3: Fuel Pump Negative
Pin #7: Fuel Pump Monitor
Pin #9: Module/Pump Power
Pin #10: Fuel Pump Positive

There is a voltage drop of approximately 1v through the FPDM due to the electronic characteristics of the module.

[wayne petty]

3F1Z9D372AA  is the part number for the 4 door... wagons are different



again for the 4 door... wagons are in a different spot...

this looks like the right front corner of the trunk area.. against the rear seat reinforcement...

i noticed that A1 cardone has some of these are reman units...

and dorman has something in the area...

you might remove it.. see if you can get inside and examine the circuit board for cold solder joints...    look with a high powered mag glass for circles in the solder about half way up toward the wires sticking through the circuit board...

this is thermal damage...  where the conductor expands.. spreads the solder... since the circuit board is a good conductor.. the base of the puddle does not expand...  as it cools the center contacts...  leaving a circular crack... breaking contact in an invisible area...

a few seconds with a properly grounded solder tip and a touch of rosin core solder will usually fix damaged joints...

i have not gotten one of these in.. and i have not ever heard of it until tonight..  i will keep searching...

if you get it open.. how about some pictures...?

[jaybee]

Thanks, Wayne.  Excellent information as always.  Beats the heck out of looking all over the car for the thing, especially since the trunk is well finished and it'll be tucked behind a trim panel.  I'll check it out.

[jaybee]

Just for reference, if you turn the key to "run" position the "Theft" light should light for about 3 seconds, then go out.  If it goes back to flashing the antitheft has been activated.  I'm good there.

All signs point to the Fuel Pump Driver Module, the hunt is on for that little bugger.  Some sources say it's hidden by the trunk liner just behind the left rear wheel.  Nope, that's the radio.  Some sources say it's behind the trunk liner just behind the right rear wheel.  Nope.  At least one source says it's "in the trunk under the rear seat."  Huh?  Is the transaxle "under the dashboard up by the radiator?  In any case I'm off to pull the rear seat and see if it's on the opposite side of where Wayne was showing.

[jaybee]

I got nuthin'.  The only unidentified component I can find anywhere in the back of the car is a relay of some sort attached to the bottom of the package shelf.  None of the wires are the same color as the ones that go through the trunk floor over the gas tank.  I hate this car.

[wayne petty]

is this a 4 door or a wagon??

wagon... its on the side...

i got the location from this official looking site..

http://www.fordparts.com/landing/motorcraft.aspx

click model next to VIN in the black box with the grey tab..

look up the fuel system...

you will see the fuel pump driver module....  they show the image i got for the location of the 4 door model..

and a different location for the wagon...