2014 focus regular key Evo-All keeps losing key info

Question

I installed a Evo all with t harness into a 2014 Ford focus with regular key to start.

Everything worked fine no issues. 2 weeks later customer came back. Everything works fine except car won't start.

Double checked all connections and found no issues.

Reflashed Evo all reprogrammed with both keys. Once again everything worked fine.

A week later customer came back with same issue.

Flashed a new Evo all and reprogrammed with both keys once again. Everything worked fine.  

2 weeks later same issue. Checked all connections again replaced evo all and programed everything worked fine.

Its been a few weeks now and customer is booked in again for same issue.

This is not the first time I have had this issue with other year makes and models.

I'm tired of removing the remote starter and bypass and installing a whole new starter and other brand bypass.

Does anyone know why this issue keeps happening?

Why does this vehicle keep losing key info?

has any other installers had this issue with other vehicles losing key info and having to reflash bypass?

 

i am using Astra 300, Astra 1000/4000, and Galaxy 2000/5000 remote starters.

Answer 1

The module can not "lose" key info. Are you using datalink ?

Comments

Yes I am using datalink. If it can not lose key info why is everything else still working. Only issue is vehicle saying "no key" when trying to remote start. Please keep in mind I am new to Fortin as we just brought them in to my shop.

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On ford vehicles, do not use unlock before / relock after start. If this is programmed in the remote starter, turn it off. Reason for this is simple, to disarm Ford, the vehicle needs to see transponder and ignition; if the that option is enabled that unlocks before start, the EVO thinks you are actually just trying to disarm and not trying to start.

Also, make sure that if using the purple and purpl/white inputs of the EVO, use lock and unlock and not arm/disarm.

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thank you.

when the vehicle comes in wednesday, i will shut off unlock before / relock after start.

i am assuming that the factory alarm will disarm with ignition.

also i will look into the purple & purple/white wires to see if they are hardwired or data. i can not remember if they were used because the installer that did the job was let go for other reasons not this install.

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Excellent , you're on the right track.

the guides for Ford actually say to connect purple/white to the disarm of the starter when not in datalink. I've asked to change this already so that it says Unlock and not Disarm. Disarm messes everything up.

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just a question. if the old installer didnt hook up those wires and they are run through data will shutting off unlock befor / lock after start fix my issue?

this is not the first vehicle i have had come back with this issue and reflashing and reprograming fixed the issue or installing a whole new bypass from a different company worked.

did i get a bad batch of EVO-ALLs because out of the 4 cases i bought more then half of come back to be reflashed and reprogrammed. sometimes flashing a new EVO fixes the issue also. i have a stack of 25 EVOs that i have taken out of vehicles.

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just a question. if the old installer didnt hook up those wires and they are run through data will shutting off unlock befor / lock after start fix my issue?

Yes. I've seen this cause failed starts before on Ford.

did i get a bad batch of EVO-ALLs because out of the 4 cases i bought more then half of come back to be reflashed and reprogrammed. sometimes flashing a new EVO fixes the issue also. i have a stack of 25 EVOs that i have taken out of vehicles.

I really honestly extremely doubt those modules are defective. With every install, always flash units to the latest recommended firmware unless the firmware written in the guide is higher than the recommended or if it literally says use a specific firmware only.

When using datalink, always make sure the remote starter and the bypass you are using have the same datalink protocols programmed. The EVO can cover the 3 major datalink protocols, Fortin, AP/OFA datalink (ADS) and D2D. Also read carefully the remote starter installation guide as it might say that in a certain datalink protocol, the communication is only 1-way and not 2-way datalink (i am pointing at Autostart here since they state Fortin and ADS protocols are only 1-way, if you want 2-way datalink, you need to use the D2D protocol). By 1-way i mean that the starter can send info via datalink but cannot receive info from the bypass.

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awesome this is all good information to know.

i will try what you mentioned with the focus and let you know, and also when a vehicle comes back take a better look at the install guide. 

i have an installer that says he has used fortin in the past and even though it recommends a firmware i have seen him flash is to a lower firmware. i know that like you said if install guide says certain fireware flash it to that. however when i asked him why not recommended he stated that on some vehicles even though it recommends that he know that the firmware he choose works better with the vehicle.

is there any truth to this? or ALWAYS!! use recommended unless stated in guide.

i am hoping that i can get them to start working for my properly because i have invested alot of time and money

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alright have the vehicle here and its still saying no key detected

removed EVO plug into computer to turn of unlock befor / lock after start and they are not turned on also checked puple / purple white and they are not connected.

so this isnt solving my issue seems to me that the EVO can Lose Key data because its the only thing that keeps going wrong.

any other ideas?

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call tech support so you don't wait for messages to pop in here and it;s a lot easier to troubleshoot, 1-877-336-7797

RED led should also be turning on,

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yeah im going to call them now

red is turning on and after a few seconds yellow turns on as well

dash says no key detected and then vehicle turns off as well as both lights on evo

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Have a feeling something is not getting powered at the ignition harness caused by a broken connection in the T-Harness. It does work for a weeks then stops, so i am doubting this is actually the problem.

The outputs of the EVO that power the ignition harness come out the RED connector.

• White/Red is 12V
• White/Blue and Yellow/Red are joined together, pass through a diode, and power Ignition
• Yellow/Blue is Start
• Yellow/Green is Accessory

The Yellow/Black wire coming out the harness that is connected to the remote starter ignition output actually powers KEY-SENSE on the vehicle.

To give you an idea of what is supposed to be happening in the T-harness, take a look at the none T-harness guide. EVO-ALL & Ford Focus(2012-2014) - with RF-KIT - Revision 20140305
 

Basically, what's coming out that RED connector, should be making it to the factory ignition harness.

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....and... i was just told you may need to send start to the red/blue of the EVO from the starter. There may be something in datalink from the starter not happening, such as sending an actual start to the EVO.

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(oh and it didnt have a T-Harness it was wired in)

 

ok called tech support first guy said he didnt know what was going on and passed my number off to a superviser 

called back a second time and once the guy that aswered heard what starter i was using said that EVO-all dose not work with my brand 

however my starter has the option to switch between Fortin and Idatalink but EVO-alls Still dont work properly when switched to Fortin. 

i was told to switch my starter back to Idatalink and change options on the Evo all under protocal (option F2) to the on position and try again.

so far so good. i hope i do not get a call two weeks from now.

 

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Sounds like the unit was not receiving start all the time through datalink. Changing between protocols should help.

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I work at Fortin, I thought you would ask for me... lol

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haha after showing one of my installers he had mentioned he had talked to you when he worked at our for fort mac shop

awesome help and info

if this fixes my issue maybe this is the reason i have had around 20 vehicles come back and had to swap units for different ones. hopefully a money saver!

 

in the future i will ask for you

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it's why we added compatibility to all 3 major datalink protocols. If the remote starter gives you problems with 1 of them, you can always try another. For the next vehicles with the same setup, just go straight to using the same protocol you had to swap this one to.