The problem is the anti-theft device. If the truck started you could drive it and all of a sudden the anti-theft light would blink and shut the truck down. It didn't matter if it was idling or running. I took the truck in to Ford because they said the key needed to be rechipped. They did that and when I went to pick up the truck neither key would work. It would not start. They checked it out again and reprogrammed the PCM. I was told it works fine. I took it home that night and it stalled on me 4 times. The problem was not fixed.

The only way I could get the truck to start again after it shut down was to unplug the ECU and plug it back in starting with the longest plug, then center plug and finally the shortest plug. If it was not plugged in that way then it would not start. I have found that if the truck turns over first crank then the problem is not there. If it took more than one try to turn it over then the the truck would shut down. Ford told me to bring it back in and leave it for a couple of days so they could figure out the problem. Each hour they work on it costs me $130.00, not going to happen. Any ideas as to what the problem might be?

First time it happened was the end of summer 2012. PATS light flashing on the dash, motor will not turn over. Unplugged battery and left truck parked at the feed store for 3 days. Went back and plugged in the battery and it fired right up. Didn't happen again for 2 months. Next time it happened was just before Christmas, about the 23rd. I was scheduled to travel to see my kids the 25th. We unplugged the battery and let it sit until the morning of the 25th. I even spent the morning replacing the PATS tranceiver that I had bought the first time it happened, but then didn't need because it started. Still nothing! Mom let me borrow her truck for 2 days so I wouldn't miss Christmas dinner with my kids. Came home and it fired right up! We have been stranded several places since then. Sometimes it will start again right away, sometimes hours or days later. Took it to the dealer Feb. 14th. It did it for them and they replaced a relay. Did it again Feb. 23rd. Took it to the dealer on the 25th. They scanned it and came up with 2 codes: P1260 and U2510. They said there was a TSB from Ford requiring an update to the computer, and it should be all fixed. It did it again last night, Feb. 28th, when I came out of work after a 10 hour shift, exhausted and hungry. Hubby had to drive 20 minutes each way in the dark and rain to pick me up. Next morning it didn't start. Went and had breakfast and tried again. Still no start, so tried removing and replacing fuses, making sure relays were in tight, then it fired up. Drove to the auction and turned it off for 10 minutes, then it wouldn't start again. Went home for jumper cables, came back, added power from another vehicle and it started. At this point I drove it straight back to the dealer. They will look at it on Monday. I am SO frustrated with this mess!

Update from Sep 28, 2013: In the end my own mechanic surmised that since the computer is in the firewall, right underneath the vents in the cowelling, rain was falling directly on it and causing a short. Haven't found a way to fix it, yet, so have been throwing a floor mat across the passenger side of the windshield/hood to keep rain off when its parked and parking it in the carport when I'm at home. So far, so good. Don't know what will happen if I end up in a hard rain on an extended drive....

The diagram I got from Ford shows a protective box around the ECM, but they have tried ordering it twice, and none of the P/N's in the diagram are a box. Now they tell me the box doesn't exist? I will NEVER buy another Ford. I'm in the market for an antique Chevy pickup.