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Stolen Keys


Chris Serpell
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Hi all,

Recently had my remote control key for my Focus C-Max stolen in a burglary (still got the simple one). We moved the car away from the car park at our place because we figured the guy could come and find out which one it was very easily, and are currently working out our options for staying secure, and would appreciate your thoughts. Here's our options as we see them:

1/ Replace all the lock barrels and remote. Totally secure, but we're told it needs to be done at Ford garage, and will be very pricey (it's not worth our while invoking the insurance for this)

2/ Deactivate the remote control, or get a new re-programmed one, and use a steering wheel lock in case he enters using the physical key. Is it possible to do the deactivation/code change ourselves, or can it be done cheaply at a non-Ford garage? Obviously this is less secure, but the police are on to the guy, and if nothing works with the remote there's a good chance he might not have time to try the physical key on every Ford in the car park anyway.

Many thanks for the help,

Chris

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You can have the Pats immobiliser reprogrammed to forget all old key codes and have your current remaining key and a new remote one (search eBay for best prices) set as the sole accepted keys.

Call a local auto locksmith for advice and quotes.

You would still have the problem of the pilfered key being able to open the car remotely or manually but short of a new central locking module and all new lock barrels you couldn't keep someone out.

Do you have key cover on your car policy?

If so then they should cover you for lost/stolen keys and replacing/reprogramming your cars locking systems.

If not then ring the locksmith for advice on what you can do.

Sent from my S5

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You can disable the remote part of the key yourself,

Turn car on and off 3 times within 40 seconds stopping with on.

It will then beep,

If you have a key fob at this time press a button on it for thecar to pair with it,

All previous synced keys will be forgotten,

But this only stops remote access,

They can still use the key.

but they may not try the key anyways, if the car didnt unlock with the fob tgey may assume its the wrong ford they have the fob of.

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Couldnt agree more with the above. As Lenny said, they might just go to all Fords and click the remote to see if one lights up, so this is the first thing I would do, then as soon as you can get the imobiliser retrained.

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Thanks for the help so far.

Just to clarify - if I do the resync routine as described above, but without having any key fob to pair with the car, how will I know it has forgotten the old one? Will it beep again as the allowed time for pairing expires or something similar?

Ta

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Thanks for the help so far.

Just to clarify - if I do the resync routine as described above, but without having any key fob to pair with the car, how will I know it has forgotten the old one? Will it beep again as the allowed time for pairing expires or something similar?

Ta

when it beeps the first time, it has then forgotten all and is ready to learn mate.
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This happened to friends of ours not so long ago.

They were broken into, keys stolen along with other valuables and one car nicked. I suggested that as the other car is sat on the drive and that it's likely they will swipe it later as they have the keys to it that they should remove the battery from it.. They ignored that advice and the car was taken the next night - the insurance wanted a week to get all the locks and keys changed so the car was going to be sat at the property asking to be taken!

Sometimes simple measures don't take much or cost anything but it would have saved 2 insurance claims! As far as I know neither cars have been recovered yet - this happened late last year

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Check your insurance as many policies cover replacement locks if the keys/plipper is stolen. Obviously there could be loss of bonus/excess but check the terms first.

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Similar thing happened to van at work, a Peugeot Boxer van,

Boss left keys in letterbox at work, next day they could not be found.

3 months later the van taken from the yard around back, recovered 3 days later with no barrel damage,

so they obviously had the key, it cost about £500 to get new keys, barrels and programming sorted.

Funny we had a tracker on the van for about 5 years, then it gets knicked months after it was disabled.

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Thanks for all the help (Lenny especially). I've disabled the remote and am ringing around now for reprogramming the immobiliser. There's not a fairly simple way to do this myself too, is there?

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sadly not, the PATS (Passive Anti Theft System) is something only IDS can handle. so either a genuine IDS (most dealers / mobile locksmiths will have access to it).

Alternatively there are members of this forum who have an IDS clone from China and that does the job perfectly!

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Funny we had a tracker on the van for about 5 years, then it gets knicked months after it was disabled.

IMG_20130811_211855_zps1dcfed46.jpg
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sadly not, the PATS (Passive Anti Theft System) is something only IDS can handle. so either a genuine IDS (most dealers / mobile locksmiths will have access to it).

Alternatively there are members of this forum who have an IDS clone from China and that does the job perfectly!

Hopefully the thief doesn't have access!

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Very true, thieves are becoming more clever these days, I am sure one day it will become more of a concern...

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Very true, thieves are becoming more clever these days, I am sure one day it will become more of a concern...

It already is if you drive a BMW..

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true they do use the equivelant dont they!

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Cant beat a hidden kill switch to the ignition,

Or

If you want to be a real thrill killer: fit it to the fuel pump line,

This way they can drive away, but only use the fuel contained in the filter housing lol

Thought they had it but they dont, car will die,

Or fit a steering wheel boss kit which allows you to remove the steering wheel

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the only issue with the battery isolator, I bought two types to try on the CMAX, neither fitted properly, or they fit but the power connectors arent flexible enough to mould to the new place.

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the only issue with the battery isolator, I bought two types to try on the CMAX, neither fitted properly, or they fit but the power connectors arent flexible enough to mould to the new place.

+1

Same trouble with the compact design in the focus,

No space around battery terminals

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true they do use the equivelant dont they!

There was a few CCTV clips of low life scum taking bmws in literally seconds. Gaining access, plugging in a computer and basically programming a key to the ecu and away they go!

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sadly this si the key element really, short of getting a smaller battery to try and compensate....

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yeah so a skeleton key for ignition live and then ECU writer to add it.

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