I have a 2001 Ranger
i have to park it on the street by my house, no other choice
few days ago someone broke in by sticking a screw driver in the passenger door key hole and popping up the lock
then it looks like they tried to steal the truck
the plastic around the ignition key was on the floor and there were teeth marks on the key cylinder
looked like it was grabbed with vise gripes and they tried to turn it,

the key is a little hard to turn now because the key lock release sticks unless I jiggle the key
so I’m thinking either they could not get enough force to break the key lock or they did turn it and the truck did not start because
the immobilizer did it’s job.

they ended up ripping out my sub woofer...and left the radio...

so I’m wondering if I should take the effort to put in a kill switch for the starter or fuel pump as extra measure
or is that not needed because average. Car thief can not bypass the immobilize without special equipment.

im thinking a pro would not be wasting time on a 20 year old truck

 

The PATS system is a very solid system. Basically, if the computer doesn't see the correct signal from the key, it shuts down the fuel system. No fuel, no start or run. It's not easy to bypass, and so that's why your truck is still there. It doesn't protect the stuff inside the truck though, unfortunately. But at least you still have the truck.

 

+1 ^^^

Ford's PATS(passive anti-theft system) can't be by-passed without installing a new computer in 2001, a new computer AND instrument cluster in 2004-2011 Ranger, lol
Even a professional thief knows not to bother with a PATS equipped vehicle, to steal the whole vehicle that is
Yours reads like a random druggy looking for anything they can sell

PATS is a "passive system" not an Alarm
As much as I hate the false alarms in parking lots and neighborhoods as long as they reset automatically they are probably the best deterrent to thieves going thru the cab and grabbing what they can
A smash and grab will still happen if you leave stuff a thief may like visible in the cab


Stealing Cat converters is what they do now, so have to watch for that as well, you won't know until you start the engine and its REAL LOUD, lol

I still like the Trunk Monkey idea

 

Where can I get one of those trunk monkeys?
I have bananas in the backyard I can feed him...LOL

so the PATS does exactly what a "kill switch" would do..

I think the guy who tried to steal it was one step above a druggy
he knew exactly where to jam a screw driver in right below the key lock ( probably saw it on You Tube)
and he did not look through the glove box or center console box, there was some stuff in there that was not touch,

All he took was the sub woofer, which I could care less about. it came with the truck when I bought it last year.
was over kill for the radio anyway...