Please help! Question about 2003 ignition key/door lock

[jimborasco]

We just purchased a used 2003 Ford Explorer. There is a LOT we don't know about it yet since it was purchased from a private (not original) owner. I did discover it had keyless entry. I ordered and programmed a fob without any trouble. For now, I have 3 questions. How do I get another key for the ignition? It came with 2 other keys but they will only open the doors. Also, does the driver's side door require a key to lock it when exiting/parking the vehicle? It won't lock with either the door lock button on the armrest or the remote. Is this a safety feature to keep you from locking the keys in the door?? Must I always insert the key to lock the driver's door when leaving the vehicle? Is there a keyhole entry for the rear hatch? I looked but don't see one. Thanks for any and all information and for taking the time to read and answer.

 

[da2962]

Congrats on your purchase, hopefully you will enjoy many trouble free miles with it. I'm assuming the extra keys you received do not have the chip in them which will allow you to use it on the doors but not start the vehicle. If this is the case and you only have one key with the chip you will need to either find a locksmith who deals in this type of key and can program these or the dealer (for a hefty $$, around me they get $130 for the second key). The drivers door should lock from the remote or the locking button on the door with no key required. If you can only lock it with the key it may be a broken wire in the boot going from the car into the door. This is a very common problem, gently peel back the rubber boot to expose the wires and see if you see any broken wires or worn insulation. The rear hatch doesn't have a key hole in the '03 you can either open/unlock it with the remote, or with it unlocked under near the license place light is a button to push to open the glass hatch.

Good luck with it.

 

[jimborasco]

Thanks da2962!

I really appreciate you taking the time to answer, and so quick too! One of the keys does have the chip in it, but won't start it. We're in a rural area and I can't find any locksmiths within about 2 hours of us. The local Ford place said if I already had a key with a chip cut, they would do it for 52$ so I may just bite the bullet on that and have them program it. (This is going to be my wife's vehicle and will also be used for pulling our small boat for fishing trips. She's scared she'll lose the only key and we'll be in a mess) I was afraid the question about the driver's door lock sounded stupid, but my wife's old van has a feature that keeps you from being able to lock the keys in the car and she thought maybe that the explorer had a similar feature that was going bad. As for the door wiring, I'll try to take a look at it this weekend. And I'm glad I can tell her to stop looking for the keyhole in the hatch!
We've only had it several days and I'm sure there's a lot to learn. I'd figured out it needed the cruise control switch (speed control deactivation switch) and I'm changing that today. She drove it yesterday and said the "4X4 High light" was coming on and blinking, then going off and though the left turn signal actually works, it doesn't show on the dash. I'm sure there are a lot of little things that she'll be finding that will send me back here.