Just got one and I have a couple of issues

[JamesVinar]

Well I just got a mark viii and it has some issues, some I knew about when I bought it like the windshield and air ride but those are easy to figure out. There's maybe two separate ones that I really need help with 1 is getting the car started, sometimes it will start and other times the check engine light will turn on and the anti theft will flash or stay on when the key is turned to the right a little then when I turn as if I was cranking it everything dies out. I'm not sure if it's the battery or pats since it will start sometimes with the key. Im thinking it's my battery because when I put another one in it started just fine but when I came to restart it it wouldn't go. I put it on the charger overnight and will try again later but if it works then it's a charging problem. Is there anywhere besides the alternator to check?
The second is the lock and unlock buttons on the door are not working
Last is the gear ratio. I heard some 98 lsc came wits 3.73 lock diff is this true?

 

[chris2523]

sounds like battery or terminals. these cars are also hard on alternators.

base cars got an open 3.07.
LSCs got an open 3.27.

 

[JamesVinar]

Well the battery's coming later today. If it is the anti theft system would it act like this? The last owner said it was rekeyed and the antenna was replaced to work with the new keys.
I just don't really know what to do to be honest

 

[chris2523]

can you make a video, upload it to youtube, and post it here?

 

[JamesVinar]

Will do as soon as possible. I heard that you can reprogram keys by turning it and leaving it turned for 15 min and doing this 3 times

 

[JamesVinar]

I put the battery in and it still won't start....

 

[chris2523]

you turn the key, and, red blinky light?
let it set a few minutes and try the other key.

 

[JamesVinar]

Didn't see a red light but the green anti theft is blinking

 

[chris2523]

i should have asked at the beginning and not assumed, what year we talking about here?
i assumed 2nd gen because they have PATS. the gen 1s also have anti theft, but its very different.

 

[JamesVinar]

Sorry about not mentioning but it's a 1998 lsc

 

[chris2523]

alright, yeah red blinky is wrong, green blinky is correct.
blinky green will trying to start is an indicator of an upset PATS system.

you could have a bad SCIL, a bad key (try another), a bad antenna (which you said was replaced), or bad wiring.
to narrow it down more, you need some higher tech equipment that i have never got to play with unfortunately.

 

[JamesVinar]

Even though this is the expensive way should I just take it to the dealer?

 

[ford nut]

No...dont go to the dealer, have codes read and report back

 

[JamesVinar]

Like with one of those obd 2 scanners?
I made a little progress, it seems to start when I put the key in and turn it fast. Trans may be going, when I give it gas it takes alot to get going and it feels like it has to clunk in to gear, not just first so it may be the fluid

 

[soduka]

On vehicles this old the "dealer" is just as worthless as Bubba Glee with his Car Repair Shoppe down the street. Ford basically makes their dealerships throw everything away on any vehicle more than 10 years old and with the way they like to keep costs down they always have young kids cycling through that are willing to work for nothing but also don't know nothing.

 

[JamesVinar]

Well I found that the negative terminal is bad so my plan is to fix that. Pull and check the SCIL fuse ( I need help locating ) inspecting that and reprogramming the key one again

 

[Bangster]

It won't/shouldn't lose the programmed key(s).

When I had a questionable battery, for me the first thing that died was the SCIL.

I would start up the car, and even with the OEM HIDs...I would turn on the headlights and poof things that the SCIL command would die. With headlights on I had no headlights or marker lights, trunk wouldn't pop from door button, IP lights wouldn't work. It also happened with autolamp on, the headlights wouldn't survive cranking and this could happen. It got worse with the aftermarket HIDs.

I finally replaced the battery, and also did a relay harness for the aftermarket HIDs.

When I got in this situation if the car was running it stayed running, but if I shut it down I couldn't restart it without disconnecting the battery and reconnecting it. I would have to do that a number of times until I saw one of the things that didn't work start working (so I would wait for interior light to come on, for example). Then I could start it, and if I revved it up and slowly went from parking lights to headlights on I was good. I still have a hard time getting into the drivers seat without a small ratchet with a 8mm socket on it.