HELP!! 99 F-150 Theft code
06-02-2018, 10:40 PM
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HELP!! 99 F-150 Theft code
Please don’t respond if you don’t know what this code or have not had any experience with it!
Today I replaced an actuator rod in the steering column of my 1999 F-150. I was very careful taking everything apart and putting it back together. Now the truck won’t start, the THEFT light flashes rapidly and then produces code number 12. (One flash, slight delay then two flashes) any input would be appreciated. I only have one key for the truck and it’s not an original ford key. Please no regular responses of “take it to the dealer” or “you need a new key”. None of that is helpful. I know the theft system has been activated and it’s not allowing the truck to start. I’m wondering what exactly to check or what’s exactly wrong.
thanks for your help
Today I replaced an actuator rod in the steering column of my 1999 F-150. I was very careful taking everything apart and putting it back together. Now the truck won’t start, the THEFT light flashes rapidly and then produces code number 12. (One flash, slight delay then two flashes) any input would be appreciated. I only have one key for the truck and it’s not an original ford key. Please no regular responses of “take it to the dealer” or “you need a new key”. None of that is helpful. I know the theft system has been activated and it’s not allowing the truck to start. I’m wondering what exactly to check or what’s exactly wrong.
thanks for your help
06-03-2018, 09:14 AM
#2
The 1:2 code is not listed. Plug in a scanner and get the diagnostic code. You may be able to get the code from the HEC by holding in the trip button (hold until codes show) while turning on the ignition.
Here is the link to the ford job aid https://www.motorcraftservice.com/pdf/pats_job_aid.pdf
If you were messing around in the column you probably disturbed the wiring for the pats transceiver ring. The transceiver ring is an antenna that senses the RFID code from the chip in the key. The wiring for it runs in the same area as the shifter rod.
Once you get it sorted out and running again, you can program your own keys. Use the link above to determine which key you need and order a blank or two from amazon or ebay. Take the new blank key(s) to somewhere like ace hardware and have them cut to match your one key - they did mine for a few dollars. Get a cheap USB ELM327 adapter from amazon or ebay that works with FORSCAN. Download the free forscan software and follow the instructions from the FAQ for getting the extended license that allows PATS programming. Make sure your keys are compatible by inserting them into the key cylinder and reading the codes - the forscan FAQ has info on this too. Do a PATS reset and follow the onscreen instructions to program the keys - you have to start with two good keys. The key programming takes about 20-30 minutes because FORD put a long wait time in key programming to discourage theft by this method.
So yeah, I don't know what your 12 code means and replied anyway. :-p~
Here is the link to the ford job aid https://www.motorcraftservice.com/pdf/pats_job_aid.pdf
If you were messing around in the column you probably disturbed the wiring for the pats transceiver ring. The transceiver ring is an antenna that senses the RFID code from the chip in the key. The wiring for it runs in the same area as the shifter rod.
Once you get it sorted out and running again, you can program your own keys. Use the link above to determine which key you need and order a blank or two from amazon or ebay. Take the new blank key(s) to somewhere like ace hardware and have them cut to match your one key - they did mine for a few dollars. Get a cheap USB ELM327 adapter from amazon or ebay that works with FORSCAN. Download the free forscan software and follow the instructions from the FAQ for getting the extended license that allows PATS programming. Make sure your keys are compatible by inserting them into the key cylinder and reading the codes - the forscan FAQ has info on this too. Do a PATS reset and follow the onscreen instructions to program the keys - you have to start with two good keys. The key programming takes about 20-30 minutes because FORD put a long wait time in key programming to discourage theft by this method.
So yeah, I don't know what your 12 code means and replied anyway. :-p~
06-03-2018, 11:36 AM
#3
Senior Member
Please don’t respond if you don’t know what this code or have not had any experience with it!
Today I replaced an actuator rod in the steering column of my 1999 F-150. I was very careful taking everything apart and putting it back together. Now the truck won’t start, the THEFT light flashes rapidly and then produces code number 12. (One flash, slight delay then two flashes) any input would be appreciated. I only have one key for the truck and it’s not an original ford key. Please no regular responses of “take it to the dealer” or “you need a new key”. None of that is helpful. I know the theft system has been activated and it’s not allowing the truck to start. I’m wondering what exactly to check or what’s exactly wrong.
thanks for your help
Today I replaced an actuator rod in the steering column of my 1999 F-150. I was very careful taking everything apart and putting it back together. Now the truck won’t start, the THEFT light flashes rapidly and then produces code number 12. (One flash, slight delay then two flashes) any input would be appreciated. I only have one key for the truck and it’s not an original ford key. Please no regular responses of “take it to the dealer” or “you need a new key”. None of that is helpful. I know the theft system has been activated and it’s not allowing the truck to start. I’m wondering what exactly to check or what’s exactly wrong.
thanks for your help
Hate to tell you this, but 12 means your computer has lost the code. So the answers you don't want, are all you're going to get unless you have Ford IDS or a Snap-On SOLUS (or equivalent).
06-03-2018, 04:49 PM
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Thanks for all the replies. In other forums I’ve seen people give one sentence answers, not trying to make anyone angry, I’m just the type of guy who wants to understand what is going on and why before I do anything that potentially could cause me to throw away money needlessly. I’ve also read about several bogus quick fixes that really don’t do anyone any good. Those just frustrate me. Any help that’s constructive is always appreciated. Sorry if I sounded angry in my initial post, working on something late and not going the way it should probably got to me a little 
we’ve all been there.
Anyway, I took the thing apart again, and indeed the tranciever/antenna fell apart in my hands, not sure how that happened, but it is what it is. I’ll probably pick up a new one sometime soon. The truck has sentimental value to me, so I do want to get it running. My question with that is, in replacing the tranciever, will the key need to be reprogrammed, or should it run nevertheless?
Also, the truck did sit for a while disconnected from the battery, could this cause it to lose the codes or will replacing the transceiver solve all my problems?
any input that’s constructive and has an explanation is always appreciated. I’m sure I’ll get it figured out one way or another.
once again, thanks so much for all your help
we’ve all been there.Anyway, I took the thing apart again, and indeed the tranciever/antenna fell apart in my hands, not sure how that happened, but it is what it is. I’ll probably pick up a new one sometime soon. The truck has sentimental value to me, so I do want to get it running. My question with that is, in replacing the tranciever, will the key need to be reprogrammed, or should it run nevertheless?
Also, the truck did sit for a while disconnected from the battery, could this cause it to lose the codes or will replacing the transceiver solve all my problems?
any input that’s constructive and has an explanation is always appreciated. I’m sure I’ll get it figured out one way or another.
once again, thanks so much for all your help
06-03-2018, 06:01 PM
#5
Senior Member
No it will not need reprogrammed, as long as the ECU hasn't lost the programming to the key. I am interested to know if a faulty transceiver will generate that same code.
06-03-2018, 06:37 PM
#7
Forscan will read the "B" code from the module. It probably doesn't matter now that you found the broken part. I think $70 was the cheapest I found the transceiver ring for a year ago when I was messing with my PATS issue.
I also looked at the ford IDS and snapon scanner tools and there was no way I was going to spend that much on my 17 year old truck. So far http://forscan.org/home.html has done everything I have needed with a cheap $30 ELM327 USB scanner.
Link to cheap elm327 cable:
I also looked at the ford IDS and snapon scanner tools and there was no way I was going to spend that much on my 17 year old truck. So far http://forscan.org/home.html has done everything I have needed with a cheap $30 ELM327 USB scanner.
Link to cheap elm327 cable:
Last edited by formerjeepguy; 06-03-2018 at 06:39 PM. Reason: link
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06-16-2018, 09:51 PM
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Hi guys,
so I priced out a new tranciever from the dealership, over $130.00, so I didn’t go that route. Went to pick-n-pull and pulled one off of a 2001 f-150. It’s styled a little different and the wire colours are different but the plug is the same. Like I said, it’s off of a 2001, but the part has July 2007 written on it, so I assumed it was replaced once. Got home, Plugged it in and it fixed the theft light issue. now the next issue is that the truck will fire once in a blue moon on its own, and will run on a small amount of starter fluid and then dies off. I’m guessing it’s a fuel delivery issue, I know it’s not the fuel shut off switch by the passenger kick panel, I swapped some relays and it didn’t make a difference. Tomorrow I think I’ll pick up some contact cleaner and see what good that does. Will try to keep you posted.
so I priced out a new tranciever from the dealership, over $130.00, so I didn’t go that route. Went to pick-n-pull and pulled one off of a 2001 f-150. It’s styled a little different and the wire colours are different but the plug is the same. Like I said, it’s off of a 2001, but the part has July 2007 written on it, so I assumed it was replaced once. Got home, Plugged it in and it fixed the theft light issue.
now the next issue is that the truck will fire once in a blue moon on its own, and will run on a small amount of starter fluid and then dies off. I’m guessing it’s a fuel delivery issue, I know it’s not the fuel shut off switch by the passenger kick panel, I swapped some relays and it didn’t make a difference. Tomorrow I think I’ll pick up some contact cleaner and see what good that does. Will try to keep you posted.
06-17-2018, 07:27 PM
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Fuel pump connector
Multimeter prongs at 10.62 volts
Multimeter prongs at 6.44 volts
bad news. I think I have a bad fuel pump. The relays and fuses all check out at 12 volts, all fuses and relays are good. Checked PCM fuses/relays and all fuel system related fuses and relays, all good. There wasn’t a good ground underneath the truck due to our wonderful Canadian rust so I had to jump my multimeter this way. Sometimes I got closer to the 7&8 volts on the one side and closer to the 12 volts on the 10v side. I think my battery is getting low. The pump makes absolutely no noise at all, and I figure with this voltage I should be hearing some sort of life to it. Is there anything else I could do better to diagnose this? Am I doing it wrong? Any help is appreciated.