Ignition key chip

[patrleach]

Do the keys for a 2005 Ex have a chip in them that has to be programmed to the ignition? I had to have my throttle body replaces and after I got the Engine failsafe mode message the mechanic said they needed both keys so they could program the computer. I never heard of a chip in the ignition key for a truck this old.

Just checking.

Thanks

 

[imp]

Do the keys for a 2005 Ex have a chip in them that has to be programmed to the ignition? I had to have my throttle body replaces and after I got the Engine failsafe mode message the mechanic said they needed both keys so they could program the computer. I never heard of a chip in the ignition key for a truck this old.

Just checking.

Thanks

@patrleach
Chip keys came in the '90s. If only the throttle body was replaced, there is no need to do anything more than delete the codes. The chip key has nothing to do with the throttle body. The "chip" is identified by a transponder which encircles the lock cylinder in the steering column. If transponder "recognizes" that chip, it enables the computer which allows starting the engine. If the wrong chipis detected, wrong key, or no key (like a screwdriver), engine cannot be started.

If you have only one key, and lose it, the cost becomes hair-raising to obtain working keys again. Many schemes have been devised to get around this dilemma. I won't go into them now. imp

 

[patrleach]

Thanks, Imp. It sounded strange to me that they needed my spare key but it's done and I'm back on the road again.
This forum is a great source of information and assistance.

 

[Raptor_]

@patrleach
If only the throttle body was replaced, there is no need to do anything more than delete the codes. The chip key has nothing to do with the throttle body.

For the 2005+ with the computer-controlled electronic throttle body it's a little more complex than that.
They shouldn't have had to do more than disconnect the battery to clear the memory, then go through the idle trim reprogramming procedure after reconnecting it, but they may have wanted to play it safe in case they needed to replace or reprogram the computer when he started having trouble.

 

[imp]

For the 2005+ with the computer-controlled electronic throttle body it's a little more complex than that.
They shouldn't have had to do more than disconnect the battery to clear the memory, then go through the idle trim reprogramming procedure after reconnecting it, but they may have wanted to play it safe in case they needed to replace or reprogram the computer when he started having trouble.

@Raptor_
Maybe the 2005+ is the key: I replaced my '04 TB complete, did nothing but delete codes, runs perfectly normal, no CEL, no codes. imp

 

[Raptor_]

Yeah, in 2004 you still had a conventional steel cable that ran from the gas pedal to the butterfly valve. In 2005, Ford started replacing the gas pedal with what essentially amounts to an analog video game controller, and put a computer-controlled servo motor in charge of the butterfly valve. When you press on the gas pedal now, you're merely making a request for more throttle to the computer, and it decides, based on a number of factors, how much throttle to actually apply. Like other computer-controlled engine functions, it "learns" the conditions in which it operates, and when something suddenly changes, it can't always adapt fast enough.

I remember earlier this year I replaced the battery on my 2005 with over 200k miles on it. This reset the computer, but my neighborhood mechanic didn't go through the reprogramming procedures, they just swapped the battery. Over the life of the engine, a good deal of "gunk" had built up in the ETB, but it was a gradual build up so the computer had gradually adjusted its trim settings to compensate. After the reset it was suddenly way out of tune, and the engine could barely stay running at idle. I wound up cleaning the gunk out and going through the proper procedures for the computer to relearn the ETB's positions and trim points, and it was suddenly like a new truck.

 

[imp]

Yeah, in 2004 you still had a conventional steel cable that ran from the gas pedal to the butterfly valve. ......

@Raptor_

No, not so. My '04 has Drive by Wire, no cable to the gas pedal, only wiring. When I had trouble with the OEM TB, I learned a whole lot about the system before I got it straightened out. Disassembled the TB. Found the throttle plate is held off-closed position whenever key is OFF. Turn key on, servo motor quickly closes throttle plate, then releases it back to the rest position, slightly off closed. That process checks the gas pedal output to the Throttle Position Sensor, confirms it's working properly, allows PCM to start engine. Bad TPS output, no start. imp

 

[Raptor_]

My '04 has Drive by Wire, no cable to the gas pedal, only wiring.

Really? They must have phased it in then. I remember when some of the reps were showing of the 2005 prototypes and test mules to a group I was with in 04, the TBW system was something none of us had seen before on a modular 4.6L.

 

[imp]

Really? They must have phased it in then. I remember when some of the reps were showing of the 2005 prototypes and test mules to a group I was with in 04, the TBW system was something none of us had seen before on a modular 4.6L.

@Raptor_
Ah then, there may be the fly in the sauce! I have the V-6, not the V-8. V-6 in 2003 was still mechanical TB. Sorry! imp