Carl - Thanks thats a kind offer. As it happens the chap that came out with his VCM was using cryptoworks (dongle not online version) but it rejected all the codes it generated which was strange.
As advised by Ian (and thank you for your continued help through this!!) I requested a code from ford which was a pain but at least I have everything set up for future requests now. Unfortunately the code gave the same response as I had been getting previously - the dash showed 'diagnostic' but the IDS returned to the main PATS screen. I also tried the details for that request on the aforementioned website which generated the same code so worth book marking.
I've double checked wiring, connections and fuses and I'm still quite confident that the PCM is faulty. I even found the exact unit in a vehicle in a local breakers for £50+VAT BUT......
The customer's dad was a mechanic in his previously life and suggested we change the PCM, instrument cluster, keys and locks. Yes this 'should' get the thing running but at great expense and with the wrong approach. We declined to carry out this work and went with their suggestion to recover the vehicle to the dads garage. So the car will be picked up by the customer and taken 100 miles for someone else to guess.
Trouble is the customer was fine all the time we were explaining our process and outcome but he would return later having googled stuff or speaking to the dad and have a new found fight in him.
I put in a lot of hours without the intention of charging a massive bill but wanting to understand the fault and get the thing right for the customer so this outcome is incredibly frustrating. Even now we haven't charged the customer for any time spent on it. Hopefully we'll retain him as a customer in the future.
Thanks again everyone for your help.
Matt
