Old Capitol Lock Services
-Locksmith Industry News
New Ford Vehicles with PATS
For the 1999 model year, all Ford Motor Company vehicles equipped with the
passive anti theft system
will be using the PATS II system. The PATS II system was introduced on roughly half of the PATS equipped vehicles for the 1998 model year. The other half of the PATS equipped vehicles for the 1998 model year were equipped with the PATS I system. Many 2000 and later Ford Vehicles Use theE-PATS system
, which uses an encrypted transponder in the key.Hold on there... What is PATS, how does it work, and why is this important to me?
Good question. PATS is Ford Motor Company's passive anti theft system
. In 1996 it started showing up on select models of Ford and Lincoln Mercury vehicles. The keys for these vehicles have a tiny radio frequency transponder imbedded in the plastic Head.When you attempt to start the vehicle, the onboard computer sends out a RF signal that is picked up by the transponder in the key. The transponder then returns a unique RF signal to the vehicle's computer, giving it the ok for the vehicle to start and continue to run. 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 vehicle owner should think about is obtaining
duplicate keys
orreplacing 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. This brings us to the "why is this important to me" part.With PATS I, as long as you have at least one working key and can read the owners manual that came with the vehicle, you've got a good shot at programming your new key without additional assistance.
With PATS II, things become a little more difficult. Someone decided that two working keys be required for admittance to the programming show. On the surface, this is a good idea. 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 II system and find yourself in this situation,
you have a couple of choices.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. Have an
auto lock specialist
who has electronic programming equipment and is qualified to use it come to your vehicle and do the same.While option #2 is many times more convenient, neither solution is inexpensive.
Bottom line advice? If you own a PATS I equipped vehicle make sure that you always have at least two working keys. If you lose one of them, have a
duplicate key
made and programmed at once. PATS I equipped vehicles include the following.- Contour V6 Duratech 1998
- Mustang 1996 - 1997
- Taurus LX, SHO 1996 - 1997
- Expedition 1997 - 1998
- Mark VIII 1997
- Mystique LS 1998
- Navigator 1997 - 1998
- Sable 1996 - 1997 (some)
duplicate key
made and programmed at once. PATS II equipped vehicles include the following.- Mustang 1998 - 2001
- Taurus LX, SE, SHO 1998 -2001
- Explorer 1998 - 2000
- Expedition 1999-2001
- Excursion 2000-2001
- Escape 2001
- Focus 2000-2001
- Continental 1998 -2001
- Crown Victoria 1998 - 2001
- Ranger 1999 -2001 V6
- F150, F250 1999 - 2001
- Contour V6 1999 - 2000
- Windstar 1999 -2000 (optional) 2001 All
- Navigator 1999 - 2001
- Town Car 1998 - 2001
- Cougar 1999 - 2001
- Grand Marquis 1998 - 2001
- LS6, LS8 1999-2001
- Mark VIII 1998
- Mountaineer 1998 - 2001
- Mystique LS 1999 -2000
- Sable 1998 - 2001 (some)
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