F-150s, Super Dutys, Escapes and Explorers keep half of Spokane County working, and Ford keys have a few quirks worth knowing before you lose one.
The two-key rule
Many Fords let you program an additional key yourself if you already have two working keys: insert key one, turn on and off, insert key two, do the same, then the new key. It costs nothing. The catch is that with only one key you cannot use the procedure — which is why we tell every Ford owner with a single key to add a spare now, while it is a five-minute job, rather than after a loss when it needs a programming session.
Lost all keys
With no working key we cut from the VIN and program through the OBD port. On many Fords the car imposes a ten-minute security wait during programming; it is normal and we plan for it. The whole job at your kerb is usually under an hour.
MyKey: the restriction people forget
MyKey lets a parent set a speed limit, volume cap and seat-belt reminder tied to one key. The problem: if you set it up on your only key — or program a spare while a MyKey is active — you can end up with a truck that is limited for everyone and no admin key to clear it. If your Ford beeps about MyKey or will not go past a set speed, we can add a proper admin key and clear the restriction.
Push-start and Ford PATS
Newer trucks use a proximity fob with a hidden blade under the driver's door handle cap. Dead fob? Hold it in the backup slot in the console (location varies by year) and press start. Lost fob? Same on-site programming, and we erase the lost one from the truck.
- One key only: add a spare before you lose it
- Truck limited to a set speed: MyKey — needs an admin key
- Theft light flashing and no start: transponder not recognised
- Keypad on the door still works when the key does not — use it to get in, then call
Using the door keypad when the key fails
Most F-150s, Explorers and Escapes have the five-button keypad on the driver's door. The factory code is on a card in the owner's wallet or, on newer trucks, in the settings menu; if you never set a personal code, the factory one still works. Enter it, get in, and you are out of the weather while we come to fix the key. If you do not know the code, we can retrieve it during a programming session.
Questions from Ford owners
Will a new key erase my MyKey settings?
Programming an admin key lets you clear MyKey restrictions from the settings menu. We make sure at least one key in your hand is an admin key before we leave.
The theft light flashes and the truck cranks but will not start.
The immobiliser is not recognising the chip — either the key was never programmed or the module has lost its keys. A programming session at the truck fixes both.
Fleet trucks?
We handle fleet key programming for contractors and delivery businesses in the Valley and along Trent, including keyed-alike door locks across a fleet where the model allows.
Around Spokane
Job sites in Greenacres, the ranch driveways north of Mead, and the Home Depot lots on both sides of town — wherever the truck is, the programmer comes to it.
