Ford Ranger electrical issues

Milky Spore · 09-23-2012, 09:23 AM

Okay, so I drive a 1996 Ford Ranger. Since I've owned it the alarm has always been odd in the way that if you locked the doors with the power button and next time you opened the door with the key the alarm would go off. If you manually locked the doors and opened them with the key the alarm would not go off.

So, somewhere along the way my horn switch went out. I was wiring up a new one yesterday when out of nowhere I'm assuming my alarm began going off due to hearing and seeing my flashers and the THEFT light on the dash flashing. This began happening while the truck wasn't being worked on, we were away from it and taking a break. The horn wasn't going off because it was dis-connected at this point, but had been for a while now. Upon completion the THEFT light on my dash just stayed on solid and would not turn off no matter what I did.

This morning I went out to my truck and now the THEFT light was flashing, indicating it is armed, just like the manual says. It says it should turn off when I open my doors, but it won't. I'm also assuming it drained my battery because I only hear a relay clicking when I turn the key. I hooked the OEM horn connections back up thinking the OEM horn wires were somehow related to the alarm, but nothing changed.

WTF is going on with my truck!?

m60gunner · 09-23-2012, 09:34 AM

I wish i could be much help, but aftermarket alarms can be a nightmare to deal with. You may be best off taking it to a local shop that deals with alarm installs. Thats what our shop normally would do.

Milky Spore · 09-23-2012, 09:41 AM

I'm not sure if it's aftermarket. I don't believe it is. I didn't get any aftermarket key fob with it and there is nothing in the vehicle indicating it's aftermarket.

If I can't fix this for cheap the truck is going in the scrap yard. I'm trying to sell it and its already in rough enough shape.

DillonT · 09-23-2012, 10:23 AM

http://www.scribd.com/doc/11145204/P...C-Service-Tips
idk if it would work for your 96, but its worth a shot.

its called pats. passive anti theft system. the locking with beeper, and unlocking with key thing is normal. my ranger used to do that. when you hit lock on the beeper, it does more then just lock the door.