Unlock doors with key turning twice

[Jonathan rs]

Hey there so, I wasn't able to find anything related to this but it suddenly stopped working
I don't have a key fob so to unlock all doors from outside the car I used to turn the key twice, but now it doesn't work. I know I can do it from the unlock button but it was a cool feature

Where can I start looking blown fuses, relays? Modules?

 

[C420sailor]

I didn’t even know that was a thing

 

[Jonathan rs]

I didn’t even know that was a thing

It was a thing for me haha not anymore

 

[RickOTR]

Take some elecrical contact cleaner and spray inside the locks on each door. Years of dirt probably have built up inside the cylinders. Another possibility is the key is worn down so much that it doesn't move the tumblers correctly. Lastly, the module that controls the key FOBS might need reprogrammed, that's what happened to me when I couldn't open the doors with the key. Solved my problem. Since you don't have a key fob, I'm not sure what to tell you.

 

[J_C]

I may be taking you on a wild goose chase, but my best guess is you have a setup with a Door Disarm Switch and that switch has failed.

If that is the case, the part # "might" be XL2Z-7821990-AA (or similar), which includes the lock cylinder as I don't find any references to the switch coming separate from the lock cylinder. Sometimes you can gently heat up (so the plastic is less brittle) Ford switches, to pop them apart and clean them. Sometimes you just destroy the switch instead.

You know you can get keyfobs for about $10 each on ebay and if you have two working keys, program them into the vehicle using the procedure in the owners manual? If you only have one key you can use a windows host running a full license of Forscan app along with linked OBD2 dongle to program a 2nd key, or possibly the keyfobs directly (not sure about that latter part).

Again I could be wrong, just throwing some info out there in case it is useful. If nothing else you can take the door panel off and trace the wires to this switch. It's shown in the attached wiring diagram on the bottom right of the diagram and you can check its function with a multimeter.

Certainly the first thing to try is as Rick suggested, spray some cleaner in and work the key back and forth several times to see if that cleans the switch contacts, or even try contact cleaner directly into the switch if it comes to pulling it out of the door to get access to it.

 

[Jonathan rs]

I may be taking you on a wild goose chase, but my best guess is you have a setup with a Door Disarm Switch and that switch has failed.

If that is the case, the part # "might" be XL2Z-7821990-AA (or similar), which includes the lock cylinder as I don't find any references to the switch coming separate from the lock cylinder. Sometimes you can gently heat up (so the plastic is less brittle) Ford switches, to pop them apart and clean them. Sometimes you just destroy the switch instead.

You know you can get keyfobs for about $10 each on ebay and if you have two working keys, program them into the vehicle using the procedure in the owners manual? If you only have one key you can use a windows host running a full license of Forscan app along with linked OBD2 dongle to program a 2nd key, or possibly the keyfobs directly (not sure about that latter part).

Again I could be wrong, just throwing some info out there in case it is useful. If nothing else you can take the door panel off and trace the wires to this switch. It's shown in the attached wiring diagram on the bottom right of the diagram and you can check its function with a multimeter.

Certainly the first thing to try is as Rick suggested, spray some cleaner in and work the key back and forth several times to see if that cleans the switch contacts, or even try contact cleaner directly into the switch if it comes to pulling it out of the door to get access to it.

Wow thank you so much for this response , I tried ricks method and unfortunately didn't work, so next step is to get a key fob, I got one from eBay but the damn thing doesn't work .

I got it a new battery no results, I did the sequence and try programming the fob and no success ;( I guess imma get a new one at AutoZone, i am currently in mexico so no autopart stores but AutoZone

 

[J_C]

The keyfobs are probably available on ebay with world-wide shipping... not certain of it, never tried to get anything shipped to Mexico.

I may not understand what you mean by "I got it a new battery no results". Do you mean that you have keyfob(s) that used to work and they no longer do, and also no longer do with a new battery? If that is the case, "sometimes" this type of remote control fob with the silicon rubber key buttons, can have silicone oil escape as they break down and that can foul the electrical contacts. That can be cleaned off the circuit board with a dry paper towel and the button pad cleaned with strong, hot detergent solution and a toothbrush.

I suppose it's also possible that your Anti-theft module has failed or wiring to it. A lot can happen in 20+ years. There are many more wiring diagrams linked in my sig below if you have a multimeter and the determination to check everything till you find the cause.

 

[Jonathan rs]

The keyfobs are probably available on ebay with world-wide shipping... not certain of it, never tried to get anything shipped to Mexico.

I may not understand what you mean by "I got it a new battery no results". Do you mean that you have keyfob(s) that used to work and they no longer do, and also no longer do with a new battery? If that is the case, "sometimes" this type of remote control fob with the silicon rubber key buttons, can have silicone oil escape as they break down and that can foul the electrical contacts. That can be cleaned off the circuit board with a dry paper towel and the button pad cleaned with strong, hot detergent solution and a toothbrush.

I suppose it's also possible that your Anti-theft module has failed or wiring to it. A lot can happen in 20+ years. There are many more wiring diagrams linked in my sig below if you have a multimeter and the determination to check everything till you find the cause.

By " I got it a new battery" I ordered the fob a month a go through eBay, when it was received battery was dead. I got it a new battery and still didn't sincronice. And maybe my anti-theft module it's bad.

What do u mean by diagrams in your signature below I don't see anything below your comment lol. Yes I'm more than willing to follow every single wire in this exploder.

So just to be clear my fob is brand new from eBay, battery is new that leaves me with wiring and Anti- theft module.

 

[J_C]

A new keyfob will have to be programmed in, which you can do via the procedure in the owners manual if you have two working keys.

There is a link at the bottom of every post I make which links to wiring diagrams. Here:

1996-2001 ford explorer / mountaineer workshop manual (5567 pages!)

Here are some wiring diagrams, though I don't know if they apply to all 95-01 model years. Come to think of it, I don't recall where they came from either (j/k, was ebesc0h0st before it got shut down), apparently I was a glutton for collecting them about 4 year ago, but they've been more useful...

www.explorerforum.com

It is unlikely that whatever the problem is, involves a new keyfob, rather that it has to be programmed in to work, unless I misunderstand this is two different issues.