The Taurus no-start at that point was a theft deterrent issue and the code description was that the key that was being used wasn't learned. This happens when someone gets a new key that the vehicle hasn't been trained to recognize, and it can occasionally occur if a key gets damaged and sends an incorrect response. This can also happen if someone replaces the module that has the PATS function supported in it. What we needed now was another key to see how the vehicle reacted. With the IDS (Ford factory scan tool) we can access the PATS system and train the vehicle to accept the new key. This can also be done with a J2534 tool and a short term subscription to Ford's website. One other thing that had to be done before calling the customer was check to see if the function for a consumer to add a new key was enabled and it was.

I called the customer and explained what we had found and right away she told me that she had a "dummy" key made that was only for opening the doors or trunk. I asked her where that key was and she went over to her desk and said that she got it out and it was in her hand. I then asked what key does she usually use to start the car and she told me that the one that I had was the usual key. Then I asked how many keys does she have in total and she said three.

Hmmmm.

Then the conversation got a little confused as she mentioned that a relative was involved with doing something with the car when it acted up. At that point I asked her if she could come to the shop and bring me the other two keys.

When she got to the shop I took the key that she had provided and showed her that when I tried to start the car it didn't start and showed her that the theft light was flashing. Then I took one of her other keys and tried to start the car and the theft light was still flashing. That's normal for the car to do that because once it sets a theft code it goes into an anti-scan mode and there is a thirty second to two minute wait before it will identify another key. About forty seconds after the key was installed the lamp stopped flashing, I turned the key and the car started.

She told me that was the key that she got out of her desk and maybe one of her relatives had put the wrong one back by mistake. So I tried the other key that she had brought and of course the car started. At that point there was one thing left to do. I turned the car off and waited a few seconds. Then I turned the key to run for three seconds and then turned it off. I did that with the second key that worked. Then I repeated that with the key that she had given us when the car was towed in which allows the car to learn that key. That's why checking to see if the customers key learn function was enabled. Now she had three keys all trained to the vehicle and no more dummy key.

The last thing we did was talk about keeping her battery charged, she told me that since her visit a couple months earlier she did get herself a battery charger but had only used it once. Now she knows she needs to do it about once a week.