2000 ranger/mazda THEFT/PCM Issues....
 

Hi all I am new member to the forums although I have been observing these forums for quite some time. Lately have come across some issues.

I have a 2000 Mazda B3000 5 speed 2wd that is airbagged etc. with the gas tank relocated to the bed. Well one day I had the truck running and I was in the bed of it messing with some leaks in the new airride tank I had installed.... long story... but my hand knocked one of the wires off of the fuel pump while the truck was running, and of course the truck died.

I hook the wire back up and now it wont start and there is the theft light on. I try the key relearn along with disconnecting the battery etc. and nothing works. I finally take it to the dealer and they tell me the PCM is toast and that it'll need reprogrammed and it'll only cost me $1500-1600 bucks.... well before this issue ever happened, I've never been able to hook up a obdII scanner to it even though the port does have power etc. so I do believe the computer has been messed up since before this incident. So i tow it back home and I bought the exact same PCM from Ebay (same year, motor, trans, etc. and the PCM boxcodes are even the same)

I am wanting to send the PCM to get reprogrammed and have the PATS disabled before I install it so this never happens again. Does anyone know who is the best at doing something like this? When I plug in the PCM it should be ready to start, correct? I am trying to avoid the stealership at all costs.

thanks
Rick

Your PATS and PCM are paired at the factory. So even if you use your stock key and stock pats module, your truck won't start with another PCM.

You would either have to have PATS disabled in a tune or have the dealership re-pair your pats module with the new PCM.

Having it disabled is definitely the direction I want to go. Does anyone know a programmer who has done this? or is the best choice? Tuning for mileage and getting PATS disabled is what I'd like to do.

I'm emailing some tuners right now, Henson believes he can do it and Bamachips just told me they don't mess with trucks, only mustangs... Anyone else I can try or is Henson the best choice?

Henson performance is used by the explorer guys, he should be able to disable pats.

That was the route I had planned for my 5.0 swap.