Three button fob...

[HarryMonk]

Good afternoon everyone!

Just after a bit of your expertise if I may? I've got a 2006 Ford Focus with standard three button fob key. The remote central locking has been very temperamental recently and I changed the battery but didn't really improve things (a small piece of metal on one of the contacts was so worn it snapped off) because I guess, it's a ten year old key that is just becoming a bit knackered .

Anyway I dropped the key a couple of days ago. Now my engine won't start. I assume the chip in the key has been damaged or packed up and now my immobiliser has kicked in. So to my question... is there a way I can get a new three button fob part for my key and program it to my immobiliser? The blade of my key is absolutely fine. The only spare I have is a basic blade with no fob on it. It does have a tag on it with a four digit code on. 

Thanks in advance!

[Stoney871]

If the key no longer starts the car then you've broken the transponder chip.

This is passive (not powered by the battery) and seperate to the circuitry.

You'll need a new transponder and someone who can program it to the car (auto locksmith or main dealer with access to IDS.).

Sent from my SM-G930F

[HarryMonk]

Thanks for your reply Stoney. I had a fiddle with the car today and the alarm half heartedly started going off, only three out of the four doors locked using the key, and the radio refused to turn on. Do you think this is all linked to the knackered transponder chip? The car was working absolutely fine prior to dropping the keys and it all started going Pete Tong the moment I tried to start the car ten seconds after dropping them.

[Tdci-Peter]

7 hours ago, HarryMonk said:

. Now my engine won't start. I assume the chip in the key has been damaged or packed up and now my immobiliser has kicked in. So to my question... is there a way I can get a new three button fob part for my key and program it to my immobiliser? The blade of my key is absolutely fine. The only spare I have is a basic blade with no fob on it.

The key has three separate parts:

The fob with the buttons & battery: This operates the central locking & alarm.

The PATS transponder chip. This is sensed by a coil around the ignition key barrel, and controls the Immobiliser.

The blade, which can open a door, and releases the steering lock, so the key will turn.

These parts are independent. A new fob may not contain a valid PATS chip, and if it does, it will need programming.

You can program new fobs for the central locking yourself, there is a procedure in the manual.

To programme for a new a PATS chip can only be done via the diagnostic socket, with Ford IDS, or with a programme called Forscan. There is no easy way round this.

The spare key should have a PATs transponder chip, it would be useless otherwise. Does it still work?

I notice you have a 2006 Focus. The instrument cluster (IC) on these is notorious for a fault that can lead to immobiliser failure. If both keys have stopped working, then this could be the problem.