[darthenstein]

Hey everyone,

I am wondering if it is possible to lock my car with the motor running. I have a 2001 Taurus SE, with the microchip key and all that, but I am wondering if I could carry a simple home depot-cut key in my wallet just in case I hit the lock button with the keys laying on the seat (done this before), or if I can manually lock the door in winter with the motor running.

Can I just get a cheap spare key, or do the doors have some kind of programming?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Zack]

The door locks do not require the PATS key to work, so sure, you can have any locksmith cut a regular key for you. You just need PATS to start the car.

 

[qwertz9586]

Some locksmiths won't cut from a PATS key because they're afraid they might screw up the microchip inside the key.

 

[darthenstein]

how easy is it to screw up the microchip? would I be best off going to a dealer and asking for a 'simple key'?

 

[henrysel]

Originally posted by Darthenstein@May 16 2004, 11:10 PM
how easy is it to screw up the microchip? would I be best off going to a dealer and asking for a 'simple key'?

Nothing is simple at the dealer. You can try ebay and see if you can find a blank key. I got one for $10. Also had a local keyshop cut it. The first one I tried wouldn't do it because they were worried about screwing the blank up. They're about $20 or more from the dealer. There was actually a place selling them for $40 outside of a mall in one of those little kiosks and that didn't include programming! Found another shop a few blocks down that didn't care and charged $2 to cut it. Worked fine.

As I seem to recall, if it's not programmed and you try to use it to start the car, it disables the car for 30 minutes so be careful.

Of course with the price of gas so high, why would you want to leave the engine running if you're not in it? Just throw on a few extra layers in the winter and suck it up!

 

[Wessy]

Originally posted by HenrySel@May 16 2004, 11:31 PM
As I seem to recall, if it's not programmed and you try to use it to start the car, it disables the car for 30 minutes so be careful.

you have to trya and start the car 3 tims for PATS to kick in and disable the ignotion sys. course all you have to do it pull the batt cable for about a min then your set for another 3 trys :lol:

 

[henrysel]

Oh you might be in luck, I was just glancing through ebay and noticed someone selling two pats key blanks and the starting bid was $5 and there were no bids and he was selling several of them. They look like the right type of key according to the picture. Maybe you'll get lucky.

 

[sixfofalcon]

I take it they don't have the keypad under the door handle anymore? That's one of the things I like about the SHO. I can lock, unlock, pop the trunk, etc. through the keypad. I wonder why they got rid of that? Cost-cutting, I guess.

 

[henrysel]

Originally posted by SixFoFalcon@May 18 2004, 12:18 PM
I take it they don't have the keypad under the door handle anymore? That's one of the things I like about the SHO. I can lock, unlock, pop the trunk, etc. through the keypad. I wonder why they got rid of that? Cost-cutting, I guess.

Actually they still have it, I believe it's just a standard item on an SEL and it's kinda neat. It's been around for a long while, I remember a friend of mine who had it on his '86 Thunderbird. This way you can throw your keys in the car and lock it, just need to remember the code. Of course you could be surprised like he was once when he found a friend of his sleeping in his car while waiting for him one day.

 

[darthenstein]

went to the dealer today and they cut me a "pass key" for $2.66