Ok, this is a weird one. I was adjusting the stereo settings in my 2000 LS with the ignition in the accessory position. When I was done I turned the ignition off and tried to lock the doors via the driver's door button, but nothing happened. It was like the button was dead. I then turned the ignition on and back off and the doors locked fine. I exited the vehicle and proceeded to walk away, when all of a sudden the car started. It is important to note that I do not have any kind of remote start system. I unlocked the doors, got in, put the key in the ignition and turned it back and forth numerous times but the car would not turn off. I finally decided to take it for a ride to see what would happen, but the car shut off as soon as I stepped on the brake pedal. Everything seems fine now. The only thing that I've done recently, is install a 12v accessory outlet under the dash. To do so, I disconnected the negative battery terminal and tapped into the wires of the existing cigarette lighter. Any ideas as to what could have caused this? I'm a little paranoid that the car will just start at any time now.


In a second, unrelated problem...the engine misses when revved to 3000 rpm while in park, but there are no noticeable problems while driving. Any thoughts?

Sorry for the long post. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

You bought this car used? Hitting the brake pedal and the car shutting off certainly sounds like a remote starter is installed.

The 3k in park is the stock rev limiter.

Yea it sounds like theres a remote start.

Last person put one on in my car as well, however I cannot find the fuse for the remote start, they pulled it because they didn't use the feature and they can't remeber where they pulled it from.

You bought this car used? Hitting the brake pedal and the car shutting off certainly sounds like a remote starter is installed.

The 3k in park is the stock rev limiter.


I did buy the car used, but I've had it for 11 months now and this has never happened before.

"but the car shut off as soon as I stepped on the brake pedal."

Remote start.

Yup. Remote start.

I bet if you hit the lock button on your remote 2 or three times in a row, it will start again. Then, 15 or so minutes, it will shut itself off.

You bought this car used? Hitting the brake pedal and the car shutting off certainly sounds like a remote starter is installed.

The 3k in park is the stock rev limiter.

+1 on the rev limiter

+1 on the remote starter.. been said already, but dont hurt to repeat it. Remote starter is probably programed into your FOB keypad. Try tinkering around with the buttons pushing each one several times, it would be a nice extra feature that the LS for some reason didnt come with:confused:

How easy would it be to get a remote start that is programmed to the stock keypad?

its ghosts and they are playing a joke on you.







remote start, if you want it programmed to the stock keypad talk to the dealer, unless you can get an oem keypad from another source. i know volkswagon and toyota keypad's can be programmed to an aftermarket set up, had to take my supra to the dealer though to get it done, it was $60 all of the alarm shops around wanted $140 to do it so i went to the dealer.

How easy would it be to get a remote start that is programmed to the stock keypad?

Not easy... I've looked for an aftermarket set-up that would work with the stock Lincoln/FORD keypad for quite some time.

The best thing I could find is an alarm that would still allow the use of the factory keypad, but not arm/disarm/start the aftermarket unit.

How easy would it be to get a remote start that is programmed to the stock keypad?

Not easy... I've looked for an aftermarket set-up that would work with the stock Lincoln/FORD keypad for quite some time.

The best thing I could find is an alarm that would still allow the use of the factory keypad, but not arm/disarm/start the aftermarket unit.

its ghosts and they are playing a joke on you.

lol...My wife is all paranoid about stuff like that for real. I don't put much stock in it. You had to see her face when I told her what happened. She started talking about Stephen King's Christine.

Thank you all for your thoughts. I'll play around with the remote and see what happens.

well the car was mad at you because you wouldnt take it out for a spin, or the more likely answer is that you just didnt know that you had a remote start installed, and instead of useing the remote that came with the system, they hooked the activation wire up to somthing like the lock wire and programmed it to operate with an unusual number of button presses so that you could use the factory remote by pressing lock 2 or 3 times. this works great for Jags or VW's with the switch blade keys.
the reason you have not had this happen in the past 11 months, is because you have not hit the right button sequence until now

also i bet you have the same "misfire" in netrual and reverse

How easy would it be to get a remote start that is programmed to the stock keypad?

you could get the keypad to activate the R/S (but that would be useless since you are already at the car) but i have not been able to find a security system that would let somthing else (factory keypad) disarm the system. it would make the system too easy to bypass for theives

unless your happy with the factory alarm and you just want a stand alone R/S then it can be wired to use your factory remote (or keypad)

This should be a Demotivational poster :-D "Remote Start: Because your lazy *ss can't turn a key!"

Hey... Hey! Hey! Hey!

Obviously, you've never seen -40° F in the morning, or 110° F in the afternoon. Remote start is good.

And it's also good because you give the engine a chance to warm up a little before you sit your arse in it and drive away. It hurts to see pinheads jump in their car, start it up, slam it into gear, and drive away, all within 3 seconds.

Hey... Hey! Hey! Hey!

Obviously, you've never seen -40° F in the morning, or 110° F in the afternoon. Remote start is good.

And it's also good because you give the engine a chance to warm up a little before you sit your arse in it and drive away. It hurts to see pinheads jump in their car, start it up, slam it into gear, and drive away, all within 3 seconds.

ya, hurts the coolant...which is why i spend 10minutes finding the right artist to listen to out of the 368 music CDs I put on my Ipod.

But cmon...I'd go outside..start the car..put the defroster on..then go inside and make breakfast...really going out in bad weather to JUST start your car helps wake me up and would save americans ALOT in stupid coffee bills :/

Ok. let's say you do it your way, and I do it mine.

Crook walks by. Sees no key in the ignition of my running car, knows what's up.
Same crook looks into your car, sees the keys, but damn it, the door is locked.... ooooo! A rock! What a fun car to drive your LS will be to him.

'nuff said.

well could the crook that sees no keys, doors locked still just kill the window, hop in and take off? Or do you have to put key in ignition before driving away with remote start? I have never, never looked into them which now I find funny with everything else done to some of the rides lol.

Typically, a remote start setup will kill the motor as soon as you touch the brake pedal unless there is a key in the ignition.

and the car wont drive until the key is turned and the brake is pressed to shift gears (which will shut it off if the key is not in the car) and the steering wheel will lock if it is turned with out the key

not too mention in my area the cops will write you a ticket for leaving the car running with the keys in it,

also repete, you should NOT ever leave your keys in the car, i though that was covered before.

ah, I asked a shop awhile ago about one for my SS but they said being a manual it would cost more. I did not really care so I just whatever and let them finish what they were doing, never really had a use for it. Cars are usually in the garage so I just start them and let them warm up in there(not that it takes long with in a garage) and if they are outside not much chance of someone coming and stealing as my place is not in a neighborhood or anything where anyone comes close.

and the car wont drive until the key is turned and the brake is pressed to shift gears (which will shut it off if the key is not in the car) and the steering wheel will lock if it is turned with out the key

not too mention in my area the cops will write you a ticket for leaving the car running with the keys in it,

also repete, you should NOT ever leave your keys in the car, i though that was covered before.

OMG! wth repete?? lol you ride my @$$ for leaving my keys in the car, and you STILL think it's a good idea to leave your car running? To each his own I guess...

My cars are in the car when it's in the DRIVEWAY warming up...you guys think I leave my car running with the keys inside when I'm miles away or sumthing? Cmon guys..stick with it! car warms up as I can physically see it right in front of me by a meter or so. Plus remember I got guns? a mofo trying to jack it will just be my new duck hunting game :P

OMG! wth repete?? lol you ride my @$$ for leaving my keys in the car, and you STILL think it's a good idea to leave your car running? To each his own I guess...

btw...I'm not the one leaving my car unlocked with KEYS inside :P while I snooze all night

In a second, unrelated problem...the engine misses when revved to 3000 rpm while in park, but there are no noticeable problems while driving. Any thoughts?


hahaha sig material!! :D

Thanks again to all. I tinkered with lock button and finally found that the sequence....lock...unlock...lock...starts the car every time. I've had a remote starter all along and didn't know it. Thank you again.

not a bad thing to find out :)

gotta love used cars. there is always a surprize, sometimes its bad, but every once and a while, BAM free remote start

Lol @ Bam

and http://www.ddbseattle.com/blogs/brian_martin/assets/emeril2.gif the car started

Maybe someone here can help me... I have a remote start that the old couple before me installed... AstraStart or something, the keyfob even has a screen with a car on it that shows a fan on the engine to let you know its running. anyway... When I press the start key all it does is do the start sequence... like dummy lights, dinging, auto headlights come on.. .it waits for a second... then shuts off.

pin switch on hood....

pin switch on hood....

Is there a way to test it? On the remote it shows the hood as being closed.

Easiest way to test it is to find where the hood pin wire plugs into the harness, unplug it there, and put a DVM (a volt meter) on it, set to continuity. I don't know if the switch circuit is normally open when the hood is closed, or closed wen the hood is closed.

Make sure you only get continuity on only one mode out of that switch. Pushed in, (hood closed) or released (hood open).

I just read something about a bypass for the PATS key... maybe mine is messed up... but I don't know what to look for, grr... lol.

I am having no luck finding a manual / instalation instructions that includes a troubleshooting section. Does anyone else know of a resource or where to look for one? AstroStarts site is garbage.

Easiest way to test it is to find where the hood pin wire plugs into the harness, unplug it there, and put a DVM (a volt meter) on it, set to continuity. I don't know if the switch circuit is normally open when the hood is closed, or closed wen the hood is closed.

Make sure you only get continuity on only one mode out of that switch. Pushed in, (hood closed) or released (hood open).

I can do that, its using the factory one I think, there is only one hood pin sensor on the car, I think they tapped into that.

I have been digging under my dash for awhile now... I just found a key for my car... it starts the car. It had a wire wrapped around it like 30 times... and was all tapped up. Does that provide enough of a signal to get the car to start?

Well, I was giving up again... like I did 3 years ago lol... So I gave one more thing a try.

I put the key in the ignition... in the off position. Shut the door, Hit the Start button and it worked. Started the car just like it should. So now I just need to figure out how to make it do that, with out the key in the ignition....

Also.. looking at the lil astrostart brain box. Where the wire should be for the hood sensor... is empty.. There isn't even a place to add a wire.. so not to sure about that one but I'll have to be sure to remember that when working on the car.

Any Idea's on the wire wrapped around a pats key taped under the dash???

The key with the wire wrapped around the key is there to fool the PATS system into thinking there is a key in the ignition. It does the same thing the coil in the ignition switch does. It reads the code off the key, and sends it to the PATS computer which tells the ECU that as far as it's concerned, an appropriate key has been inserted. For all intents and purposes, you can now go to your local hardware store, buy a $3 FORD key, get it cut, and it will start the car.

I'd see about this extra key under the dashboard... Try this:

Take the key from under the dashboard out, and try to start the car with it. If the car stars, then it's probably that coil/module that's gone bad. If it doesn't start, swap keys and put a key that you know will start your car, in the coil setup under the dash. If the car starts... The key you had there is not being recognized by the PATS computer. If it still doesn't remote start, then the coil thinghy has one more negative test on it, and you can be even more confident that's your problem.

I hope that made sense... I'm tired, and going to bed. But wanted to suggest another troubleshooting idea you may not have thought of.

Please report back.

if the key that was under the dash will start the car by manually turning the key then there is a problem with the coil of wires around it (pats bypass) go and buy a DEI 556UW (pretty much the same thing) and put the key in it, you will also need to run a 12v constant wire, ground, and a ground while running wire, then run a wire loop around the ignition switch itself, and your R/S will be funtional again,

or you can get a xpresskit PKall, they do not need a key inside the car to work, you just solder a couple of wires into the PATS wires and the power, ground, and GWR then you program the module just like you would a new key.
that way you dont have to leave a key in the car for the good theives to find.

BTW, if the problem was the hood pin, the R/S would not even try to start the car, it would have just gave him an error tone on his remote, the PATS light was probably flashing right before the car didn't crank and the R/S gave up

see, froggy does know what he is talking about (at least this time), i dont care what anyone else says, your OK in my book

Thanks for the responses, after alot of googling I found that bypass unit thing also. From what I can tell someone tried to rig it. There is no Bypass unit even in the car. It was either never there and somehow they made the system work with the Bosch relay they had the key tied to or they removed the unit.

The key is a programmed PATS key. It DOES start the car by turning it. The car will also start with the key just sitting in the ignition and hitting the start button on the remote.

I've looked at a few of these kits and the the wire I have wrapped around the ignition cylinder looks nothing like any of the Bypass options available. It looks more like just 18ga wire wrapped a couple times, then goes to this relay box from the relay box goes to the wire wrapped around the key..

I went on ebay and found this, I was a little worried because on many other sites this costs between 75.00 and 40.00 from what I've found. But it looks the same. so who knows lol.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Code-Alarm-Ford-Transponder-Bypass-PKU-F2-LOT-OF-10_W0QQitemZ120422649874QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Defa ultDomain_0?hash=item1c09bfd012&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

The one I purchased was a single unit intead of the lot of 10.. it was 3.99 + a couple dollars for shipping. So if it is what I need cool it was cheap if its not... I'm not out any serious money.

So in the end, I think you guys are right about there being a problem with the bypass for the PATS

Another cool bonus is, now I have 2 working PATS keys for the LS. The PKU-F2 writeup says it will not require a PATS Key to program. You just insert your 2 working keys as the manual says then hold the device up to the ignition cylinder and hit the Start button and its programmed. I had the Valet Key but wasn't sure if that would work to program more. I had bought a PATS Blank for the LS off ebay and have been waiting to program it since I wasn't sure the Valet Key would work.

Anyway, Thanks for the help so far and hopefully this lil part fixes it.
My wife had lost her set for the LS when we moved from MN to Texas.

LoL sorry if my post is Long and winded. I like to babble, which is why I hold back from posting to much.