01 escape pats/immobilizer problems

Need some help with this thing bad.Please! Was doing some engine diagnostics and thought the ecm was bad to make a long story short. After swapping ecms of course it wont start. found the real problem in the process and put the factory ecm/pcm back in. During this had a locksmith friend try to program the pats to get it to start and now nothing is working. I have two keys, and with my auto enginenuity software i can go to the program spare key function and wait the ten minutes and get it to start one time but thats it. I have tried doing the erase all keys and codes and still the same deal. I dont even need the alarm system on this thing but it was working fine when i got it with the key i have now so we have done this. I need some help please! Two locksmiths and three scanners/programmers later and same deal. Thanks in advance!Gkperformance

pats programming is very tricky as its time sensitive. Erase all keys, pull the power wait 2 min, connect battery and follow code new keys. The codes are stored on the immobilizer ring, and then writes to the immo within the key.Ted

2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School

Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries

Compustar Expert

I will try that but with my software, when you erase the keys the very next step is to program the two keys. So if I pull the power I will have to go through the ten minute erase again. I may can kill the power between that, just don't know. Thanks for the reply!Gkperformance

are the 2 keys original? Ted

2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School

Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries

Compustar Expert

One key is original, one is a aftermarket. Any ideas? ThanksGkperformance

I've never had luck with aftermarket keys during relearn. When the third key is aftermarket and is only being added it works no problems. The second key might be a cloned key of the first, which is why the car will not learn the new immo. 40bit ford oem keys are cheap anywaysTed

2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School

Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries

Compustar Expert

OK. I had a locksmith come out and said that the keys were programmed to the vehicle fine. I guess according to his machine. He is not the one who cut the key either, that was the first guy who came out that cut the key. He says there is something wrong with the alarm system, but I don't think so. I think that none of us have the way to properly clear everything out like the dealer can. I wish I could just bypass it somehow to at least finish the diagnostic part of it, as that is the reason I have it in the first place. I'm also thinking that it could be the clone key also, but buying another key and having it cut and it not work would be really bad. I already have more in it than if I would have taken it to the dealer, but when you have bought software/hardware that says it can program pats I guess its not too hard to get to this spot. Thanks again for the replys. I have not been whooped like this in a while.Gkperformance

There has to be a key 1 and key 2. As stated earlier it will not work if they cloned a key and have 2 key 1s or 2 key 2s.

Its not actually a cloned key. Its a generic key is what I meant and supposed to be the correct type also. It will program through with both keys and say programming successful. As soon as I try to start the vehicle it comes up with a pats fault. ThanksGkperformance