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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Focus / April 2004Programming A New Key
I just bought a 2002 Focus SE with 17,500 miles on it. No complaints so far, seems like a great car. The only problem is that it only came with one key. I can buy a spare key on eBay , but the manual says that I need to already have two keys to program the new transponder, if I only have one key I have to buy a new key from a dealer and have them program it. Of course I would like to save a few dollars, so if there is a way to program a new key without having two keys already, I would love to know about it. "Roger Wilco" <not@home.com> wrote... > I just bought a 2002 Focus SE with 17,500 miles on it. No complaints so > far, seems like a great car. The only problem is that it only came with [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > program a new key without having two keys already, I would love to know > about it. Good for you. I also found a couple key blanks and remotes on eBay and programmed them at home. Fortunately for me, I had the two originals of each allowing home programming. As far as I know, with just one functioning key, you will have to go to the dealer to have the new key programmed and it costs much more than you'd hope for. I do have a suggestion to lessen future grief. Since you're going to have a 2nd key programmed, go ahead now and find another one or two blanks on eBay--or have the dealer sell you another key or two. With only two keys, if one is lost, you're back to the very expensive replacement mode. But if you had 3-4 keys, the loss of one would still allow you to self-program additionally purchased replacements at minimal expense. Craig (with a 2001 Focus that's already suffered the well-known fuel pump failure and passenger-side floor Lake Erie effect after a good rain) You do need two keys for your cars computer to do the programming, but if you only have one you don't necessarily have to resort to a dealer. Any locksmith with the proper equipment can program one key. I found a place on the internet that had a nationwide list of locksmiths with the equipment and who agreed to program a key for a fee of $45.00, which is about half of what a dealer will charge. It worked for me. Unfortunately, I have lost the URL. You should be able to find it with a search. > I just bought a 2002 Focus SE with 17,500 miles on it. No complaints so > far, seems like a great car. The only problem is that it only came with [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > program a new key without having two keys already, I would love to know > about it. > > I just bought a 2002 Focus SE with 17,500 miles on it. No complaints so > > far, seems like a great car. The only problem is that it only came with [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > a dealer will charge. It worked for me. Unfortunately, I have lost the > URL. You should be able to find it with a search. To clarify- the keys themselves are not programmable. The car's computer has to be programmed to recognize the key. The key just has a chip in it that broadcasts a unique identifying code to the computer when the key is exposed to an RF signal. Nothing happens to the key itself during programming. So, just in case anyone with a single key was thinking they could mail their original key and a new 'unprogrammed' key to a locksmith, that is not correct. The car and the programmer have to be brought together in order to make a new key work, if the owner has only one working key. I was able to find keys and 2 new key "fobs" on e-bay for 1/4 of what the dealer wanted. My dealer questioned where I bought these from. The dealer then tried to charge me the 1 hour service charge for each key and "fob" I spoke to the shop manager and explained how it could not take four hours to program two keys, and two "fobs" If it did, I am sure the Ford Customer Service Group would like to know that. Then all of a sudden it was only a 1 hour service charge. Good point mark. When the locksmith programmed mine, he hooked up his computer with the car's computer through the interface, and with the new key. > > > I just bought a 2002 Focus SE with 17,500 miles on it. No complaints so > > > far, seems like a great car. The only problem is that it only came with [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > not correct. The car and the programmer have to be brought together in > order to make a new key work, if the owner has only one working key. |
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