Ford key replacement & programming

Ford vehicles run PATS with 80-bit, HITAG Pro and proximity smart keys. That matters, because it decides whether a key can be added through the diagnostic port in minutes or whether the immobiliser module has to be read directly before a new key will ever be accepted. F-150 proximity fobs and Explorer smart keys are our highest-volume Ford jobs. Two-key PATS vehicles get an instant add; single-key and all-keys-lost jobs are done through OBD with the correct seed-key access.

Every Ford job starts the same way: we confirm the exact year, model and key type, verify ownership, then originate the key from the vehicle. The mechanical blade is cut by code from the VIN on a computerised machine — not copied from a worn key — so the new key turns smoothly in the ignition and the door instead of chewing the wafers further. If you still have a working key we can add a spare without disturbing the keys you already own; if every key is gone, we can also erase the lost ones from the vehicle so they can never start it again. That last step matters in New York, where a stolen key is a stolen car.

We carry virgin OEM-grade Ford fobs, shells, batteries and blades on the van, along with Autel, Xhorse and AVDI programming equipment and a Condor code-cutting machine. Typical timing: Spare key 20–30 min · all keys lost 60–90 min. Beyond keys, we repair the mechanical side that goes with them — sticking ignition cylinders, failed door lock barrels, trunk and glovebox locks — and we can rework cylinders so a single key runs the entire vehicle again.