I've been installing Audiovox for a long time, and I'm familiar with both of those units.
Here's how you can go about diagnosing and fixing this.
PRELIMINARY:
First, familiarize yourself with the security light in the car and learn how it is supposed to work.
--With the engine off, it should flash slowly
--Turn the ignition on with a good key (you can start the engine or just turn the key on, it doesn't matter). Observe that the light will come on solid for a moment, then go out and stay out.
So, that's how it's supposed to work.
Secondly, activate the remote starter while watching the light. I'll bet it flashes really fast, right? That means you have some kind of problem with the immobilizer bypass for sure. This happens quite a bit with these cars, but it's not too hard to fix.
TROUBLESHOOTING AND FIXING:
Up front, I'll say that the problem is most likely that the wire ring that goes around the car's keyhole has probably shifted out of position, but this would also be the most difficult part to fix.....so let's troubleshoot it in order of the easiest things to the hardest things. Trust me, just follow it in this order so you don't go pulling apart the steering column if you don't need to.
1: Unscrew ASTCBM, remove the key from it and set it aside. Maybe label this key with a piece of tape or something, so you don't mix it up with your regular keys.
2: Put the key you use every day into the ignition, but don't turn the key on; just leave it there in the Off position. Try the remote starter....did it work? Good, now we know that the main installation of the remote starter is good,, and you just need to continue fixing the immobilizer.
3: Take the key that you removed from the ASTCBM, put that into the ignition, and repeat step #2. This will verify that the key that was in there is good, and is still programmed to the car. If that doesn't work, then the key is bad or needs to be reprogrammed----just write back here if that's the case.
Anyway, I'll bet the remote starter will work fine with that key in the ignition.
4: From the moment you activate the 9055, a relay inside the ASTCBM becomes energized. And then, about 3-4 seconds after the remote starter shuts off, the relay inside there should turn off.
This relay makes a faint click, and you should be able to either hear it, or feel it by holding the ASTCBM in your hand, or by using a long screwdriver like a stethoscope by holding the tip against the unit, and the handle by your ear.
Anyway, make sure you hear the thing clicking on and off. This will prove that the little red and blue wires going in there are still hooked up right.
In summary, if you don't hear the ASTCBM click on and off, it is either bad or not receiving power/ground from the remote starter.
5: The long-style Ford keys are sensitive to placement, and they usually don't sit in the proper spot inside the ASTCBM. Some installers don't know this, and just slide the key right in there and screw the thing together, and it usually works well enough until it gets cold out.
Look at the key: See the part on the head of the key where the Ford logo is?
Look at the internals of the ASTCBM: See there's like a plastic "tunnel" where you slide the head of the key in, and it's got many loops of thin wire in it?
Well, what you should do, is make sure the Ford logo is aligned with those loops. Put the key just like that, plug in the connectors, and see if the remote starter works now. There's a chance that this is what you need to do.
If that worked, good news! However, you'll see that you can't reassemble the housing of the ASTCBM with the key in this position. You can choose between cutting off the top of the key (the loop to attach it to your key ring), or cut out part of the cover of the ASTCBM so the head of the key sticks out a little.
I know this all sounds a little crazy, but the ASTCBM (which is out of production now) was never made for these elongated Ford keys, which were introduced in 2000.
OK.......ARE YOU WITH ME SO FAR? Up to now, you should have verified that the remote starter itself is working correctly, verified the key in the box was still good, verified the ASTCBM was getting power, and verified the key is in the proper position inside the ASTCBM.
6: If none of those things fixed the problem, it's time to take off the steering column shroud and reposition the ring that's in there.
---Car should be on battery charger, or outside where you can keep the motor running, so the battery won't die. You'll see why in a minute.
---Put the tilt wheel all the way up, and look under the column. You'll see a total of four holes there.
---Three holes have Phillips screws in them; remove these.
---The fourth hole has no screw. Turn the ignition to Run (You can start the engine and run the heater if you're outside.) Take a long, thin, punch or awl, push it straight up into that hole. There's a little ball bearing in there; push it in with your tool. Now you can pull the entire ignition switch straight out of the column, key and all.
NOTE: Don't go turning the key all around and playing with it. You won't break it, but it'll make it confusing to reinstall. Just pull it straight out and put it down somewhere just like it is.
---Now, you'll see a black plastic ring around the keyhole; this is the Ford PATS receiver.
---You'll also see a loop of wire coming from the ASTCBM. Note that the loop is quite a bit bigger than the PATS ring. The ASTCBM is universal and made to fit many cars.
---What you need to do is to "tighten" or "shorten" the ASTCBM loop using either a small zip tie or a little piece of quality electrical tape. Make it so it's the same size (or just a hair larger) than the PATS ring.
---What you want to do now is place that loop right on top of the PATS ring, and then carefully put the car back together. Imagine a sandwich where the PATS ring and the steering column cover are pieces of bread, and the ASTCBM loop is the meat. It's a tight fit but it's doable. This is really the way it HAS to be. If the ASTCBM loop is just tossed around the PATS receiver like a hula hoop, it'll work for a little while, but then fail again when it's cold.
You might like to use a little electrical tape to hold the loop in position while you make your "sandwich," but then the pressure will hold everything together.
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IMPORTANT NOTE: If you try to start the car too many times with no valid key present, the car will lock up for a little while, even if you do have a valid key.
It will generally reset itself after leaving the key off for a few minutes, so don't worry too much.
Still, my preference is to allow for no more than two failed starts in a row. If you try the remote starter and it doesn't work, and then you try once more......STOP what you're doing, start the engine with a good key, let it run for a few moments, then shut if off before you play around again. This way the car won't lock up on you.
ANOTHER THING: You know that little chime you get when you leave the key in the ignition and open the door? The switch is tiny, fragile, and is easily broken.
First, make sure your chime works before you even begin. It might be already broken anyway.
Then, after you slide out the ignition switch, look into the hole and you'll see a little metal bendy tab in there. That's the key-in sensor switch. This is why it's important to slide that ignition switch straight in, and straight out, and not turning the key around all over the place.
Topic Closed)
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