New Car? Make sure youve got 3 keys!

Altarf

jackbremer wrote:

what???

two keys needed to get another one made?

what kind of planet is this?

You don't need two Ford keys to get another one made, it just makes life easier if you do.

With modern Fords if you have two keys (either the remote versions or the manual non-remote versions) you can authorise another key yourself to operate the immobiliser (so no expensive visit to the dealer is needed). If you only have one key, you need to visit the dealer.

Ford also make their keys so the remote bit unclips from the key bit. So if you want to convert your manual key to a remote key, you only need to buy the remote top (and then you only need one key to program the new fob to your car). As for the remote tops, there are plenty on ebay cheaper than the dealers.

With most Fords you do only get one remote key, the other is a manual key.

angelatgraceland

jackbremer wrote:

what???

two keys needed to get another one made?

what kind of planet is this?

Yes, MAD isnt it!

angelatgraceland

Well my extra key cost just over £11. Considering the trouble my friends had, I considered it money well spent. I know what Im like with keys!

Ian73

Altarf wrote:

Ford also make their keys so the remote bit unclips from the key bit. So if you want to convert your manual key to a remote key, you only need to buy the remote top .

Sorry but that is wrong,yes you can unclip the remote part but you can NOT convert a manual key with out buying the remote part & a new key blank to accept the remote part.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

angelatgraceland wrote:

Well my extra key cost just over £11. Considering the trouble my friends had, I considered it money well spent. I know what Im like with keys!

Was the xtra key you bought programmed for £11? I've just spoke to the dealership, and it's gonna cost me £140 cause I only have one key.

Ian73

No it wouldnt have been programmed,and £140 sounds about right depending on labour rate

Wig

This all sounds completely wrong. It appears to me that Ford are able to give a new key, whether you give them 1 key or 2 keys, it appears they base their price for the replacement on whether you have 1 or 2 keys in your possession???

Why they do this, is completely beyond me. If you have one key it stands to reason that you can get another one cut, just as easily as if you had 2 (and wanted a 3rd).

No it wouldnt have been programmed,and £140 sounds about right depending on labour rate

The OP can check if it is a valid key by using all three keys in the ignition, why would they give a key only capable of opening the doors, and not capable of starting the car?

140 sounds like a ripoff to me, labour rates? so it takes 1 man 2 - 3 hours to cut a key and give it a chipcode? You obviously live on a different planet.

Ian73

Calm down Wig,you can get a key cut no problems off one key or the key number,BUT it wont work in the ignition (start the car) as it has an imobiliser build in & needs 'programming' to the vehicle.Ford used to have a 'red' master key which was replaced by the 'two key' method a few years back.Yes £140 is alot of money but so is the machine that programmes them in,i think £70+vat is more realistic (about an hours labour time)

If you do have 'two keys' then you dont need the computer to re programme them in (so no £140) it can be done for free

Hope this clears a few things up

Ian

Wig

How does this "2 keys ok can make a 3rd", "1 key can't copy" machine work? It makes no sense to me.

Another reason not to buy Ford by the sounds of it.

Ian73

You have to take your car into the dealership & have it plugged into the machine so that the 'new' key can be programmed in.Simple really
If you have 2 keys = no problem,you can cut another key & get it programmed WITHOUT the huge cost
If you have 1 key = then it needs to go into a dealership & be put on the maching to be programmed in


I'm sure Fiat,BMW,Vauxhall Etc all have the same security devices fitted