My Key Has A Chip In IT?
 

Went to both Lowes and Home Depot to get an extra key made for my new '05 F150. They say it has a "chip" in it and they can not make a duplicate! WTF? Apparently, I now have to go to the dealer and pay upwards of $25 to have a frickin extra key made. I believe in theft deterence but this is getting out of hand.

Photo Description: It takes two keys to program a third key (up to 8 total) If you don’t have a third key get one and program it yourself just in case. The dealer charges $165.00 to re-program a key if you only have one and $365.00 if you lose both keys plus towing charge
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...583-115217.jpg

You can pick them up on ebay for $15. to $25. bucks, get it cut at a local hardware store and program it yourself. You have to have two working P.A.T.S. keys to program a third. If you only have one key you got to go to the dealer

be glad, my brothers new dodge did not have the key, (chip) making them very easy to steel. \$9 k worth of damage and he wont get it back for a month, i will spend the $50 for 2 extra keys.
taked to some alarm shops and they said the chip i the key realy works and steeling one is much more difficult, i was going to get a kill switch and the guy said there was no need.

keller, would you not expect there to be electronics in the key case?
After all you do lock/unlock the doors by remote--yes?
It has a transmitter in it and battery, along with detection functions when put into the lock.
This is the 21st century not back in the 80s

Well, FYI the truck does not have "keyless access". In other words to unlock the door you have to insert the key in the door. No remote! OK?

But thanks anyway for the heads up on the 21st century!

There is no battery in the key. Just a transponder or RFID type device.

Correct, the key contains a type of RFID device. You will be seeing much more of this chip in the near future. Expect it to be sealed into clothes, all groceries, id cards, watches etc. Many pets already have one implanted so the ASPCA can get the owners address at the pound. Walmart has expressed a desire to track certain items from the manufacturer point all the way to the landfill. RFID detectors would be at the factory, truck, distribution ceter, store and landfill. Say hello to big brother.
RFIDs do not require a battery and are powered by the RF field of the detector/scanner.

Fritz

Back when I had my '99, I had a remote starter installed. That's when I found out about the PATS system. I had to spend a little extra for a "transponder" box and put a key in it to "fool" the ignition system into thinking the key was in the ignition switch so the remote starter would work.

To my surprise, it cost me $60 to get a third key made. ($30 for the blank, 1/2 hour shop labor)

When I traded for my '01 (removed remote starter to install in the new truck) one of the things that I required of my salesman to make the sale was that I get a third key at no charge to me. Of course he readily agreed (no doubt thinking that this was a minor requirement). Imagine his mood when he returned from the service dept. after finding out what he had so easily agreed to! hehehe

It's satisfying when you can know something about the vehicle that the salesman doesn't! LOL!!! :devil:

Ford was putting chips in at least some keys at least as far back as 2002. My Ranger had chip keys.

I'd recommend talking to a local lock smith. I believe I paid around $30 to have a third chip key cut.

The issue with buying blanks off of ebay is getting the right blank. Ford will sometimes change chips without telling the world at large. The locksmith who cut mine had to cut a second one because the blanks he had in stock were obsolete.

Enjoy.

I got my P.A.T.S. blank from

AmazingKeys.com
Customer Care P O Box
2971 Matthews, NC 28106

and I saved a few bucks by bidding on the blank P.A.T.S. key on ebay. I took my key to ACE hardware, had it cut, and programmed it myself via instructions sent with the key and the F-150 Owner’s Guide. They sent the blank to me via USPS priority mail and I got it three days after ordering it.

Sounds like you need a new locksmith if his blanks are obsolete.

if you pay more then 25.00 for a PATS key then your getting ripped off...I sell them for less then 25.00 each and probably make 10-20 keys each day

If you just need a key to unlock the door, not start it. You don't need a key with the chip. I figured this out one day when a friend locked my truck up at a boat ramp with the keys in it :mad:

I wanted a spare key without a chip so I could carry it in my wallet, in case I locked myself out of my ride... again. Made the mistake of going to Lowe's then Home Depot, which was a waste of my time. Neither of them would cut a plain key from my '99 F150 PATS key... against store policy. Local hardware store charged me $1.25 and never said a word about it.

If you have a fairly new F-150, get the replacement handle with the keypad, Mine cost me $56 and half an hour to swap out the handle. Some of the early '05s you had to get it activated, but the later ones are already turned on, just plug and play as they say. Pop the door panel, don't forget to pull the bottom two speaker mount posts, and see if you have the plug in the door. Grey round six pin connector, usually has the dust plug in it.

FYI - While coping some wiring diagrams for my tailgate lock / door ajar mod I came across the procedure for adding keys when you don't have two. You still need the "magic" box, but all they do is erase ALL the keys from the system. Then it will accept the first two keys used AUTOMATICALLY !!!

As a certified locksmith I'm not following.... could you possibly get a closer view of the instructions in your pic. Thanks