99 Ex Limited key question

[The Rainmayker]

(Yes, I searched before posting this, however there are a zillion results, and I only looked through the first few pages).

Just pickup up a 99 Explorer Limited as a winter beater for my fiancee. It was an auction deal that was too good to pass up.

I have not played with the vehicle beyond driving it onto and off of my trailer. We just brought it home last night.

The key is much smaller than the keys of my other Explorers...so I am wondering if it has PATS or not? And if it has PATS, are new keys (once properly cut) as easy to program as they are for my newer Explorers?

Thanks to any who can assist!

 

[SoNic67]

If you have just one PATS key, you need to program it at the dealer. $80 labor plus the key itself. I did buy a key from ebay, because is cheaper than the dealer one...
Anyway, it needs to look similar with this one (might find different brand or OE):

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Call Ace Hardware store. They have a machine that programs key chips. I ran across this last month with my new crown vic. They cut a new key and then copy your coding from the old key to match. It worked perfectly. Nice work around instead of programming the car to accept multiple key codes. I paid $30 per key.

 

[The Rainmayker]

Yup, that's my key!!

Question answered, thanks to both of you

 

[llamaking122]

Call Ace Hardware store. They have a machine that programs key chips. I ran across this last month with my new crown vic. They cut a new key and then copy your coding from the old key to match. It worked perfectly. Nice work around instead of programming the car to accept multiple key codes. I paid $30 per key.

so they just copied the key with out it needing to be programmed?

 

[RomeovilleIL]

so they just copied the key with out it needing to be programmed?

Programming keys to the truck is not what many people may think. The process does not have the truck do anything to the keys. Keys already have random codes programmed on them when you buy them. The programming mode tells the truck to accept new key codes, thereby letting you use the new key to start the truck.

This is a different approach. You start with the old key which has a code the truck already recognizes and accepts. They use a computer scanner to read the code off of this old key and then program the same id codes on to your new keys. All of the keys will have identical codes so the truck thinks they are all the same key.

Frankly I believe this is a huge step forward for the do-it-yourself crowd. Not only does it work great to make extra keys, it would greatly simplify lock cylinder replacement. Just code the chips to match the old key and everything is good to go with PATS. I wish it was available (or I had found it?) a couple years ago!

(btw - the cost of the coding was Zero, just paid for the new PATS key and the programming was included. Not sure if they could recode an existing key set you brought in or if they are selling some type of special keys, but suspect it works on any key since the new ones did not have any different part numbers or whatever on it.)