It all started innocently enough with a trip out of the shop for lunch. I had stopped for a sandwich at a local chain sub shop, and while walking out to my car with my food, a woman approached me and asked for help.
The frantic lady stated that her daughter's car had run out of gas and would not start. As we approached the mid-1990s Ford Explorer, I noticed a small red gas jug on the ground. The woman explained that her daughter had run out of gas and although she had just added a few gallons, the Explorer would still not start.
While sitting in the driver's seat I cranked over the Ford. The vehicle cranked well but would not start. Having my share of faulty ECM relays, I made sure that the "Check Engine" light came on while cranking; it did.
I askedthe woman where she'd gotten
this key. She said that it was her spare key and
not the original one her daughter normally uses.
The odd thing was that the factory red "Theft" lamp would flash quickly while cranking. Knowing that it might be a faulty VATS ignition key, I took out the key for a quick examination. Much to my surprise, I noticed that the ignition key was the simple, plain, metal blank type. This was strange because Fords with the VATS system have a large black key head that encases the anti-theft microchip.
I asked the woman where she'd gotten this key. She said that it was her spare key and not the original one her daughter normally uses. I asked her if she knew which key was used when the car ran out of gas. She replied that the truck was being driven by her daughter yesterday when it died out and that her daughter has the other key that had been used at that time.
I advised the woman that this spare key was never going to start the vehicle because it did not have the VATS chip and that it would only unlock the doors. I also told her that the car probably had run out of gas yesterday and now that she had added some fuel the car should start as long as a correctly programmed VATS key were used.
The woman thanked me for the advice but stated that it might be a while before she could get her daughter's key. When I asked why, she told me the rest of the story: When her daughter ran out of gas yesterday, she waved down a passing police cruiser for help. The officer agreed to help, and during the course of his assistance ran the daughter's name in the local system. The officer discovered she had an open warrant for her arrest. The daughter was subsequently taken to the local police station, booked and then transported to the county jail, with her belongings, including her keys.
Sometimes, I have the annoying habit of asking too many questions. Nevertheless, I did find a resolution to the Ford's starting problems.
