Non Starter

[bettyboop05]

hey i have a 1998 ford galaxy 2.0 i cant get it to start the LED lights keep flashing on the drivers door and it just wont start, i dont have them keys every1 talking about with the chip in side just a normal car key,pls help this keeps happening but now it hasnt started for 2 days thanks

[seatkid]

All keys have a PATS (Passive Anti Theft System) chip in them. Its not possible to start the car without it. The only time you might lose this chip is when you change the batteries in the key (only applies to keys with remote buttons), sometimes the chip will fall out. The LED in the door does come on during the start sequence - thats normal, however if it continues to flash continuously then I think that indicates a PATS problem (someone will be along and tell you more I'm sure)

 

Start with the Basics first

 

1. Check you have fuel in the tank

 

2. Do the dash ignition lights come on when you turn the key?

 

3. Try to establish your car battery and starter motor are healthy. Does the engine turn over? Is it a healthy turn over i.e. fast or does the starter motor struggle to turn over. Do the dash light go very dim or out when turning over?

 

4. Next step would be to establish if the fuel pump is working (see FAQ regarding relay 30)

 

5. Then you need to check if the ignition system is working......

[bettyboop05]

All keys have a PATS (Passive Anti Theft System) chip in them. Its not possible to start the car without it. The only time you might lose this chip is when you change the batteries in the key (only applies to keys with remote buttons), sometimes the chip will fall out. The LED in the door does come on during the start sequence - thats normal, however if it continues to flash continuously then I think that indicates a PATS problem (someone will be along and tell you more I'm sure)

 

Start with the Basics first

 

1. Check you have fuel in the tank

 

2. Do the dash ignition lights come on when you turn the key?

 

3. Try to establish your car battery and starter motor are healthy. Does the engine turn over? Is it a healthy turn over i.e. fast or does the starter motor struggle to turn over. Do the dash light go very dim or out when turning over?

 

4. Next step would be to establish if the fuel pump is working (see FAQ regarding relay 30)

 

5. Then you need to check if the ignition system is working......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

thanks for replying but i dont have them keys i just have a normal key for the door and another normal key to start the car iv had the car a year now with no problems and i have been driving it with the normal car key, the dash ignition lights do come on when i turn the key it does try to turn over but nothing but no the lights on the dash dont go dim, as for the LED lights on the door they never stop flashing when i 1st put the key and turn it the LED lights r just on then they start to flash and wont stop, as for everything else ie fuel pump they are all fine, i have been told i can go to a ford garage and order a key from them but not sure if thats true

[Mirez]

Yup a flashing LED indicates a PATS (or immobiliser) problem. It should come on, stay on for 2 to 5 seconds whist running a selftest and then go off. If it then starts flashing its either got an internal fault or it failed to recognise the key thats trying to start the car - normally the latter.

 

Try just the key on its own, ie remove it from any keyrings so there is much less chance of a comms problem

Try the second key, however...

 

From your description it sounds like someone has had issues in the past hence why you have different keys to unlock and start the car (just confirm, did I read that right?) it thats the case then be prepared to fork out some money to Ford for reprogramming. You can buy a key from the main dealer no problems and its reasonably cheap as well but then they'll shaft you for the reprogramming costs to get the car's ECU to learn the new key's chip.

 

I'll try not to bore you with the technical details but the basic operation of PATS is like this. The receiver is around the ignition barrel, when you turn the ignition on it emits radio waves which energise a transponder inside the key, This then emits a coded radio signal which the receiver picks up and, if recognised, tells the car's ECU to allow the start to take place.

 

For it to just loose the coding is unusual. The causes are:

 

1) as seatkid says a lost transponder chip (not really possible with non remote keys)

2) poor communication caused by having multiple car transponder keys on the same keyring

3) a faulty receiver coil not emiting a signal (so the transponder chip has no power to transmit)

4) whilst far more likely, external noise (its been known that when parked very close to some mobile phone masts / police masts for them to disrupt the signal)

5) a faulty PATS controller.

[bettyboop05]

Yup a flashing LED indicates a PATS (or immobiliser) problem. It should come on, stay on for 2 to 5 seconds whist running a selftest and then go off. If it then starts flashing its either got an internal fault or it failed to recognise the key thats trying to start the car - normally the latter.

 

Try just the key on its own, ie remove it from any keyrings so there is much less chance of a comms problem

Try the second key, however...

 

From your description it sounds like someone has had issues in the past hence why you have different keys to unlock and start the car (just confirm, did I read that right?) it thats the case then be prepared to fork out some money to Ford for reprogramming. You can buy a key from the main dealer no problems and its reasonably cheap as well but then they'll shaft you for the reprogramming costs to get the car's ECU to learn the new key's chip.

 

I'll try not to bore you with the technical details but the basic operation of PATS is like this. The receiver is around the ignition barrel, when you turn the ignition on it emits radio waves which energise a transponder inside the key, This then emits a coded radio signal which the receiver picks up and, if recognised, tells the car's ECU to allow the start to take place.

 

For it to just loose the coding is unusual. The causes are:

 

1) as seatkid says a lost transponder chip (not really possible with non remote keys)

2) poor communication caused by having multiple car transponder keys on the same keyring

3) a faulty receiver coil not emiting a signal (so the transponder chip has no power to transmit)

4) whilst far more likely, external noise (its been known that when parked very close to some mobile phone masts / police masts for them to disrupt the signal)

5) a faulty PATS controller.

 

 

 

 

thanks for the reply, the two keys i have one unlocks the door but dosent start the car and the other starts the car but dosent lock the door if that makes sence lol, what is the best thing for me to do then? i know u say be perpared to folk out some money so i take it its going to be alot which i cannot afford at the moment , should i have got a remote key with it when i brought the car? i really dont know what to do now y r cars so much headache??

[Mirez]

thanks for the reply, the two keys i have one unlocks the door but dosent start the car and the other starts the car but dosent lock the door if that makes sence lol, what is the best thing for me to do then? i know u say be perpared to folk out some money so i take it its going to be alot which i cannot afford at the moment , should i have got a remote key with it when i brought the car? i really dont know what to do now y r cars so much headache??

 

I think back in 98 it depended on the spec level as to if you got a remote key or not - you should have a minimum of two keys though and both should unlock and start the car. I'm still not 100% on the whole two key thing you seem to have going on! I can understand having two keys and one not starting the car but can't understand the "starting" key not unlocking the doors - the only conclusion that I can draw from that is that its had either the ignition barrel or the door locks all changed at some point?

 

You need to have it properly looked at to diagnose if its the key thats not being recognised or if there is a malfunction with the PATs system. With only one working key (albeit not now) you can't programme the system yourself anyway so it would need to go to a dealer - the cost will be circa

[frogeye]

Hi Betty,

 

I've got my money on this being a relay 30 problem.

 

I'm assuming that you were driving around merrily, park up, then come to your car the following morning to find this problem occur apparentely out of the blue. Whilst having a pair of working keys would be nice, you can manage well enough with your current set up (assuming you can get around this immobilzer issue). What relay 30 does is switch on your fuel pump once the correct key has been detected by the ring around the ignition. Relay 30 is seemingly a common fail point with galaxys (mine failed on my 2.3 following a couple of days of heavy rain - perhaps this problem is humidity related?)

 

Anyway, this relay is about

[bettyboop05]

Hi Betty,

 

I've got my money on this being a relay 30 problem.

 

I'm assuming that you were driving around merrily, park up, then come to your car the following morning to find this problem occur apparentely out of the blue. Whilst having a pair of working keys would be nice, you can manage well enough with your current set up (assuming you can get around this immobilzer issue). What relay 30 does is switch on your fuel pump once the correct key has been detected by the ring around the ignition. Relay 30 is seemingly a common fail point with galaxys (mine failed on my 2.3 following a couple of days of heavy rain - perhaps this problem is humidity related?)

 

Anyway, this relay is about

[frogeye]

thanks for the reply iv heard so much about this relay but i cant find it on the car some say its in the fuse box under the steering wheel others say its under the bonnet can u tell me where i can find it thanks very much for ur help

 

Betty,

Have a click on this link

 

The side trim on the MK1 is a likey to be a bit different on the one pictured, but the idea is essentially the same - you want to get behind the fuse area to the relays behind.

[bettyboop05]

thanks for the reply iv heard so much about this relay but i cant find it on the car some say its in the fuse box under the steering wheel others say its under the bonnet can u tell me where i can find it thanks very much for ur help

 

Betty,

Have a click on this link

 

The side trim on the MK1 is a likey to be a bit different on the one pictured, but the idea is essentially the same - you want to get behind the fuse area to the relays behind.

 

 

hey would just like to say thanks for every1s help i have got it sorted it was the relay 30 which cost