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Michael Hale

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Wife missing wallet as of yesterday. Have taken all the standard precautions (no activity on CC's). Plastic key card in wallet for her vehicle which would allow for access to house/garage (DL with address in wallet). Question has been raised as to whether or not it was taken at local community college where she works thus allowing repeated access to vehicle by potential thief. Dealership wants $160+ to reprogram computer (didn't know it was an option) since key will open vehicle and card itself will turn over the ignition and door opener is built into the visor. Would you reprogram the vehicle?
 
Yes, and in the future, never carry the factory code information in the car, or on your person....ever.



Oh, and change your garage door codes now and that should at least keep your house safe.



TJR
 
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The card is actually designed to serve as an emergency key should you ever find yourself locked out. I've already asked her to go and get it changed though interestingly, the CSR at the dealership had advised her that it probably wasn't worth the trouble. Easy for him to say. The vehicle won't be back on school property until tomorrow.
 
Yes, my old Chevy blazer came with a wallet key...a hard piece of plastic the shape of a credit card, that had a key stamped in the center from the same material. The dealer cut it for me for free when I picked up the vehicle.



I assumed you lost that, and since that compromises the vehicle, someone could joyride it to your house, or still from it a garage door opener remote...that's where I thought you were headed with the access to the home thing.



TJR
 
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The plastic key can't start the car if the OEM key has a chip in it. That said, it will still let you in the car and do what ever you want during the time you are in the car.



I don't think you have a choice, you are going to have to get it reprogrammed simply so the original keys can't start the vehicle.



I would seriously consider getting new door locks as they are cheap and this will stop them from getting into the vehicle.
 
The source for the ignition is a chip in the surrounding plastic card (around the key). I have subsequently found out that the price is $250 or so as opposed to the previous quote. CSR dealt with previously recommended disabling the remote. I got to thinking that there has to be a way to erase the remote code inside the visor. I'll look in the manual later when the car is home. Wife will drive the ST and I'll drive the other car tomorrow. By disabling the visor remote we can then use a third keychain remote that I use when out in the yard, assuming that she doesn't lose the purse now (tacky me).
 
Until you get the garage door opener frequency changed, I would unplug or turn off the power to the garage door opener.You can always go thru the front door and plug it in to get the vehicle in the garage._Ron
 
Silly question, do you think the insurance (homeowners maybe) would cover the reprogramming? Just a thought.



We carry spare keys in our wallets, but they do not have the chip in them. I figure if the keys are locked inside, we can get in and at least be safe. I normally have my cell, someone can bring me a key with the chip.



 
Good question. I hadn't thought of the insurance approach. She is going to check around school today (she's got the ST) while I have the vehicle in question. Short term, I found out that erasing the memory in the built-in visor opener is a piece of cake so even if they took the vehicle they still couldn't get in the garage.
 
My wife called me last night around 6:15pm. She left her keys on a table at school while she and our young daughter were at Girl Scouts (daisies, actually), and she figured someone picked them up by mistake.



Argh. I had recently purchased an extra PATS key for my ST on eBay, cost of about $17 shipped, then had it cut at Home Depot for free, programmed it myself, and put it away for safe keeping in my sock drawer.



So, I drive up to school and give her the 2nd key from my keyring.



We make a few calls, no one has the keys.



For giggles, we go back to the school a 1/2 hour later...there they are, in the back of the room on the floor of the empty classroom.



Jeez.



Moral of the story...if you have PATS keys, don't take the chance, Ebay a third key, get it programmed and keep it safe at home.



P.S. We rationalized not going through the expense and hassle of the third key for my wife's Mountaineer as it is off-lease next summer. Figured we would chance it. I'm hitting eBay right now.



TJR
 
TJR, fully agree. My salesman offered to have a third one cut and programmed for my 05 F150 for 30 bucks cnd. I told him, nope, I have never lost my keys I will be fine. Sure enough, two months later I lost them in a field where I was working. I looked everywhere and couldn't find them. It cost me 200 and some to get a new one cut and programmed and that was with the frequent customer (due to my 03 ST) discount. Next time I will take him up on the 30 dollar third key.
 

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