Morning all

My mrs has lost the only key for her car! 

Ford seem none to helpful other than wanting top charge the earth to sort it, so I am hoping to sort it myself. looks like i can get a new ignition barrel and key for around £50 off ebay.

BUT, i can't find anything, from a quick google, on how to replace the barrel? 

The car is deadlocked so i'll have to break in to it, i know that much. but what is involved in replacing the barrel, any guides out there?

 

TIA

Darren

12 hours ago, Darrenb said:

i can get a new ignition barrel and key for around £50

I think you would be better off trying to contact all the auto-locksmiths within range of you.

Another big hurdle will be the PATS (immobiliser) system. This needs a computer connected to the diagnostic socket, and the ignition has to be on. Before that you face disconnecting the battery with the alarm going off (and some cars have a battery backed alarm sounder that keeps going), and then repairing the break in damage.

For the Focus, Haynes gives the barrel change procedure, and it is quite easy, BUT - The switch needs to be in position 1 (aux) to rotate the steering and to remove or replace the barrel. So it needs a key! I expect the Fiesta will be similar.

Sorry if that is not what you hoped to hear, but it is going to be costly whichever way it is done. £100 to £150 is usually the going rate for a key with remote, cut blade & PATS programmed. Getting in to a locked car may add to this.

So the message for anyone who has one key: Get a spare before losing the first one!

Keys are not expensive off Ebay, though still need cutting. PATS programming can be a DIY job, albeit a bit technical, using Forscan, on most modern Fords.

 

i am in the car now. but the drivers door is deadlocked so i'll need to sort that at some point

i was expecing to have to get the key programmed by ford. 

so, there must be a way to remove the barrel with no key, as ford have quoted to do it!?

 

I lost the main key to my car soon after I bought it.   The spare didn't work so I contacted the dealer (Ford) who sent a locksmith.   Within half an hour of him arriving I had a new key.   Don't know what it cost as Ford paid for it as they had given me a duff spare.

3 hours ago, Darrenb said:

there must be a way to remove the barrel with no key, as ford have quoted to do it!

Not necessarily. It may be that Ford have a record of the key pattern, so can get a blade cut, or the Locksmith has a sneaky way to release the lock wards.

It will be designed to be as difficult as possible to do without any key. What you need is a fully qualified car thief! They know how to do it in seconds, although they don't care about the damage, of course!

This is the wrong forum, really. What you need is the Ford Thieves Club!

What I have seen is that the steering wheel may have to be fully removed. Disconnect battery & wait 10-30 mins for airbag system to fully discharge before removing the airbag. But the details were for an earlier Fiesta. It said:

" Then remove the air bag - then you will see the centre nut holding the wheel on - remove this nut... and pull the steering wheel off - you don't need a puller for these.. Once the steering wheel is off - remove the plastic column shroud and you will see then how the steering lock removes --it pulls up / slides up off the steering column... "

 

 

auto locksmith is the way to go, they can take an imprint of the drivers door lock and make a key to get in and turn the ign barrel. then its a case of getting some keys programmed

i've asked a few locksmiths now and they say they cant do it!

looks like the only way is to replace the  top of the steering column with the barrel in it. to be honoest if i had more time i'd give it  ago but she needs the car so is doing it through her insurance.