Automate AM6 in 2001 Explorer

Hi All,

First post. I have a 2001 Explorer with an Automate AM6 installed. I have had the AM6 for a year now and have had some issues with it. I was hoping maybe someone else has had similar experiences and may know some solutions.
First, the Remote Starter doesn't always work. It seems to work best when it is cold out. I brought it back to the dealer and they couldn't find anything wrong. They did change some setting to put in into "Attack Mode" where it keeps trying to start. So now when it doesn't start on the first try it keeps trying till I kill it.
Second, there have been a few times where I can't start the car with the key. It's seems like the fuel cut-off has been activated. I've read, and re-read, my manual several times and know the key sequence for disabling the starter kill but it didn't work. I had to resort to using the valet switch to start the Explorer.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hi All,

First post. I have a 2001 Explorer with an Automate AM6 installed. I have had the AM6 for a year now and have had some issues with it. I was hoping maybe someone else has had similar experiences and may know some solutions.
First, the Remote Starter doesn't always work. It seems to work best when it is cold out. I brought it back to the dealer and they couldn't find anything wrong. They did change some setting to put in into "Attack Mode" where it keeps trying to start. So now when it doesn't start on the first try it keeps trying till I kill it.
Second, there have been a few times where I can't start the car with the key. It's seems like the fuel cut-off has been activated. I've read, and re-read, my manual several times and know the key sequence for disabling the starter kill but it didn't work. I had to resort to using the valet switch to start the Explorer.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I am sincerely sorry that you having issues with your Automate unit. Those are the best of the best that DEI has to offer. THey are even better than the Viper they share. Anyhoo, I am also an Automate dealer--not a car dealer. I am a wholesaler to car dealerships. I also happen to be one that's found issues with Ford vehicles and have reported them to DEI. So, install techniques have been changed. Unfortunately for you, it sounds like the installer that worked on your car isn't quite up to the tasks at hand.

Now, these are guesses since I can not physically see your car. If you live in Ohio, maybe that can be changed. Anyway, the most common method most shops do is voltage sensing in order to start the car. This isn't the preferred method because batteries/electricals change with extreme temperatures. The best is tach. sensing. The problem with that is that sometimes on Fords, the ignition spikes and causes the remote start to screw up. The fix I have found is not using the actual tach wire but to patch into a fuel injector wire. As far as "attack" mode, they all should retry to start up to 3 times then shut down completely.

As far as the car not starting even with the key, it sounds like the PATS security system kicking in. It is caused from multiple different things depending on the method on which they bypassed it. See, if the car hasn't seen the correct code too many times in a row, it will lock you out for a time. It is talked about in your owner's manual.

What ever the problem is, the shop can put the AM6 into diagnostic mode where it will actually tell you why it shut off the times before. The only trick is that it only stores what happened the very last time you RS it. So if it successfully worked right before the installer looks at it, there won't be any codes stored.

Hope you got all of this. You are more than welcom to PM me and I can give you my shop # :iceslolan

ponchonutty,

Thanks for the reply. The part about the PATS security system kicking in sounds probable. The times when the Explorer failed to start, my wife was driving it and wasn't familiar with the AM6 remote.

Also, the part about the unit storing the last RS is also interesting. Since the unit always worked the day we were bringing it back to the installer.

Would I be able to tell which wire they are using for the start sensor? And if it wasn't the fuel injector, could I switch it?

Thanks again.

ponchonutty,



Would I be able to tell which wire they are using for the start sensor? And if it wasn't the fuel injector, could I switch it?

Thanks again.
Well, maybe. Depends on their method of install. Pop the hood and look into the driver's side firewall. See if you see anything no OEM. I usually have 2 wires comming out of that but I have them in black wire loom. One wire is gray which goes to a hood switch and the other is purple/white. The purple/white goes to the tach signal. If you find this, let me know.

Yes, I see non OEM stuff. There is a gray wire going to the hood switch (push down variety) and a purple/white wire that goes to a cluster of wires that plugs into something that looks like a retangular distributor box. The purple/white is spliced in somehow, but I didn't have time to fully check it out.