PARTS DEPARTMENT
SecuriLock™ Passive Anti-Theft System:
As of 1999 almost every Ford vehicle now has Securelock
(also known as PATS) as standard equipment.
The PATS system requires two working keys be required for admittance to the programming mode. It pretty much insures that only the owner of the vehicle will be making duplicate keys. The down side is that many vehicle owners don't think about making extra keys until they only have one, or even worse no keys!
If you own a vehicle equipped with the PATS system and find yourself in this situation with no, you have a two of choices:
a.) Have your vehicle towed to the nearest Ford dealership. They will use their electronic programming equipment to reset the system and program in new keys.
b.) Have an auto lock specialist who has electronic programming equipment and is qualified to use it come to your vehicle and do the same.
Bottom line advice? If you own a PATS equipped vehicle make sure that you always have at least two working keys. We would suggest that you keep 3 keys so if you lose one you can have a key made at your local Ford Dealer and program it yourself. If you are down to just one of them, have a duplicate key made and programmed at once.
Passive anti-theft systems like SecuriLock help protect against drive-away theft through the use of an electronically coded ignition key. The system is designed to help prevent the engine from being started unless a coded key programmed to the vehicle is used. A miniature transponder with an integrated circuit and antenna is imbedded in the ignition key. A wireless radio-frequency transmission transfers an electronic code between the transponder in the key and the vehicle.
If the codes match, a signal passes through the wiring system to the electronic engine control, allowing the vehicle to start.
This all happens in less than a second, and is completely transparent to the vehicle operator. It is a very effective system that does its job without the vehicle owner having to think about it, or modify his/her usual routine.
One thing the the vehicle owner should think about is obtaining duplicate keys or replacing lost keys. No longer can you pick up an extra car key at the checkout stand of your favorite hardware store. Replacement keys must be originated on a new keyblank that has an embedded transponder. The vehicles onboard computer must be programmed to recognize the new key.
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