This afternoon I programmed a keyless entry key fob for my uncle, after I tried it to see if it would work, it locked and unlocked his Expedition, but also my sister's f-150 . Has this happenned to anyone else? Does any one have any suggestions on how to correct this problem? This really made me think that our trucks can easily be stollen if this can open any truck.

 

I don't know about the FOB's, but my F-150 key will unlock and start my father-in-laws '06 F-250...

 

There are a limited number of possible codes.

During any give model run, there will be many duplicates.

The odds are against two vehicles having the same codes being in the same vicinity to each other (much less in the same family), but as you have observed, it is possible.

Steve

 

I had a 92 explorer that the key would open, start and run my dads 95 explorer one time. I also read that, one some vehicles it is possible to call someone on a cellphone, and push the unlock button letting the signal travel through the phone and it will unlock a car.

 

Something that Ford does, I locked my keys in my GT, years ago, a guy I didn’t know asked what was wrong and after I told him, he took his keys and opened the door. I was baffled but he said that there are jusr so many series that they make. Then he walked down to his car and drove away.

But with the FOB? I never heard of this. If I am walking in a parking lot with my FOB in my hands I (for some strange reason) will push the lock buttons to see if any other Fords will chirp. I have yet to hear one chirp.

 

Silly question, was this fob programmed on your sister's truck first ?
The programming is on the truck itself, and not in the fob. Kind of like a Chamberlin garage door, once trained to a door it works.
I trained my homelink visor with a Chamberlin opener, and then programmed it to one of my garage doors, and also trained it for my parents house.

If it was new out of the box, then you need to head to the river boat, and put it all on black 9.

 

It hadn't been programmed on my sister's truck, he got it from my other uncle's Lariat. I'll ask him to try to open my uncle's Latiat to see what happens. One time I was working in Arkansas about 9 hours from where I live, I locked the keys on a 96 chevy and I tried the keys from an 01 chevy and the doors opened, so I guess its not only a Ford issue.

 

If that is the case, one of your sister's fobs should open your uncle's truck then. Try to find out which one, and then head for the table

 

I did try to open my uncle's expedition but it didnt work, now i'll try them on the Lariat to see what happens.

 

I wish I could pull that trick off.

Having two different fobs for my F150 and the wife's Escape is a PIA.

Escape only has one external key point at the driver's door. Kind of a nuisance when you need to get in the rear with an armload of something and the fob you have in your hand only operates your truck.

 

If you have a fob for your Escape, have you tried to program it for your truck ?
I don't know if it would work or not, depending on the fob number. Might be worth a try ?

 

The vehicle programs the fob, not the other way around.

In other words, if I take an Escape fob and program it in the truck.. the truck overwrites the original fob program and it would stop working with the Escape.

I asked the dealer if they had some sort of two in one fob that could be purchased but they don't. You would think there would be some demand for those with people that own two Ford vehicles and don't want a basball size wad of keys in their pocket.

 

Sure about that, all that I have seem so far, the fob is a transmitter, not a reciever. The Truck is a reciever for the keyless remote.

I'll try to find the posts from Jeff in the 2001/2002 range.

Who told you the Fob is a reciever ?

I will have to say, I have not tried to program a fob on 2 Fords, as I only own one, but from the posts, the RAP / CSM are recievers only.

 

The fob is both... at least initially in the 2004+ models.

The vehicle programs the code into the fob, then the fob transmits that code back to the vehicle on normal operation.

How else would you be able to go and get a blank fob from the dealership and get it to work with your vehicle?

It's also in the owner's manual on programming the fob that it gets it's programming from the vehicle.

If it were the other way around, it could be like having a universal key for every Ford vehicle out there.

 

I downloaded the pdf of the 2004 manual, and it reads just like the 2001 manual.
The fobs are programmed into the RAP/CSM, not the other way around. Once programming mode is entered, all fobs are erased from the RAP/CSM, and need to be reprogrammed at the same time.
The fob is not blank when new, it has a code that is transmitted when the button is pressed. That specific code needs to be programmed into the RAP/CSM.

The owners manual is explaining the process for the RAP/CSM to get the code from the fob programmed into it. When you are reading the line that starts with "Within 20 seconds.." the confirm is from the RAP/CSM that the code from the fob that the button was just pressed was succesfully stored in the RAP/CSM, by cycling the locks.
Think of it this way, entering prgramming mode, starts out by erasing all fobs previously stored in the RAP/CSM, and then listens for any code from a Ford fob to be sent. If you neighbor has a Ford, and walks out to his car at the time you are in prgramming mode, that fob could be stored in your truck, if the timming is correct between you entering prgramming mode. It would not erase his car from the fob.

The RAP/CSM needs to be in listen mode from the prgramming ( requires a key to get into programming mode ) to get the code form the fob, it is not as if every fob's code is on the RAP/CSM, so no it is nothing like a master key.
Think of how you add garage door remotes to the operator, same process, the door remote has a code, that the operator needs to be in prgramming mode to listen for. Once the door remote is stored in the operator, the operator blinks the light to let you know it stored it ( or in the case of the F-150, the door locks cycle ).