Ford Focus Replacement Remote Key

Sunshine&SolaceSunshine&Solace Posts: 585
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I wondered if one or two of you nice advice peeps can help me out. I want to get my husband a remote control key fob for our Ford Focus (you only get one remote and one ordinary fob when you buy the car). There are quite a few for sale on Ebay but I'm a bit confuzzled by which one I need.

Our car was registered on 31-01-05 and is a 54 plate. From what I've read this means that it is a Mark 2 Focus - is this right for a start? And does anyone know the part number that I need? I rang Ford and they just told me to go to one of their dealers and didn't really give me any of the details at all.

Any help gratefully received.

S&S :)

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5,506
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    I may have misunderstood what you are looking for, but surely you need one that is programmed for your car? Buying one from eBay surely WOULDN'T be programmed for your car therefore?
  • Sunshine&SolaceSunshine&Solace Posts: 585
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    No, you're right it wouldn't but you can easily re-program it if you you have two spare keys with which to do the programming, which we have.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5,506
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    Oh fair enough, learn something knew everyday and all that then!!

    Have a look on the fob you currently have, is there a part number on there? Probably very small print on the back somewhere? Or in the manual maybe?
  • Sunshine&SolaceSunshine&Solace Posts: 585
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    There is a number on the key fob but it doesn't seem to relate to the numbers that I've seen which are listed as 'part numbers'. I will have to dig out the manual as you suggested. Thanks anyway.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5,506
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    Thanks anyway.

    You're welcome ... not that I've been much use! :)
  • DinkyDooDinkyDoo Posts: 3,588
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    A remote key from ford for my fiesta cost me £30 without programing. Ford did insist that you can not program keys yourself but if you have a haynes manual or access to the net then you can do it yourself.

    Not sure how the system works on newer Ford cars but mine has a red masterkey that you need to program it, I think newer cars need 2 keys to program one new one.

    Do you have a remote key already? if not be careful before having one made, I needed a new masterkey and I paid extra for a remote key that my local Ford garage couldnt get to work. So I have a remote key that dont work because they think there is a wiring fault somewhere that is stopping it from working.

    Edit: Phone ford and give them your reg number and ask for a quote for a replacement remote central locking key, they should be able to give you the correct price over the phone without the need for part numbers.
  • Sunshine&SolaceSunshine&Solace Posts: 585
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    Thanks Dinky, that's very helpful.

    *EDIT Just phoned Ford and they've quoted me £100.
    :eek::eek::eek:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,121
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    Thanks Dinky, that's very helpful.

    *EDIT Just phoned Ford and they've quoted me £100.
    :eek::eek::eek:

    That's actually on the low side for remote keys these days :(
  • TIVO_YORK99TIVO_YORK99 Posts: 317
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    Hi Sunshine&Solace,

    Have you got the instructions on how to re-program a key?, its a pain only having one remote key and one normal.

    Pete.
  • DinkyDooDinkyDoo Posts: 3,588
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    Thanks Dinky, that's very helpful.

    *EDIT Just phoned Ford and they've quoted me £100.
    :eek::eek::eek:

    I was charged £145 for replacing the masterkey and programing a normal key and a remote one, and they cheated, they reprogramed my original key as the masterkey, and provided me with a spare key and a remote key.

    You can program the remote key yourself if you can get it cut so it fits the ignition, it wont start the car till its programed. I found the sequence for my remote key online.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,141
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    Speaking of keys..do Ford still do the "Red Key" ?
  • DinkyDooDinkyDoo Posts: 3,588
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    Chris.. wrote: »
    Speaking of keys..do Ford still do the "Red Key" ?

    No, not sure when they stopped doing them, my car is 12 years old, must have been a while since they stopped cause it took them ages to sort mine out cause they didnt know how to program the keys.
  • Sunshine&SolaceSunshine&Solace Posts: 585
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    Hi Sunshine&Solace,

    Have you got the instructions on how to re-program a key?, its a pain only having one remote key and one normal.

    Pete.

    I think the instructions are in the back of the manual and I've also seen them a few places online so I think they are widely available. I just need a new fob and a new blade.

    I honestly can't see how they can justify charging such a high a amount. I think the car should be supplied with two remote keys anyway.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 567
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    It's not just the remote key side of things, it's also the immobiliser that has to be programmed up as well.

    I know on my Mercedes that a new key costs about £175 and I have to take in proof of identity and proof of ownership before they will order me a new one.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4
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    Sorry I'm late to this thread.

    scousetechie - there's a big difference between different manufacturers' immobilizers. What you say is correct for Mercedes but is not the case for Ford.

    S&S, I'm in pretty much the same situation as you, the only difference being that my Focus is an 08 plate.

    Each key that can start the car - remote or otherwise - contains a transponder (or chip) that the immobilizer communicates with. If your chip isn't coded to your immobilizer then your engine won't start. And if your key contains the wrong type of chip it can't be coded. There are at least three types of transponder in Ford keys, possibly more.

    You can buy a blank for the key part on ebay easily and cheaply and take it along to any high street key cutters and they'll make a copy. Do a search on ebay for 'Ford horseshoe'. A key blank plus cutting will probably cost around £10.

    The transponder is contained within the remote part, and this is where you have to be careful. From the outside you can't tell what type it contains*. Pull apart your existing remote and you'll see a code, something like 98BG15K601AB (this particular remote key code is from a car with a red master key). Then do some searching on ebay to find someone selling the right type, or you could opt for the added safety of buying the remote from your Ford dealer. Ebay cost is around £25. Not sure on dealer cost but £40 at a guess.

    Once you've got the correct remote, snap on your newly cut key and you're ready to programme it, so long as you already have two working keys**. Insert the first (good) key and turn to position II. Then repeat with your second good key. Then do the same with your new key and you should hear a chime to say it's been accepted.

    Then all that's left to do is programme the remote. Pop in a good key and turn it to position II, then back to 0. Repeat this four times in six seconds then press any button on your first remote key. Wait 2 seconds then press any button on your second remote key. Then to finish off either do nothing for 10 seconds or turn the ignition back to II.

    *Having said that, if you have a red master key, you have one type (made of glass). If you have a blue master it's another type (also made of glass). Neither red nor blue and I think you'll have a carbon chip. But don't quote me on this!

    **If you don't have two working keys to begin with, sorry but you're stuffed. Head to Ford with wallet at the ready!

    Hope this helps :D
  • krytenkkrytenk Posts: 1,796
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    Thanks Dinky, that's very helpful.

    *EDIT Just phoned Ford and they've quoted me £100.
    :eek::eek::eek:

    That's actually less than they quoted me a couple of years back! I bought my Focus second hand and only got one key with it and no remote. They reckoned it would cost around £150 for the programming, plus the cost of the remote itself. I didn't bother!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4
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    Further to my last post I wanted to check how much my local Ford dealer charges for keys so I've just given them a call. They say they can't make a new key because it's laser-cut and they don't have the equipment.

    Fair enough, but they recommended I go to a place twenty miles away. I had one copied last week just up the road on the local market!

    Key cutting aside, they're happy to sell me the remote part for £58.62. What a rip-off. £25 max on ebay.
  • Sunshine&SolaceSunshine&Solace Posts: 585
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    nforne wrote: »
    Sorry I'm late to this thread.

    scousetechie - there's a big difference between different manufacturers' immobilizers. What you say is correct for Mercedes but is not the case for Ford.

    S&S, I'm in pretty much the same situation as you, the only difference being that my Focus is an 08 plate.

    Each key that can start the car - remote or otherwise - contains a transponder (or chip) that the immobilizer communicates with. If your chip isn't coded to your immobilizer then your engine won't start. And if your key contains the wrong type of chip it can't be coded. There are at least three types of transponder in Ford keys, possibly more.

    You can buy a blank for the key part on ebay easily and cheaply and take it along to any high street key cutters and they'll make a copy. Do a search on ebay for 'Ford horseshoe'. A key blank plus cutting will probably cost around £10.

    The transponder is contained within the remote part, and this is where you have to be careful. From the outside you can't tell what type it contains*. Pull apart your existing remote and you'll see a code, something like 98BG15K601AB (this particular remote key code is from a car with a red master key). Then do some searching on ebay to find someone selling the right type, or you could opt for the added safety of buying the remote from your Ford dealer. Ebay cost is around £25. Not sure on dealer cost but £40 at a guess.

    Once you've got the correct remote, snap on your newly cut key and you're ready to programme it, so long as you already have two working keys**. Insert the first (good) key and turn to position II. Then repeat with your second good key. Then do the same with your new key and you should hear a chime to say it's been accepted.

    Then all that's left to do is programme the remote. Pop in a good key and turn it to position II, then back to 0. Repeat this four times in six seconds then press any button on your first remote key. Wait 2 seconds then press any button on your second remote key. Then to finish off either do nothing for 10 seconds or turn the ignition back to II.

    *Having said that, if you have a red master key, you have one type (made of glass). If you have a blue master it's another type (also made of glass). Neither red nor blue and I think you'll have a carbon chip. But don't quote me on this!

    **If you don't have two working keys to begin with, sorry but you're stuffed. Head to Ford with wallet at the ready!

    Hope this helps :D

    Thanks nforne for such a helpful post. I have also PMd thanks in response to your PM. :)
  • grabbigrabbi Posts: 5,428
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    These things rock - and I dont even drive! :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4
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    okay, one final thing to add and it's not good news. :mad:

    I got my new fob from ebay and tried to programme it to the immobilizer. No joy. Apparently the new carbon type has to be done by laptop so it's beyond the average joe. I bit the bullet and had it done by Ford and they charged me 40-odd quid for five minutes work.

    Still, at least the key and fob were cheap.
  • gwynnegwynne Posts: 721
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    I wondered if one or two of you nice advice peeps can help me out. I want to get my husband a remote control key fob for our Ford Focus (you only get one remote and one ordinary fob when you buy the car). There are quite a few for sale on Ebay but I'm a bit confuzzled by which one I need.

    Our car was registered on 31-01-05 and is a 54 plate. From what I've read this means that it is a Mark 2 Focus - is this right for a start? And does anyone know the part number that I need? I rang Ford and they just told me to go to one of their dealers and didn't really give me any of the details at all.

    Any help gratefully received.

    S&S :)

    Hi-I have just investigated how to buy a replacement key for my Honda Civic so this might guide you in the right direction!
    The first thing to do is find out what the number of your existing key is.
    If you have your existing documentation from when you first baught the car it will be recorded on it or,a main dealer should be able to find it from their data base!
    The cost-about £65 for a non remote one and about £150 for a 'remote' one (these are approximate prices quoted by my Honda dealer.
    The time between ordering and the garage getting the key into stock -about 4 to 5 days.
    As a security measure I was told I would have to produce the vehicles log book at the time of ordering the key.
    As people have already pointed out-there is no way you can aquire a 'chipped key' for a modern car from e-bay or,I suspect,from any other source other than a authorised dealer-and that is after producing 'proof of ownership via the log book!
    Hope this has helped!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4
    Forum Member
    gwynne wrote: »
    As people have already pointed out-there is no way you can aquire a 'chipped key' for a modern car from e-bay or,I suspect,from any other source other than a authorised dealer-and that is after producing 'proof of ownership via the log book!

    Sorry but this isn't strictly true. I got a spare key from ebay and my Ford dealer was happy to program it for me (see above).
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1
    Forum Member
    I have lost the only remote key for my Ford Focus and all I have is a non remote blue chip master key to turn on the engine and a cloned key which will only open the doors. Can I buy a remote key with blank blade from ebay, get it cut to match the master key, and then programme it to operate doors and engine?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,005
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    the car needs to go to the dealer to programme the new key to the car
  • Sunshine&SolaceSunshine&Solace Posts: 585
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    DPRYKE1 wrote: »
    I have lost the only remote key for my Ford Focus and all I have is a non remote blue chip master key to turn on the engine and a cloned key which will only open the doors. Can I buy a remote key with blank blade from ebay, get it cut to match the master key, and then programme it to operate doors and engine?

    This is a bit of a blast from the past.

    You need at least one remote key to programme another one so I think you will need to bite the bullet and phone Ford if you want another remote key.

    For anyone reading for information, I managed to buy a key blank and a remote fob from Ebay. The remote was programmed by us using our master remote key (there are instructions in the Ford manual and it was relatively simple). The key blank we had cut at a local key cutting shop.

    For anyone with a Ford, make sure you have two functioning remote keys because if one goes missing you will have a spare not only to use to but to programme another remote key with. Otherwise it will cost you a lot more to get a spare.
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