During middle of the night emergencies, I am more likely to lose the ignition key. (Actually, anytime since I am so absent-minded.)
Can I lock the vehicle with the spare key hidden inside?
Can I wrap it in aluminum foil or place it in a small metal can to keep it from being detected?
We use our own door code to open the vehicle.
Thank you,
Robert
Hiding a key inside the vehicle seems counterproductive. You want the key outside, where you can get at it.
There are magnetic key holders you can buy at any auto parts store. Stick one to a frame member, or something you can reach.
I’d think a person doing what you do would care about where the vehicle’s keys were, and not lose them.
Get a grip, Robert, and don’t lose the keys.
Thank you.
We have our door code to get into the vehicle.
After driving four hours from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., then going to work at 7 a.m., I can do stupid things like lose a key. (I can do stupid things at anytime.)
One frigid night I slipped on ice at a hospital and almost dropped the keys. Nearby was a deep rain sewer grate. I.magined it falling in, never to be seen again.
(Not sure if I can lock the vehicle if I leave a chipped key inside.)
(The SUV is not here so I cannot experiment.)
In our previous Expedition, I hid the spare key in the gasoline access door. (Told other volunteers where it was and it wastill difficult to find.) I removed the chip and hid the chip inside the vehicle - distant enough thathe ignition would not operate.
I have experimented with these Fords with chipped keys and found that the key has to actually be in the ignition for the vehicle to start. You can literally place an active key on top of the steering column or hold it next to the lock, and try to start it with a non-chipped key, and it will not start. Personally, I was surprised by what I found.
Interesting.
Thank you. That would be good news for us.
With the blank key in the 1999 Expedition ignition, I held the chip near the steering column and it would start. Did not experiment how far away the chip could be and still start.
My wife’s Camry Hybrid apparently will detect her key anywhere inside the passenger compartment.
Placed the spare key on the driver’seat.
Doors locked.
Now must find a good place to hide the spare.
Thank you.
Get one of those magnetic key boxes. There should be steel seat mounting hardware or dashboard braces you can attach the magnetic box to.
I’d suggest that you do like I do and carry a spare in your change pocket. Or on a chain around you neck.
With respect to the entry code, if your battery goes dead with the key locked inside you’ll be unable to get into the vehicle.
Battery failure is why I liked the de-chipped key in the gas door.
CAN I MAKE A KEY WHICH OPENS THE DOOR BUT DOES NOT UNLOCK IGNITION?
Thank you.
Too easy to find a magneticontainer.
I found a better place - outside the rubber cup holder rubber flap inside the cup well. Easy to get to and you can’t see it. Would a criminal think to look there?
You can get chipped key that hasn’t been programmed. It will unlock the door but not start the vehicle. You probably get a regular key as well.
I did exactly that, using an unchipped blank. The hard part was convincing the guy at the hardware store to cut the blank.
Thanks FoD. We are all volunteer and hurting for money.
I’ll see if a blank can be made.
Get a plain key, put it in a small baggy, duct-tape it to the back of your rear license plate and remember to grease the screws so you can remove the plate easily.
Some of the plastic trim panels will pull off by hand (no tools required). I like to hide an extra key behind one of those. I think the odds of anyone looking there are pretty low.
Thanks. But hidden in theasily accessible gas door is much faster and no tools required.
Fordealer says I cannot carve a key which will open only the door without being able to unlock the ignition.
I thought only one portion of a key was the door segment and the rest for the ignition.
It depends on your security system. That’s what everyone said about my car too. I gambled $1.29 that it would work. It did.
I know the vehicle will not start without the chip in the blank.
But would be.tter if the blank does NOT UNLOCK the steering wheel and ignition.
No, you do not need to shield the extra key.
Ask for an H75 brass key blank for doors only.
If you get an additional chip key, and have at least two that are programmed, YOU can program all additional keys yourself, up to 8 keys. The instuctions are in the owner’s manual.
– however –
ALL of the keys that you want to work must be present at programming because the keys not present will not work.
In other words don’t leave one key in your dresser drawer when you program an extra key or two ( I have four per vehicle ) It will not start the truck unless all keys are programed together in sequence.
Thanks, Ken.
Interesting thathey can be programmed not just by the dealer.
We have two chipped keys and cannot afford more. Aren’they expen$ive?
We have the spare hidden in thExpedition in case of chip failure or lost key.
Plan to get a blank at Walmart to hide in the gas door, but have always used the door code.
My girlfriend had her spare in her dresser. I asked what good was it there?
Using a wire, I hid it on her vehicle where she could easily get to it. Two months later, she lost her key at a shopping mall and would not have been able to get home had the spare not been on her Nissan. (The keys were under her car’seat.) On a previous occasion, before she knew me, she locked her keys in her car and had to wait almost three hours and paid $60 to a lock smith.
Yes, owner progamming with two keys to start with, proves to the computer that you are the owner.
When you’re down to just one key or none it’s off to the dealer you go.
Un-programmed cut chip keys are $25.00 each here and brass keys $5.00.