As my username implies, I own a 1998 Ford Mustang Cobra. Unfortunately, I managed to lose BOTH sets of keys. I had it towed to the dealership, and now they are telling me that Ford does not keep the security codes for vehicles older than ten years, and so they have to drill out the entire ignition lock. This sounds suspicious to me. Many sites make it sound as if you can simply change the codes for the key and car if you have the right equipment to do so. Should I trust the dealer or call foul?
A good locksmith should be able to pick the lock and recreate the key profile. The locksmith may even have the equipment to program the new key to the PATS. If not, the Ford dealer can do that part. Get three keys made and put two in a safe place. This way, next time you lose one it won’t be such a big deal to replace. (You need to always have two keys available to be able to self program a third PATS key.)
Alas, it is true. Ford dealer’s access to key codes is limited to ten years past. Even then some borderline vehicles are un-accessable !
Go figure. Shouldn’t the dealer be the one place you could get the definitive answer for such things ? But no.
So, even if there is no access to the original code, why not pull it from the car itself, or even just initiate a new master key, as this article suggests:
http://www.fordf150.net/howto/patskey.php
This only works for the PATS security chip. You still need the key cut to fit the tumblers in the lock cylinder. For that, your better off with a locksmith.
Hey…I’ve got a 96 gt that I just thought I got fixed by replacing the ccrm but now I’ve some sort of fault between the pats and the eecv…but now the theft is flashing of a 1-6 code and nothing works…no fuel pump power and no signal to coil packs…dealer says tow it in and diagnostics are a $100 bucks and then he can tell me what it’ll cost…if my financiall boat was different I wouldn’t be looking for free help I’d just start throwing money at it…it’s my first modular stang and I’m just about starting to hate it…so if you come up with a way to disable this damn pats system pls share it with me…my stang has been sitting in the yard for a month now…