Help!

[Leadguitar06]

Hey, used to be a member here a long time ago and figured I’d come back with this question. I have searched and searched for two or three days now across the whole Internet and can’t find the answer. Maybe some of you can help. I have a 2001 escape with the 2.0 5 speed. It’s just my little commuter car.

Car was running perfectly until one morning, after a big electrical storm(if that eve matters) I first noticed that the lights do not flash and the horn does not honk when locking the doors, then I got into the vehicle and my theft light (pats) is flashing rapidly. It eventually goes to pats code 1:1 (a dummy timeout code). I’m not throwing any actually codes, I replaced the transceiver ring to no avail. I’m still in a no start condition, any ideas?

 

[RonD]

Welcome back

Do you have an owners manual that shows the fuse box diagram, the transceiver has its own fuse separate from the Computer or cluster, which ever has your PATS setup

So I assume you have unhooked the battery for at least 5 minutes, like when replacing transceiver?

You may have to have a Mobile locksmith come out and add your PATS keys to the system again

The lights should still flash but the Horn can be turned off, users choice, when using the fob

 

[Leadguitar06]

Yes, I have checked every fuse in the interior block and the engine management block. I did have the battery disconnected and drained all capacitors when replacing the transceiver ring. The problem is is I’m not getting a code that states unrecognized key or the such, it is a dummy code. I have a locksmith down the street from me that said he has no idea what’s going on.


The horn always honked before. And the lights always flashed before. That’s why I’m adding this in there because it seems relevant I don’t know how though LOL

 

[Dirtman]

Have you tried a different key? Hopefully you have more than one. Secondly the Pat's system codes can be read from the Gem/bcm/sjb (I dunno which your car has) but anyway it will come up as a (B or U) code which your typical generic parts store scanner wont read. A "good" locksmith should have a scanner that can access these codes. It's possible your Pats module itself is fried which will give you a no communication code. I suggest finding a better locksmith.

 

[Leadguitar06]

I’ll look into that, my impression was with this year, that there is no module, and it’s built into the ECU.

 

[Leadguitar06]

So I made a little progress. I replaced the old computer and programmed two new keys. It now starts reliably. I have oil pressure, however my oil light is on. I replaced the switch and it is still on. My battery light is also on, my battery reads 12 V when off in 14.2 at idle. Any ideas

 

[Dirtman]

12.0v is a bad battery. New battery should be 12.8 once a battery hits 12.3 or less it's time to replace. 14.2 is the alternator taking over once the engine is running.

As for the oil, it's a switch as you know. On or off. So could be a connector or wiring issue to the switch. If you truly had no oil pressure it would be dead within a minute and sound like hell before it seized.

 

[Leadguitar06]

I’ll swap another battery I have around in and see, the connector to the oil pressure switch looks fine, as does the wiring, I guess I could split the loom and check it out, I can take off the oil cap and actually see the valve train getting copious amounts of oil, so I know it’s not a pressure issue.

 

[Leadguitar06]

Just cut open the loom for about 18 inches and found no wiring damage and the connector looks fine. Any idea how I can test for continuity?

 

[Dirtman]

It's a switch. Zero oil pressure zero continuity. 5psi, the switch closes both are ground.

 

[Leadguitar06]

The switch is good and I know I have a oil pressure. I’m not talking about continuity of the switch I’m talking about continuity of the harness. I have been searching Google for hours trying to find a pin out of the PCM or where the wiring for the oil pressure switch even goes.

 

[Dirtman]

It doesn't go through the pcm, goes straight to the cluster. Pcm has zero oil pressure data input. It's simple an idiot system to the gauge.

 

[Leadguitar06]

Well this is been quite the ordeal. I have checked the harness for continuity. The sensor has direct continuity to the gauge cluster.

Continuity goes away once the engine is started, as it should with oil pressure. My diagnosis is something in the instrument cluster or gem module, not quite sure where to go from here

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

If you truly had no oil pressure it would be dead within a minute and sound like hell before it seized.

At a car show they had a charity event where for a buck you would guess how many seconds an engine would run without oil in it. I'll give you a free guess, and it isn't under a minute.

Also, it didn't make any rattles, bangs, or clunkity clunk sounds when it died. It kind of just slowed down until it stopped.

 

[Dirtman]

I've only witnessed two engines die from oil pressure loss. A 2.2 ecotec and a 318. The ecotec went from horrifying valve train noise to dead stop, the 318 knocked banged and smoked when it pulled in, then never turned over again...