Car Started by Itself...very strange! Help please.

Gipp said:
OMG! wth repete?? lol you ride my @$$ for leaving my keys in the car, and you STILL think it's a good idea to leave your car running? To each his own I guess...
Click to expand...

btw...I'm not the one leaving my car unlocked with KEYS inside :p while I snooze all night
 
Thanks again to all. I tinkered with lock button and finally found that the sequence....lock...unlock...lock...starts the car every time. I've had a remote starter all along and didn't know it. Thank you again.
 
gotta love used cars. there is always a surprize, sometimes its bad, but every once and a while, BAM free remote start
 
and
emeril2.gif
the car started
 
Maybe someone here can help me... I have a remote start that the old couple before me installed... AstraStart or something, the keyfob even has a screen with a car on it that shows a fan on the engine to let you know its running. anyway... When I press the start key all it does is do the start sequence... like dummy lights, dinging, auto headlights come on.. .it waits for a second... then shuts off.
 
Easiest way to test it is to find where the hood pin wire plugs into the harness, unplug it there, and put a DVM (a volt meter) on it, set to continuity. I don't know if the switch circuit is normally open when the hood is closed, or closed wen the hood is closed.

Make sure you only get continuity on only one mode out of that switch. Pushed in, (hood closed) or released (hood open).
 
I just read something about a bypass for the PATS key... maybe mine is messed up... but I don't know what to look for, grr... lol.

I am having no luck finding a manual / instalation instructions that includes a troubleshooting section. Does anyone else know of a resource or where to look for one? AstroStarts site is garbage.
 
Frogman said:
Easiest way to test it is to find where the hood pin wire plugs into the harness, unplug it there, and put a DVM (a volt meter) on it, set to continuity. I don't know if the switch circuit is normally open when the hood is closed, or closed wen the hood is closed.

Make sure you only get continuity on only one mode out of that switch. Pushed in, (hood closed) or released (hood open).
Click to expand...

I can do that, its using the factory one I think, there is only one hood pin sensor on the car, I think they tapped into that.
 
I have been digging under my dash for awhile now... I just found a key for my car... it starts the car. It had a wire wrapped around it like 30 times... and was all tapped up. Does that provide enough of a signal to get the car to start?
 
Well, I was giving up again... like I did 3 years ago lol... So I gave one more thing a try.

I put the key in the ignition... in the off position. Shut the door, Hit the Start button and it worked. Started the car just like it should. So now I just need to figure out how to make it do that, with out the key in the ignition....

Also.. looking at the lil astrostart brain box. Where the wire should be for the hood sensor... is empty.. There isn't even a place to add a wire.. so not to sure about that one but I'll have to be sure to remember that when working on the car.

Any Idea's on the wire wrapped around a pats key taped under the dash???
 
The key with the wire wrapped around the key is there to fool the PATS system into thinking there is a key in the ignition. It does the same thing the coil in the ignition switch does. It reads the code off the key, and sends it to the PATS computer which tells the ECU that as far as it's concerned, an appropriate key has been inserted. For all intents and purposes, you can now go to your local hardware store, buy a $3 FORD key, get it cut, and it will start the car.

I'd see about this extra key under the dashboard... Try this:

Take the key from under the dashboard out, and try to start the car with it. If the car stars, then it's probably that coil/module that's gone bad. If it doesn't start, swap keys and put a key that you know will start your car, in the coil setup under the dash. If the car starts... The key you had there is not being recognized by the PATS computer. If it still doesn't remote start, then the coil thinghy has one more negative test on it, and you can be even more confident that's your problem.

I hope that made sense... I'm tired, and going to bed. But wanted to suggest another troubleshooting idea you may not have thought of.

Please report back.
 
if the key that was under the dash will start the car by manually turning the key then there is a problem with the coil of wires around it (pats bypass) go and buy a DEI 556UW (pretty much the same thing) and put the key in it, you will also need to run a 12v constant wire, ground, and a ground while running wire, then run a wire loop around the ignition switch itself, and your R/S will be funtional again,

or you can get a xpresskit PKall, they do not need a key inside the car to work, you just solder a couple of wires into the PATS wires and the power, ground, and GWR then you program the module just like you would a new key.
that way you dont have to leave a key in the car for the good theives to find.

BTW, if the problem was the hood pin, the R/S would not even try to start the car, it would have just gave him an error tone on his remote, the PATS light was probably flashing right before the car didn't crank and the R/S gave up
 
see, froggy does know what he is talking about (at least this time), i dont care what anyone else says, your OK in my book
 
Thanks for the responses, after alot of googling I found that bypass unit thing also. From what I can tell someone tried to rig it. There is no Bypass unit even in the car. It was either never there and somehow they made the system work with the Bosch relay they had the key tied to or they removed the unit.

The key is a programmed PATS key. It DOES start the car by turning it. The car will also start with the key just sitting in the ignition and hitting the start button on the remote.

I've looked at a few of these kits and the the wire I have wrapped around the ignition cylinder looks nothing like any of the Bypass options available. It looks more like just 18ga wire wrapped a couple times, then goes to this relay box from the relay box goes to the wire wrapped around the key..

I went on ebay and found this, I was a little worried because on many other sites this costs between 75.00 and 40.00 from what I've found. But it looks the same. so who knows lol.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Code-Alarm-...0?hash=item1c09bfd012&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

The one I purchased was a single unit intead of the lot of 10.. it was 3.99 + a couple dollars for shipping. So if it is what I need cool it was cheap if its not... I'm not out any serious money.

So in the end, I think you guys are right about there being a problem with the bypass for the PATS

Another cool bonus is, now I have 2 working PATS keys for the LS. The PKU-F2 writeup says it will not require a PATS Key to program. You just insert your 2 working keys as the manual says then hold the device up to the ignition cylinder and hit the Start button and its programmed. I had the Valet Key but wasn't sure if that would work to program more. I had bought a PATS Blank for the LS off ebay and have been waiting to program it since I wasn't sure the Valet Key would work.

Anyway, Thanks for the help so far and hopefully this lil part fixes it.
My wife had lost her set for the LS when we moved from MN to Texas.

LoL sorry if my post is Long and winded. I like to babble, which is why I hold back from posting to much.
 
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