Alright Steve. Thank you for the clarification. I have two questions regarding this modification.

Does it matter how far away from the relay that I cut the wire? Should it be closer or not matter so long as its cut and put to a ground point?

I have had your anti theft tune applied for many months now. Do I need to reapply it after I perform this wire modification, or is it all good as it is?

 

It doesn't matter where you cut the wire, but I would choose a point where it's easy to get at the wire without digging too deep into the harness. Even if that means having to connect to the wire and extend it with some aftermarket wire to the nearest ground point, or the stock ground point that non-PATS vehicles used. I would hunt for a place where that wire is easily seen and modified, and also where it's easy to fix if you snip the wrong one or something.

You do not need to reapply the tune. The PATS delete tune has been working all along. It's just that the starter relay has been interrupted by the PATS module all this time, so you couldn't really tell.

 

Okay. Thank you Steve. I did notice both in my wire book and in the engine bay; that the same wire, same color and same circuit that matches pin 2 of C175B at the computer, makes a connection in connector C133. Which is almost between the computer and the relay. i could take pin 14 out of that, and attach a ring terminal for the ground bolt and be good there. I will try that sunday....

 

Alright guys, and Steve. I did the wire modification, being very careful about the pins and wire. Since its the same wire and circuit between C175B and C133, I used the wire at pin 14 in that connector for the ground. The whole of it, still doesn't work....

I added an extension onto the disconnected pin 14. The extension plugs in quite nicely and tight into the female pin there... I added a ring terminal on the end of the extension and applied the ring terminal to grounds 102 and 103 that are over by the battery end of the battery jiunction box. While I did notice that it made the engine start faster turning the key with the ground modification, I still cannot start it with a non-transponder key.

I turn the key, and the engine tries really hard to go, almost seeming like stuttering, but doesnt start. I guess it tries to crank. The anti theft light flashes fast, but the engine just won't start. I even tried removing and disconnecting the transceiver ring from the steering column, and I get the same result. Transceiver connected or not, it won't start with a non transponder key. It seems theres gotta be more to this tune to actually work, than simply 'cutting' the yellow wire and attaching it to a ground.

The yellow wire, comes out of connector C175B at pin 2. Then makes connection to connector C133 at pin 14 being another yellow wire but the same circuit. Circuit CDC12. The continued wire then goes through harnesses and splices to the battery junction box to its final connection to the relay. --All still a yellow wire and same circuit.

Tell me, what is missing to make this modification work as it's suggested to work? I want the engine to start, while using a non transponder key; and NOT doing some bypass thing, attaching an original equipment key with tape to the transceiver in a conspicuous location. --Do I really not need to reapply the tune? Whats wrong here?

 

Grounding the yellow wire is only to get starter motor to work, as said.

Starter motor should NOT have worked with non-transponder key before doing this

PATS does not disable Spark, so any residual fuel would simulate it "wanting to start"

PATS just disables fuel pump and fuel injectors

When you turn on the key you should hear the fuel pump run for 2 seconds, it is not quiet, repeat key off and on as much as you want to determine if you hear the HUMMM of the fuel pump in the gas tank or you don't

If you don't HEAR the pump then PATS is not disabled

 

well ron, i turn the key, with the transceiver connected and using a transponder key and i do hear a faint 'scree' sort of sound. not a hum, but a sound none the less. i turn the non transponder key, and i dont hear the sound.

with the transceiver unplugged, turning either type key does not produce the sound.

then, if i have used the transponder key to test the pump and hear the sound, and then try the non transponder key. i do hear the sound at first turn. but second attempt produces no sound.

I want this modification to work with the transceiver being unplugged and removed, and using a non transponder key to successfully start the engine. this so far is not happening.

then, even if i hafta leave the transceiver installed and plugged in, i still wanna start the engine with the non transponder key. that is also not happening.

 

Transciever is just a powered antenna, needed to read a transponder key so if you delete PATS you can remove it


So far the computer is still waiting to be given the "OK TO START" signal from the instrument cluster(PATS location in 2007 Ranger)

The Tune you are loading to the computer, according to "Steve", is suppose to by-pass the "OK to Start" in the computer, so it doesn't care what the Cluster/PATS has to say about it, it will turn on fuel pump and start fuel injectors with key on

But it reads like the computer still needs that "OK to start" from the Cluster/PATS, so the tune is not working as planned


PATS is not suppose to be easy to defeat, its suppose to be very very hard to defeat, wouldn't be much of an anti-theft system if a thief could just plug in a "tune", load it, and drive away.
Even Ford Dealers have to wait 1 to 2 hours when swapping out PATS matched parts, the wait is required for security reasons not because it takes that long to do

 

okay ron. it would seem to me then, that one if not more than one of three things arent happening here...

the tune isnt working as planned.
due to my own personal and recent tune errors, it may need to be re applied again
theres something else i or we have missed per this modification.

but it is curious i think, when moving the cut yellow wire to ground, that the engine starts more quickly turning the key than it had before the modification.

.............we shall see what steve hasta say on my previous status post.

 

The yellow wire is the Ground for starter relay, before you grounded it it had to go thru the computer to be grounded, so there would be a delay, so the faster activation would be expected

In 2007 Ranger you have PATS Type G, the HEC Cluster has the PATS test, cluster is connected to the transceiver
Cluster reads the transponder key number via the transceiver, and checks that number with its list of 2 to 6 key numbers programmed into it
It will then turn off the Theft light if match is found, and send the "OK to Start" to computer
Or if no match is found it will flash Theft light rapidly and not send anything to computer

Any tune sent only to the computer could allow engine to start, but not sure if it would disable the theft light flashing

 

Okay, thank you Ron.

 

Actually Ron, PATS does not disable the fuel pump. Only disables the injector pulse and the starter relay.

 

When we delete PATS in the computer, we are throwing a PATS equipped? master switch. When we turn that switch off, we are telling the PCM that this truck was not equipped with PATS. The PCM will then assume there is no PATS module, because the truck is not equipped with one. So therefore, there is no reason to communicate with the PATS module that doesn't exist. Instead, it just immediately enables the fuel injectors.

Of course, there really is a PATS module, and that module is going to be really pissed off when the PCM doesn't talk to the PATS module and ask it's permission to start. So therefore, even if you didn't have a rapidly blinking theft light before, you most certainly will now that you have deleted PATS. You'll also have the PATS module disabling the starter relay. This happens for potentially 2 reasons now.

1) Because the PCM is not communicating (PATS trouble code 16 is set), that's enough to make the PATS module disable the starter relay.
2) If you happen to be using a non-PATS key, or have any other PATS system errors, then that will also make the PATS module disable the starter relay.

By deleting PATS in the PCM, we are essentially doing these things:

1) Enabling the fuel injectors
2) Causing code 16 (lack of communication with PCM) to set in the PATS module
3) Causing the PATS module to disable the starter relay

Because the starter relay is controlled by the PATS module and not by the PCM on Rangers, we now have to cut that yellow wire and ground it. This accomplishes the same thing as if the PATS module were giving the starter relay the 'all clear'.

If I deleted PATS in the PCM before, your truck should immediately not crank. The starter relay would be disabled because the PATS module wouldn't be receiving any communication from the PCM. But the injector pulse should now be there, when it wasn't before. So the way to make this truck start without a PATS key would be to delete PATS in the PCM and to ground the starter relay.

If your truck won't crank, you would need to make sure the starter relay yellow wire is grounded.
If your truck will crank, but won't start, you need to check for spark and injector pulse during cranking, and see what you're missing.

You could check fuel pressure too, but I can't see any reason why the fuel pump would be disabled.

 

On earlier PATS the PCM didn't Ground the Fuel Pump relay until PATS gave the "OK to Start" signal to PCM

Here are the two diagrams I have for the 2007 PATS and START wiring
The PCM pin 2 has the Yellow wire he just Grounded, not Cluster/PATS module

Pin 2 on the PCM was used thru 2004 to activate CEL(check engine light) in the cluster, it grounded the bulb with key on, then ungrounded bulb at start up if no important codes
In 2005 Rangers didn't have PATS, skipped a year
In 2006 is when pin 2 on the PCM was first used for starter relay activation/deactivation, first year for Type G PATS in Rangers

For 2006 and up the CEL was activated by the cluster when PCM or another module "asked it to", via the network connection, CAN bus

 

okay steve. so for one, what if the wire was cut and the ground wasnt connected (properly)? would nothing happen turning the key to start?
i dont have testing tools, but can only guess that it is connected to ground properly with the quicker start i posted about earlier here.

and without tools, i also dunno how i can check for spark and injector pulse, or fuel pressure.

would re applying the tune fix anything??

a few months ago, getting new tires, i went into the truck tune section to change the revolutions per mile, and saved it. that itself, reverted the two tunes you made to uninstalled. i hadda do everything all over again! :( --i put in everything again, yet with this modification i really wonder if the anti theft tune is really in there.

Steve, what do i do?? i dont have test equipment.

 

well ron, by turning the key, it seems to me the 'cranking' hasta be the starter motor. so it hasta be working. especially as when i turn it, i am not hearing nothing. i hear the fuel pump and somehting trying to start the motor..... plus, my battery is quite new, so no chance of it being discharged already. and my malfunction indicator light has remained off all this while. steve made the tune, and told me it should work for the 2007 ranger.

 

If you are either using a non-PATS key, OR if you are using a PCM that has my PATS delete tune installed, then the starter would not engage and "crank over" the engine unless the wire was cut and grounded. But if you are using a good PATS key AND a stock tune, then the starter relay would engage the starter. This is because there is nothing wrong with your PATS system. You are just deleting it because you want to, not because it's broke.

Before you cut that wire, did the engine crank over? If so, then you did not have my tune installed. My tune will tell the PCM that it doesn't need to communicate with the PATS system, and therefore it won't. The PATS module would not like this lack of PCM communication, and would prevent the starter relay from engaging the starter (by not grounding the starter relay).

The gear and tire information in a Ranger is not stored in the PCM. It's stored in either the ABS module or the GEM module. Altering this data using a scantool would not have any effect on the tune that's loaded. Even if that data were stored in the PCM, it still would not "write over" my custom tune. And a PCM doesn't forget a custom tune.

The way any tune works (including a factory Ford reprogram job) is like this: First, the tool would read the Vehicle ID Block, and store the VIN and all other information contained within the VID block in the tool. Then it would read the EPATS data (key codes), and store them in the tool. This is true whether the tool is a laptop, Ford VCM2, a handheld programmer, or whatever. Then the tool would erase the PCM. Next, it would write the new calibration/tune. And finally it would rewrite the previously saved VID Block and EPATS data. If a scantool were used to alter the VID block or the EPATS data, then it would only rewrite those individual sections of the calibration, and it would not affect the rest of the calibration. The PATS on/off switch is stored in "the rest of the calibration".

You may hear me refer to the PATS module from time to time. Whenever a PATS module is actually a part of the PCM, then when I say PATS module I am talking about the PCM. In many vehicles the PATS module is stored in the instrument cluster. In older vehicles, it's often it's own individual module. Here's how you tell for sure. Find the transceiver module on a wiring diagram. Follow the wires from the transceiver module to the PATS module. Wherever the TX and RX wires go to, that's the PATS module. In your 2007 Ranger, the PATS module is built into the instrument cluster.

The cluster is in communication with the PCM. When the PCM gets the "all clear" signal from the PATS module/cluster, it activates the injectors and also grounds the starter relay by grounding the yellow wire on Pin 2 of the PCM. I feel like I did a bad job of explaining this before, because some older models had a dedicated PATS module that had the starter relay being grounded by that module.

You cut that yellow wire and the half of the wire that goes to the starter relay gets grounded. You know, now that I hear myself say that, since the PCM is in control of the starter relay and not an individual PATS module, then just deleting PATS in the PCM may actually be enough to engage the starter relay. The PCM would have no reason to prevent the starter from activating if it thought the vehicle was not equipped with PATS. If that's true, and it probably is, then you can delete the first two paragraphs of this message. Dang it. It is entirely possible that grounding that yellow wire may not be necessary.

I'm sorry for that confusion. I don't know for sure if that yellow wire requires being cut and grounded. I'm so used to doing these PATS deletes on the 99-01 Rangers that I was thinking about the PATS module being standalone, not built into the PCM.

As for why the truck doesn't start, if it cranks over then it should start without a PATS key or transceiver, as long as my tune is installed. If it doesn't, you would have to test for spark and injector pulse. You can do that with an incandescent test light. Check out Scanner Danner videos on You Tube for how to do both tests.

 

well steve, as a side note here. when i got new tires, i plugged in the tuner to change the tire number and a few other related values. after applying them, it seemed the custom tunes you gave me, became undone. so, i reapplied your tunes and the tire value modification. it seems to me, there is no way to change the values alone without it negating any custom tunes.......

i am rather confused on this spark and injector pulse test. for one, if i did have a spark or injector problem, modifications aside; i dont see how the engine would start at all. the engine has been operating just fine since i bought the truck new 13 years ago. that would tell me that there is no problem with the spark or the injectors. plus, i take it to ford for regular check ups every few months. so it is maintained quite well.

then, with what ive done so far with these tunes, i am still rather lost on how a spark or injector issue is going to be prevalent and related to this anti theft deletion. --if these things didnt have a problem before, how and why would they have a problem now? which in itself may have been answered here already in non-laymens terms.

I don't know yet, but it may be that i just redo all the tunes, to make sure to myself, that everything is done...

i also do not have a test light for testing the injectors, and i am very financially strapped to simply go over to harbor freight and buy a cheap one. or walmart for that matter. i played several of scanner danners videos and waited and watched and for at least 15 minutes, i dont hear discussion of how to test injector pulse without tools.

 

Changing the gears or tire size in the ABS module has no effect on the PCM programming. The PCM will not "forget" the custom tune. That's just not the way that works. The factory tune is ERASED, and then my custom tune is written, permanently. The only way you're messing up my tune is if you reflash the PCM with a different tune.

I know your truck starts and runs, when you have the factory PATS system intact. But you're wanting to eliminate the system, not because it's broke, but just because you want it gone. So you'll have to simulate broke by unplugging the transceiver module or something. When you do that, you will have a car that doesn't start... or at least that's what you've led me to believe. And WHEN it doesn't start, that's when you need to find out what you're missing, fuel injector pulse, spark, or both.

When a functional PATS system detects a problem with PATS (like an unplugged transceiver module), it will disable injector pulse. My tune should take care of that, but if it doesn't, then we need to troubleshoot why. And testing injector pulse to see if the PATS system is somehow still functioning and preventing start-up is how we do that. But in order to determine if it's ONLY injector pulse (a PATS delete problem), or if it's something bigger, like a bad crank sensor, we must also check spark at the same time.

If you want to reflash the truck again with my custom PATS delete tune, there is no harm in doing so. Go for it.

You have to have an incandescent test light and an LED test light to do these tests. You can buy both on amazon.com for about $10 each. There just is no cheaper way than that, except to borrow a friends tools. You use the LED test light for testing injector pulse, and you use the incandescent test light for checking spark. The LED test light gets hooked to battery positive, and touches the injector control wire backprobe, and the incandescent test light gets hooked to a good chassis ground and the tip comes within about 1/2" of the end of the spark plug wire or coil boot (for COP ignition systems).

 

well steve, when i tried to change the revolutions per mile thing as well as changing spedometer limits, and saved it. only afterward did i have trouble codes pertaining to one of the tunes you gave me. --as if the tune was disabled. so i reapplied everything....

so then these light tests here for injector and spark; are they ones that can be done with one person, or will i need a helper?? .....i would guess, to simulate the no start with the transceiver unplugged i would need someone to turn the key. unless i guess, i invest in a remote start switch like scanner danner used in one video. so, i dunno.

i think harbor freight has cheap lights. i may go that route when i have extra money. those were cheaper than ten dollars.

 

You can buy a decent LED or incandescent test light on Amazon for $8 to $12. I wouldn't recommend anything cheaper than that.

Changing the revolutions per mile in the ABS module is not going to have any effect on the PCM.

You may need a helper, unless you have a starter bumper.

 

I am gonna try the trial extended license for forscan. as it seems that forscan can do some things pertaining to the anti theft system, other than key programming. and more capability with the extended license than free standard version.

if that doesnt work, i will eventually try the injector and spark tests

 

Forscan won't delete PATS. That requires a custom tune like mine. The extended license might allow you to do key programming. It is pretty awesome software for the price though, and well worth having. Having the extended license doesn't always unlock features on every car. Many can't even program keys.

 

I see. Thank you Steve. I am using the latest version with the trial extended license, and didnt see anti theft appear, or options for disabling tire pressure sensors. Oh well, back to the drawing board for me....

 

Pontisteve, i havent tried yet the suggestions you stated here recently, but am wondering alternately; you had once suggested to me by email message through ebay that i send you my computer that your having it may successfully and completely disable the anti theft system in spite of the tune you made. is that still an option here? would that work? what do you say??

 

I can delete PATS on most Ford computers, but to be 100% sure that I can do it on your computer, you need to tell me the 4 digit PCM catch code. It's in large black letters on the computer sticker. You can't miss it. Once I have that code, I can verify if that particular computer can have PATS deleted or not.

You lost me on the "disable the anti theft system in spite of the tune you made" comment. Do you mean that you've already tuned your PCM with some sort of custom tune? If so, yes I may be able to read your existing tune out, and then modify it to shut PATS off, and write it back to the computer. That bumps the price though, because I have to use a different software for that, which costs me more to use.

Send me your PCM code, and tell me if you already have a custom tune on that PCM. And if so, what device or software did you use to put that custom tune on your computer.