1998 town car problems

Hi, First off I own a 1998 Lincoln Town Car (signature). I had a remote start alarm system installed around March 2013. I've had no problems with the alarm up until I had the unfornately get a breathalyzer for my car. My remote feature was disabled to comply with the restrictions. But I noticed I had a problem before the breathalyzer was installed now that I think about it. Breathalyzer installed in August 2013. During the hot months of May, June, and July when I remote started it would not turn on the A/C. The A/C would only come on when I would enter the car and turn the key. Then I'd press the brake and drive away as normal. Well now it's Dec. and I'm having an intermittant problem. I noticed that SOMETIMES I would not have a working radio when I would turn the key to ACC. Only when I would turn the key to the ON position would the radio turn on. I myself tried looking at the wiring of the alarm. Alot of twist and tape. NOW another problem I'm having is I have to remote start the car to get to the car to turn on. I know the breathalyzer people disabled the remote start feature where the engine would crank but it would still light up the dash lights as if I was gonna remote start. I would hit the remote start button then put the key in and turn to the ON position.. blow.. wait then I was able to start my car. If I just put the key in, blow, then start the car it would only turn over and not start. Being frustrated with how things with my car were going I did some research and found out what the wiring was on my car and the wiring on the alarm. I have the Autopage C3 RS-665 2W. Well he had it like this. Ignition harness      Alarm (6 wire harness) Yellow wire 12v constant (2) Red wires with 20 amp fuses RED / blue starter wire Violet (cut to disable remote start) WHITE/ yellow wire Ignition 1        Yellow BLACK/ green & Gray / YELLOW Pink (tied together) Acc/heater Pink/Black wire Ignition Brown vehicle wiring        Alarm (5 wire harness) Yellow wire at ignition harness      Single red wire with two fuses Brown wire White vehicle chassis for ground  Black Thats a very rough explanation but that's how the main wires are tied in. Theres a relay for the trunk pop. So now when checking voltage with a DMM I have no voltage out of the pink wire from the alarm which is supposed to be ignition #2. I also have no voltage in the BLACK/ green wire in the ignition harness. I can't start up my car at all unless this wire is energized. Which I made a jumper from the gray / YELLOW wire. So the BLACK/ green wire and gray / YELLOW wire are energized by the brown wire from the alarm. If I just try to start the car with the key it will not start. If I press the remote start button on the alarm remote, then turn the key to ON, blow, then I can actually start my car. Is there anyone who has any idea what my problem could be. I tried to trace where the BLACK/ green wire goes but I've had no luck so far. And as of now the radio or power windows will not power up in the ACC position. Only when I hit the remote start button on the alarm remote will the radio turn on and then I can start my car with the key. Also when my car is turned off I cannot get the trunk to pop. Only while the car is running can I use the trunk pop feature on the remote. The trunk pop button on the door works like normal. It's alot to take in but I need some help PLEASE. Thanks for your time.   

Have you tested the output of the actual ignition switch ? Sounds like either your switch is failing or you blew a fuse. I would start by checking each wire at the ignition switch.If i Can't Install it    I Don't need it   Joe

I'm going to take a guess that the Town Car has a factory Retained Power Buss. This is probably a time-delay relay (98 should be pre-BCM) that power for the windows, radio, and ( ? ) is supplied through. The accy and probably the run position as well, turn on this relay, and allows power to the accessories. It could be as simple as a bad relay, and have little / nothing to do with the RS / blow installation. Investigate "Retained Accessory Power" or "Retained Accessory Buss".

Man I must have gremlins in my car because when I left work this afternoon my trunk pop worked and I didn't have to remote start the car to get it to work! I had bought a new ignition switch Tuesday and I haven't gotten around to changing it out since I've been sick but tomorrow I'll be able to. As for the retained accessory power this car's power windows and radio stay on until I open the door. I have an aftermarket radio and I used the power window wire to use as my 12+ switch. So my radio works like the factory one. I turn off the car and take out the key and the radio still plays until I open the door. But I'm clueless as to why one day my car works as normal and sometimes it doesn't. Where are the relays for these ignition wires located?? I only see the one under the dash. And I've seen the ones under the hood but that's it. I've even tried swapping out relays and I get the same results.

I switched out the ignition switch with a new one and so far everything has been acting fine. I have power once again on the BLACK/ green wire once I turn the key to the on position and the radio powers up when I turn the key to the ACC position. But before I changed out the ignition switch I noticed I got two different voltage readings on the constant 12+ wires going into the switch. One was reading around 12.2v and the other was reading 10.7v. So I traced the wires back the underhood fuse panel. The wire reading normal voltage had a 50 amp fuse that was fine BUT the wire with the low voltage reading had a blown 40 amp fuse with two strands of wire across the blades. I changed it with a good fuse and I read the voltages at the ignition switch and they were the same! I was lucky enough to find another alarm brain, same model, at the junkyard when I was searching for spark plug coils. I installed it in the Lincoln, programmed the remote and now I can use the trunk pop feature like normal and the pink wire supplying voltage for the ignition 2 works as normal. So far things have been fixed, so far.