HELP !!! Focus anti theft tripped

My daughter's iginition switch went out on a 2003 focus and when we took out the key cylinder the car started right up as directed in a post I found on here. My husband said "Shut it off to make sure it will start again" Why do I listen to him? After I shut it off it showed it had tripped the antitheft device. The manual says take it in for repair. OK Great. The car won't start to let us do that and we live 23 miles from town. Can someone please help me?

Well, the anti theft device was there so that you couldn't do what you did...from what you described, it sounds like you essentially broke into your own car. The only thing I can think of is to listen to the manual, and take it in, as something most likely has to be reset.

Thanks. I needed that, but you're right. That's just what I did. Of course there was a post on here that gave exact instructions on how to do what I did. That doesn't help me now though. I can't get the car to a shop. There has to be some way to get it to recognize the key chip and shut off the antitheft I'd think. I just don't know what it might be.

Again, I'm pretty sure that the only way for you to get the car to recognize the chip is to reset the computer, or something similar, I know. You're probably going to have to get it towed too.

Could you re-install the ignition and just insert the key to see if that car will recognize that its not being stolen, or otherwise just take the computer out, unplug the battery and tak eht computer out of the driver side kick panel and then put it back in this may do the trick if theere isnt a sensor somewhere telling the computer to trip the anti-theft

I have a feeling that anything that you try to do would be useless, as the car is designed to not work after it's been tripped. The car most likely assumed that it was stolen or broken into, etc., and I'm sure that Ford made sure that there is nothing simple that you can do to start it again.

My daughter's iginition switch went out on a 2003 focus and when we took out the key cylinder the car started right up as directed in a post I found on here. My husband said "Shut it off to make sure it will start again" Why do I listen to him? After I shut it off it showed it had tripped the antitheft device. The manual says take it in for repair. OK Great. The car won't start to let us do that and we live 23 miles from town. Can someone please help me?


Your husband might not have seemed right, but imagine if you left it run and your daughter accidentally turned it off while she was out.

You really have no choice but to have the car towed to a Ford dealer, I doubt a local garage will be able to help you.

You should have just had the car towed to the dealer in the first place. Remember to take any information off the Web with a grain of salt. The person who gave you the "solution" probably didn't forsee your husband turning off the ignition.