Help me fix my remote

[MHanrahan]

My original remote fell in some water, and stopped working, even after it dried out. So I found the remote with a spare key to my 98 explorer. But that didn't work, so I tried changing the battery, and it still doesn't work. I even tried reprogaming it based on this thread http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=34740&highlight=reprogram+the+remote
But it still doesn't work. I'm not sure if it is because I haven't turned off the theft thing, or because his is a '95. Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Robert]

It is because you are trying to use a '98 remote on a '95. The remotes are not interchangeable. Ford changed the theft system in '98. You need a remote from a '97 or earlier to work.

 

[MHanrahan]

I have a '98 explorer, I'm assuming this is a '98 remote because it was with the spare key to my car, but there is a chance that this remote might be from one of my other other explorers, but I doubt it.

 

[ksaldibar]

Originally posted by MHanrahan
My original remote fell in some water, and stopped working, even after it dried out.

the same exact thing happened to me when i went fishing one day. we brought it to the alarm place to get a new remote, but before we got a new one, the guy opened up the old remote and asked us if it fell in some water. he gently brushed the the board in side etc. and it worked. i hope this helps.

-ken

 

[MHanrahan]

Unfortunately it doesn't. Basically what happened was immeadiately after I fell out of my canoe, it still worked absolutley fine. The next morning, the lock button would lock the locks, but then after a second the passanger side door would just unlock, and then the unlock button wouldn't work at all. So I took apart the remote bushed a couple of drops of water of the board. Put it back together, but it still did the same thing. That was in august, and I lost that remote, and only have my remote that was on my spare key.

Basically I can't get my car to go into the remote programing mode, where your turn on your ignition several times and then the doors lock, any advice on that? I think it may have something to do with the theft alarm, I think I need to temporairily turn it off.

 

[Robert]

You shouldn't have to turn your theft sytem off to program your remotes. I know the number of key on-key off cycles differed between the 97 and earlier versus the '98 and later. I believe that I used 5 cycles on my '97. I think the '98 requires 8. It wasn't in my manual, however it if is in yours give it a try. The '98 and up remotes look differently than the '97 and earlier remotes. My '97 remotes have the words "lock", "unlock" and "panic". In '98 the words were replaced by pictures and the remote is about 1/4" shorter. If you are trying to use a '98 remote on an earlier Explorer it won't work no matter what you try.

 

[MHanrahan]

Thanks Robert, I hope it's 8 key cycles, and I deffenately have the pictures on my remote. so hopefully everythign will work.
Mark

 

[Robert]

You are welcome, but I thought you were trying to use the '98 remote on a '95? The remote with the pictures will work on the '98 and up. The remote with the words will work on the '97 and earlier.