Replace car key if you have lost the original key - will it cause issues with the code?

ireallycantyodel

Hi, I lost my car key today. Fortunately we had a replacement cut and coded a few months prior. However, the one I lost is the only original key I had left.

I read some of the threads and some highly knowledgeable people were talking about issues that can arise with code A and B and having different replacement keys cut or something. It went a bit over my head to be honest and Google left me non the wiser.

My question basically is, if I have to get a new spare key cut and coded, but it comes from the replacement key, will that be an issue somewhere down the line?

ireallycantyodel

Forgot to say it's a 2006 Ford Focus

AdrianC

When you get a new car, you have two keys.
They are both the same physical key, but they have different radio codes - A and B. The physical key is what turns the doorlocks and ignition, the codes are what activates the remote locking and turns the immobiliser off.

You want a third key. You can either get one of the originals cloned - you now have 2xA and B - or you can get the computer to recognise a third code, C, so you have A, B and C.

You lose the original B. You can get it removed from the car's computer. You now either have 2xA or A+C.

You lose the original A. You have one key left - either C, or the clone of A. If you cloned A, you can't remove it from the car's computer, because then the only key you have left would stop working...

tacpot12

A great explanation from AdrianC, but the end result for you is basically the same. You have one key that works. This key can be cloned as many times as you need. I would get a new key cut & cloned asap.

AdrianC

tacpot12 wrote: »

A great explanation from AdrianC, but the end result for you is basically the same. You have one key that works. This key can be cloned as many times as you need. I would get a new key cut & cloned asap.

Which is lovely until you think you know who has it, and can't disable it.