2004 Ranger Won't Start

[GG2004]

I turned by truck in for whirling noise I heard toward the front of the engine. I assumed it was a bearing of some sort. I left it with the mechanic so he would test drive it, so he could hear it himself. Of course, he did not. He opened the hood to hear what he could in the engine. It was reved up to 2000 RPM's, and the engine just completely turned off with no warning. He turned the key again, and it never started again. I was sent home to get another key, because he assumed my chip went bad. I then brought the second key, and it turned over but completely turned off again. When the key is out of the ignition the PAT system light blinks. When the ignition is in the "ON" position, the PAT system light still blinks, and truck will not even turn over. Could I have a bad Power Control Module? I did try a test where I hold the button down under the speedometer till I saw a "test" light in the dash, but the code never appeared.

 

[RonD]

Welcome to TRS

PCM would be a very very long shot

Anti-theft light(pats light) will flash very fast with key on, IF there is a PATS problem, slow flashing with key off is normal.

There is a metal ring around the ignition key slot, it is an antenna, called the "wand" by some.
When you turn on the key this Ring sends out a radio wave, that hits the PATS key's "chip"/RFID tag, that "chip" gets enough power from that radio wave to send out it's own Unique ID number, the Ring picks up that number and sends it to the PCM.
PCM checks that number against the set of numbers it has in its memory(keys that came with vehicle when new)
If number matches then starter motor will work and engine will start.
If there is no number or no match then starter will not work and engine will not start(no fuel), and Anti-Theft light will start flashing very fast.

Almost any locksmith can test a PATS key to see if it is sending out a good number
And most locksmiths with a laptop can ADD new PATS keys to the PCMs memory.

If any work was done in the cab under the steering column the Ring's wiring could have been unplugged, so no PATS test

Not sure how an engine noise would be involved in this though.

Could be a voltage issue, maybe the noise was alternator issue and now you have a blown fuse or two or just poor connections and lower voltage causing the no start issues, and slow PATS light flashing??

 

[Kingfisher]

I am the boyfriend of GG2004. Just wanted to go a little deeper into detail with what she said.

2004 Ranger 3.0 V6, 5spd manual trans.

The whirling noise she speaks of, could be a bad wheel bearing. We took the truck to the mechanic so he could diagnose the wheel bearing noise.

While there at the mechanic, he thought the noise was coming from the engine, and wanted to rev up the truck to show me what he heard. He revved up to 2,000RPMS and the truck shut completely off. It was just like someone turned the key off, except nobody was touching the key at the time.

When attempting to restart, the truck does nothing. The headlights work, but the motor will not crank over. Suspecting the PATS system, GG2004 went home and got the other key to the truck. The mechanic put the key in, and the truck started, but immediately died 2 seconds after starting. Again, it will not turn over or start.

The mechanic hooked up a scanner to try to read the PATS system, but kept having problems trying to read it. I believe he said that it wasn't letting him read the information.

When the key is out of the ignition, the anto-theft light flashes. When the key is in the ignition, in the on position, the anti-theft light continues to flash, without stopping.

He suspected a bad PCM and requested that we have a dealership test the keys. The dealership said that they cannot test the keys without the truck.

So, where do we go from here? Before dumping cash on a new PCM, are there other things we should check? Any links or info over the 2004 Ranger PATS systems that would be of help?

I don't think the original noise we heard is related, and that this is a new issue that just presented itself.




Edit: Thank you for the information Ron. I see we posted right at the same time.

 

[RonD]

It wouldn't be unheard of for a PCM to fail, but it is a RARE occurrence considering every vehicle made since mid-1980's has one, lol, and while there are alot of posts about it there are not that many

Check Fuse #21 in engine fuse box, 10amp, that is for keep alive power for PCM

I assume there are no other symptoms, radio works, dash lights come on with the key.

Check #11 in Cab fuse box, 10amp, low voltage board

I am still leaning towards REVVING engine cause voltage surge.
Slow flashing PATS light is symptom that PCM is confused or lost power


I think the 2004 Ranger will have the PCM connector in the upper firewall passenger side center.
I would disconnect the battery
Remove that PCM connector and check it for water intrusion
Then reconnect it
Connect battery and turn on the key again

 

[Kingfisher]

Thank you again Ron. Your information is very helpful. I'll report my findings back.

 

[Kingfisher]

We spoke with our mechanic friend today. He got the truck running with the original keys. He said that he connected it to his computer. The computer showed that the PATS was inactive. He reactivated it through his computer and the truck started.

Again, we both thank you for your information, Ron. It has been extremely helpful in helping us learn about the anti-theft system, and alot of the things you said pointed us in the right direction on what to look for in diagnosing the issue.