Can the "electronic" keys go bad?

[aldive]

Can the coded electronic keys for an Explorer "go bad"?

Thanks....

 

[tbomb]

i dont know about them "going bad", but they can get screwed up. the little chip in the key can sometimes wiggle loose in there...it is possible for them to go bad though, i think any type of electronics can fail like that at some point, but given that your truck is a 99, i would think it would last a little longer. odds are yours just came loose inside the key - but i guess it is still possible for it to have gone bad.

 

[Rob2000XLT]

I worked at a Ford dealership and I have seen them loose their signal, You can reprogram them though.
Rob

 

[aldive]

How was this determined? What symptoms does this manifest?

Thanks....

 

[Rob2000XLT]

No idea why it happens, but what happens is that the key fits in the ignition like normal, but when you turn the ingnition the car won't start. The car won't even make a noise.