OT: Ford Mustang Keys, a SCAM?

[MattAnonymous]

My dad just got a Ford Mustand and wanted to have a second key made.   He was told that the key was $25 and it had to be programmed to work for $45.  I think he got ripped of because there is no visible chip and the key itself looks like one piece of aluminum.  I don't see how this could work, only having one lead on it and all.  Is ford full of it?  Are they preying on the innocent consumer who doesn't understand technology?

[Hal]

is it "laser cut?"  They might mean programming the machine to cut they keys, if they're weird, unique keys.

[RDV]

Don't know about the Mustang, but at work we have these 'Sterling' trucks(a Ford brand) that have a microchipped key. We had a regular key made and stuck it in one of these trucks and fried the whole electrical system. The keys are pretty big though with a black plastic part where you hold them.

But yes, it is a scam, though I suppose it would afford some anti-theft protection. I can't afford a new enough vehicle to find out.

Regards

RDV

[MattAnonymous]

I don't belive so because I can see machining marks along the side.  Also, the guy who "programmed" the key told my dad that once the key was in the ignition, it checked some sort of chip.

[MattAnonymous]

I work on cars quite a bit and believe that if a crook wanted to steal the car, he wouldn't go near the ignition.  All you've gotta do is connect the battery pos. to the pos. of the starter and you're golden.  Well, you have to pop the steering lock too, but that's no biggy.

[thumposaurus]

if you look at the big plastic end(if it has one) there will be a little cut out for lack of a better word, but inside that is a little drawer with a tiny circuit inside of it, at least that's how it was on my dad's old aerostar and his expedition he has now.

[ryanscissorhands]

My faily owns a Mazda MPV, and to cut a key with a chip, it's $30 USD, because it "has a chip in it." Even worse, that chip DOESN'T WORK WITHOUT THE REMOTE LOCK BUTTONPAD, which costs $65 USD. A new key costs $95 USD ($140 Canadian)! Ridiculous. For that I'll break into it myself.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I've never driven a car, but... with microprocessor driven fuel injection systems, there is no reason why you could not require a unique ID chip in the key to bew interrogated before anything will happen (whetehr hot wired or not). I don't know whether this is done, but I do know that most cars stolen now are OLD cars, (except for the highlky organised theft of new ones for parts).

[ExpAnonColin]

I don't believe it's a scam, it's just outrageous.  Newer cars have keys with microchps in them.  But, I heard you could only get them copied in packs of 6, so perhaps your dad got lucky.

-Colin

[Adam Shame]

When I bought my wife's PT Cruiser (used), they only gave us 1 key.  We looked into buying another one, and you can only get them from the dealer and it is $95 freakin bucks total to get one made.  It also has a "chip" that needs to be programmed.  Bunch of crap if you ask me, but she's screwed if she loses her keys.

[niftydog]

I asked the dealer about changing the battery in my VW key... he looked as if I'd just asked to fondle his wife then said "you can't... new keys are about {AUD}$125."

bugger.

I got two keys and one of those "emergency" keys.  they ALL have RFID chips in them.  the real keys also have rolling code security.

Man, I hope these batterys last a long time!

[bwanasonic]

I've never driven a car, but...

Holy Batcrap Robin! The idea that the guy who makes some of the coolest FX on the planet has never driven a car is highly amusing to me. And I grew up in a hippie commune in the late sixties ( and I'm an avid cyclist)! Been driving Fords for years, and took my drivers test in a 5.0 Liter Mustang, but I've never needed a replacement set of keys so I haven't come up against the latest in key technology. Doesn't seem to be any stealth technology in the keys to my Ford Escort Wagon though the batteries do go.

Kerry M

[u1061810]

. Doesn't seem to be any stealth technology in the keys to my Ford Escort Wagon though the batteries do go.



I've had a couple of Ford Escorts and they are tough little cars, both had near 200k on them when they died.I think Ford isn't  making them anymore though,I guess they're not SUV  enough.  :lol:

[punkaled]

I work on cars quite a bit and believe that if a crook wanted to steal the car, he wouldn't go near the ignition.  All you've gotta do is connect the battery pos. to the pos. of the starter and you're golden.  Well, you have to pop the steering lock too, but that's no biggy.

thats exactly why it needs to be programmed. Try hotwireing the car the way you described, you won't get it to start. I dunno about ford in the US but ford UK have fitted immobilisers as standard for a long time, the code in the key is used to disable the immobilser, without it the car will never start, you'll be able to open the doors, but not start her up. Its probably storeed on a smartcard type chip (like on a credit card or a phonecard) i doubt you will see and obvious ICs inside the key.
iirc the immobiliser disables the fuel pump or the coils or something similar, anyway its a great invention for anti theft, but crap if you go surfin cos you cant take you key in the sea with you  :?

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

[a great invention for anti theft, but crap if you go surfin cos you cant take you key in the sea with you  :?

As they say at halfbakery.com, this one is baked already.
www.travelwithcare.com/sdata/documents/ 815%202004%20Gen%20Brochure%208.pdf

[petemoore]

I like the idea of a fuel stopper.
 On a carbuerattered engine, a fuel valve under the seat would cutoff fuel to the Carb.
 This would let the would be thief get about a block away from you before the engine started dying, and would be very inexpensive and easy to install.

[MattAnonymous]

Well, a fuel stopper is even easier on a car w/ and e-fuel pump.  Just wire a switch to the fuse.  Anyway, assuming that these keys are encoded, how would they work with only one lead (the shaft of the key itself)?  From what I understand, a signal would go in and another would come out, right?

[nirvanas silence]

Its transmitted through the air waves.  To get around it you could probably just disable the antitheft microprocessor in the car or leave the one key in the car at all times and make as many copies as you want that won't need microprocessors.  

And to elaborate on what was mentioned about jumping 12V+ to the starter, many (if not all) cars have 12V+ straight to a terminal on the starter.  To start a firebird, just jump 2 terminals of the starter with a screwdriver.  Its that easy!

[punkaled]

Here's a trick i have installed in every car i've owned-
A cut-off switch to the coils, so even if the car is broken into, it cant be hot-wired at the ignition to start it. I used to put these in under the bonnet, but its a pain having to open the bonnet to flick the switch before starting the car, so i run wires to a switch on the dash.
A friend of mine once did some work on a VW, and couldnt get the thing to even turn over, then he noticed something odd, a fog light switch on the dash when the car had no fog lights fitted, flicked the switch and the thing started up fine - cut-out switch disguised as a fog light switch from a higher spec model of the same car. Thats what i do now, cheaper than gettign a cat1 alarm and immobilser fitted, and does the job just as well.