Good morning,

Newbie here, recently purchased our second Focus, a MK2.5 1.6 petrol titanium.  Lovely car, quieter after a little work fitting some sound insulation (MLV, deadening tape and foam underlay).

So this car made in 2010 comes with this wonderful keyless entry system.  Walk up and open door, get in start - no faffing with keys, you don't need to even press fob buttons.  What a marvel... except I am old school.  I don't like this system.  It's too intelligent, at least for me.  Too many times already I've had it unlock the boot as it thinks the key is in there even though I'm standing just behind it.  Never sure that its locked when we park up and walk away.  This alongside ability to be stolen easier with this system, I would like to 'downgrade it'.

Does anyone know how I can downgrade this to a standard remote central locking system?  The one where you have to press a fob button to lock or unlock.  Note, it has no ignition barrel lock, just a holder for a blade I guess to start the car by key if fob is dead.  Its push button start.

Thinking I will need to use PATS module and not GEM RKE module - I tried in FORScan to program a standard remote key to see if I could just use a normal key but the system will not allow me to program a key with the PATS option in FORScan, said use RKE (remote keyless entry) module.  So I tried to program a normal remote key via this and no luck.  I heard that the PATS remote system is built into the instrument cluster.  I guess I would have to disable keyless entry and enable PATS traditional module? 

Basically I know what I want to do but don't quite know how.  I have tools/software and a little mechanical knowledge from past employment.

So please does anyone know how I can change over to remote fob central locking and disable this remote keyless entry system?  Do I need a barrel lock for the ignition perhaps?

Help appreciated!

Cheers

Russ

Hi again and second time I'm sort of answering my own question here purely in case this info helps anyone else with same query.

So can you downgrade... Well possibly...bear with me...

So I have managed to turn off remote keyless entry. No more hassle of checking doors are locked. No more boot unlocking by itself after trying to lock the car due to me standing too close to it.

I found settings within modules of the car within ELMconfig software under KVM/GEM. In here there is ability to change from full blown remote keyless entry with keyless start over to just keyless start. This worked perfectly. Was able to write this back to the module and then car works just like I wanted. Fob button press to open and lock. Key still starts car remotely without need to put into ignition slot thing.

Further still this means a normal transponder key will function as well. I tested this also. Yes it gives a warning to tell you the key is not present when you start up but it means a keyless fob. Could start and drive the car with both options. 

There was another option to cut off keyless start as well. I dare not try this as I worry that I'd not be able to start it at all then. 

So this hasn't 100% answered my question but it's helped as I can now use the fob simply as a remote locking thing and start the car keyless or with key. Can also unlock the car and start with a normal key as I also changed a GEM setting to make the key in the door unlock disarm the alarm rather than the countdown thing that sets off the alarm if you don't start the car.

So in summary look at ELMconfig. Warning though, this looks to be quite a powerful piece of software. Don't fook around if you don't know what you are doing as expect you could really screw up your car. I have an alternative means of transport so I was willing to risk messing.

Reward for me now a Sunday roast!  

On 9/26/2021 at 4:13 PM, supraruss said:

Hi again and second time I'm sort of answering my own question here purely in case this info helps anyone else with same query.

So can you downgrade... Well possibly...bear with me...

So I have managed to turn off remote keyless entry. No more hassle of checking doors are locked. No more boot unlocking by itself after trying to lock the car due to me standing too close to it.

I found settings within modules of the car within ELMconfig software under KVM/GEM. In here there is ability to change from full blown remote keyless entry with keyless start over to just keyless start. This worked perfectly. Was able to write this back to the module and then car works just like I wanted. Fob button press to open and lock. Key still starts car remotely without need to put into ignition slot thing.

Further still this means a normal transponder key will function as well. I tested this also. Yes it gives a warning to tell you the key is not present when you start up but it means a keyless fob. Could start and drive the car with both options. 

There was another option to cut off keyless start as well. I dare not try this as I worry that I'd not be able to start it at all then. 

So this hasn't 100% answered my question but it's helped as I can now use the fob simply as a remote locking thing and start the car keyless or with key. Can also unlock the car and start with a normal key as I also changed a GEM setting to make the key in the door unlock disarm the alarm rather than the countdown thing that sets off the alarm if you don't start the car.

So in summary look at ELMconfig. Warning though, this looks to be quite a powerful piece of software. Don't fook around if you don't know what you are doing as expect you could really screw up your car. I have an alternative means of transport so I was willing to risk messing.

Reward for me now a Sunday roast!  

Hi , there I am trying to do this exact same thing on my focus st mk2 2010. I want to disable the keyless entry and retain keyless start. I've read your post but the specific options you clicked on within the GEM/KVM modules would be greatly appreciated please. Many thanks

Hi Jaws,

I went in with zero experience with Ford modules having only worked on a few other car manufacturers myself in the past so was a case of entering each module, reading the descriptions and testing one by one to see what worked. In reflection I should have written it all down but was too concerned about not bricking my ECU. It's over two years since I did this and I'm sorry to say I can't remember the options I picked. I can say that I did try turning on and off many of the options available and it didn't ever cause me an issue that I couldn't reverse.

At your own risk you could try the same as me if you feel comfortable but maybe I was lucky not clicking on something that could have caused me more issues. Next time I mess around with this I will write up a full guide but I don't intend on doing this any time soon. There may be updated or newer software now as the version I had I think was translated to English. If you do risk trying it suggest you select one option at a time and write down everything you change incase you need to change it back again.

I can at least say that my wife and I have used the car daily with this option disabled for 2 solid years and it's worked every time. The only negative is that the indicators don't flash when locking but all doors and boot lock and unlock as required.

Thanks,

Russ

2 hours ago, supraruss said:

...The only negative is that the indicators don't flash when locking but all doors and boot lock and unlock as required.

Have you tried double locking? (pressing the lock button twice in quick succession). This should enact a double lock which will deadlock the doors (so unable to open from inside should someone just break a window attempting entry) and more importantly, will activate the indicators as well...

Yes, on our 2010 Mk2.5, which has never been messed with as far as I know, the indicators only flash in response to a double lock - 2 flashes. They do also flash when unlocking though - 1 long flash.

21 minutes ago, mjt said:

Yes, on our 2010 Mk2.5, which has never been messed with as far as I know, the indicators only flash in response to a double lock - 2 flashes. They do also flash when unlocking though - 1 long flash.

Same as my ole jallopy...

Keyless entry is "Passive" Entry, just deactivate passive entry, remote unlock will still work (RKE)