I have a 2004 2.3L 2wd manual Ranger. It might be going to a beach house on an island where it will never see a paved road or 25 mph ever again. Various family members will show up and drive it from time to time. I would like to not worry about someone loosing they key, so I would like to rig it up to start with a push button and not require a key. I know there is a passive anti theft system that would have to be bypassed to do this.

Does anyone know how to do this? Is this done much? Thanks

 

Why not just leave the key in it, you still need an ON/OFF switch or the battery will go dead, and you need the steering wheel unlocked

If you just want a push button start you can add that with any momentary button, you just need to send 12volts to Fuse 21 in the cab fuse box and starter will activate
But key would have to be on and have passed the PATS(passive anti-theft system) test, there is no way around the PATS system, key is tested at each start up
Remote starts use an "electronic PATS key", but these are expensive to buy and they have all sorts of limits

Get a 100amp relay for the engine bay's 12v fuse box wire from battery, so you could turn battery power on/off with a switch in the cab
Then you could pull the clam shells off the steering wheel and pull off the transceiver(it reads the key) from around the key slot, it has 4 wires, pull those wires down under the dash plug them back into transceiver and tape the PATS key inside it

Leave key slot in ON position so steering wheel is unlocked

So you would activate the switch to turn on battery power to vehicle, this would cause PATS test and key taped in transceiver would give correct code, then press start button
Down side is that computer would lose memory each time, and radio loses pre-sets and time
Neither is a big deal at all
But just leaving things as is with key in ignition would be way easier


Here's the start circuit

 

Why not just run a wire/cable through the key and attach to the dash or something. To where the key can come out but it'll just hang there, so it can't get lost.

 

RonD, Thanks for the info, that is what I was looking for, but you're right, that does sound like a lot of work

Countryford83 - That is F-ing brilliant. Case closed.

 

Glad I could help.