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Ford Locksmith in Atlanta, GA: PATS Keys Programmed Where the Ford Is Parked

F-150 and Super Duty trucks, Transit vans, Explorers, Escapes and the rest of the Ford line: blades cut, PATS chips and remote-head keys programmed, push-button fobs added, one vehicle or a whole yard. With no key left, the model year you give on the phone decides the procedure, and the Ford stays where it is.

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Two Ford flip keys with their blades folded out, held in front of the steering wheel of a Ford work van, with a pickup parked beside a brick building beyond the windshield

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Ford Auto Locksmith

Ford keys without the tow: the van brings the programmer to you

4Keys Locksmith is a mobile Ford locksmith for Metro Atlanta, Georgia, operating as 4Keys Locksmith LLC under Georgia Secretary of State registration, NASTF VSP authorized, insured by The Hartford and ALOA-trained, cutting and programming PATS keys and Ford fobs at the vehicle around the clock. Nothing goes to a shop, because there is none; how mobile service works is explained separately.

Ford's own owner instructions set the bar for adding a key at two working coded keys and point an owner with none toward a dealer on a tow truck. Most of this page is about the space between those two lines: the owner with one key, the owner with none, the van that has to work tomorrow and the truck that starts with a button.

Every Ford service rides in the van, for an older PATS pickup and for a modern push-button SUV alike: lockouts, spares, keys when all are lost, remote-head keys and Intelligent Access fobs, ignition and cylinder work, pulling broken keys, programming replaced modules and keys for whole fleets. Before any technician heads out, the dispatcher gives the price by phone, in English or Spanish; published rates are on the 4Keys price list.

Ford PATS, Generation by Generation

Fixed code, 40-bit, remote head, 128-bit, push-button: the five Ford keys you might be holding

Ford calls its immobilizer PATS, the Passive Anti-Theft System. A transponder chip in the key head answers the vehicle each time the key turns, and the engine is allowed to run only when the answer matches a key it has stored. The blade, cut on Ford's FO38 double-sided profile on the older vehicles and on the HU101 high-security side-mill profile on the newer ones, only gets the key into the cylinder. The chip inside it has changed several times, and the STRATTEC catalogs (STRATTEC supplies Ford's locks and keys) plus the transponder references track each change.

Fixed-code keys. The first PATS keys carry a Texas fixed-code 4C chip. STRATTEC's 2008 guide lists that key for the 1998 to mid-2001 Explorer, the 1999-02 Expedition, the 1998-06 Mustang and the 1999-00 Ranger V6, and the transponder catalogs add the 1999-2003 F-150 and Super Duty.

The 40-bit "IPATS" blade. STRATTEC's IPATS blank carries a Texas Crypto 4D-63 chip of 40 bits and covers a long run of Fords: the 2004-2010 F-150 and F-250/350 Super Duty, the 2002-2010 Explorer, the 2003-2008 Expedition, the 2005-2009 Mustang, the 2004-2011 Ranger, the 2006-2009 Focus and the 2005-2006 Escape. The remote is a separate fob.

The Integrated Keyhead Transmitter. Next Ford put the remote buttons in the key head. STRATTEC lists the first IKT keys for the 2007-2010 Edge and Escape, the 2006-2010 Fusion and the 2010 Focus; a four-button IKT stamped SA for the 2009-2017 Expedition, the 2011-2015 Explorer, the 2011-2012 Escape and the 2011-2014 Mustang; and a three-button IKT stamped S for the 2011-2014 F-150, the 2011-2016 Super Duty, the 2011-2014 Edge, the 2011 Fusion and the 2011 Ranger. On these keys Ford's owner procedure programs the immobilizer and the remote together.

The side-mill key and its 128-bit chip. From 2013 on the Fusion, 2015 on the F-150, Mustang and Edge, 2016 on the Explorer, 2017 on the Super Duty and 2018 on the Expedition, STRATTEC lists a side-mill PATS key, and the transponder catalogs name the chip Hitag Pro ID49, 128-bit, for the Fusion, F-150, Mustang, Explorer and Super Duty of those years. A plain side-mill key is listed for the 2013-2019 Escape, the 2012-2019 Focus and the Transit from 2015, and the Transit also gets a second, side-mill cargo key.

Intelligent Access. STRATTEC prints an Intelligent Access procedure, Ford's push-button system, for the 2010-2014 Edge and Explorer, and lists Intelligent Access fobs with a non-transponder emergency key for the Fusion and Escape from 2013, the F-150, Mustang and Edge from 2015 and the Explorer from 2016, on the trims that start with a button.

Ford's rules for adding keys. The owner procedure Ford prints for PATS keys opens with one condition: you must have two previously programmed coded keys, and the vehicle stores eight at most. For Intelligent Access, two programmed fobs have to be inside the vehicle and four is the limit, and Ford's text for some models says those keys can only be programmed with a scan tool. When every coded key is lost, Ford's text tells the owner to have the vehicle towed to an authorized dealer, which erases the stored codes and programs new keys; Ford dealers use their own diagnostic software, FDRS. A NASTF VSP authorized locksmith does that erase-and-program at the vehicle with a PATS-capable programmer, after a timed security-access wait the system imposes before key changes are allowed. 4Keys also subscribes to Ford's dealer software, FJDS and FDRS both, and works with original (OEM) Ford keys and Intelligent Access fobs. Whether a locksmith reaches dealer-level software is answered in do locksmiths have dealer software, and the GM approach, which adds a key from just one, is on the Chevrolet locksmith page.

Ford Coverage

Ford models and the PATS key each year band carries

Years as STRATTEC and the transponder catalogs print them; a band ending in 'from' is open in the source. Trims and mid-year changes differ, so the VIN or the key in your hand settles it on the call.

Ford model	Year bands	PATS key by band	Work available
F-150	1999-2003 · 2004-2010 · 2011-2014 · from 2015	Fixed-code 4C blade · 40-bit IPATS blade · three-button IKT (S) · side-mill 128-bit flip key or Intelligent Access fob	Spare with one key or two, all keys lost, remote and fob programming
F-250 / F-350 Super Duty	1999-2003 · 2004-2010 · 2011-2016 · from 2017	Fixed-code 4C blade · 40-bit IPATS blade · three-button IKT (S) · side-mill 128-bit key	Work-truck spares, all keys lost, fleet keys in the yard
Transit van	From 2015	Plain side-mill key and its own side-mill cargo key	Van keys and cargo keys, several vans in one visit
Explorer	1998-mid 2001 · 2002-2010 · 2011-2015 · from 2016	Fixed-code 4C · 40-bit IPATS blade · four-button IKT (SA) · side-mill 128-bit key or Intelligent Access fob	Spare, all keys lost, fob programming
Escape	2001-2004 · 2005-2006 · 2007-2010 · 2011-2012 · 2013-2019	Chip blade (STRATTEC 691643) · 40-bit IPATS · IKT · four-button IKT (SA) · plain side-mill key or Intelligent Access fob	Spare, all keys lost, fob programming, recall check by VIN
Expedition	1999-02 · 2003-2008 · 2009-2017 · from 2018	Fixed-code 4C · 40-bit IPATS · four-button IKT (SA) · side-mill PATS key	Spare, all keys lost, remote-head programming
Mustang	2005-2009 · 2011-2014 · from 2015	40-bit IPATS blade · four-button IKT (SA) · side-mill 128-bit key or Intelligent Access fob	Spare, all keys lost, fob programming
Fusion	2006-2010 · 2011 · from 2013	IKT · three-button IKT (S) · side-mill 128-bit key or Intelligent Access fob	Remote-head and fob programming, all keys lost
Focus	2006-2009 · 2010 · 2012-2019	40-bit IPATS blade · IKT · plain side-mill key	Spare, all keys lost
Edge	2007-2010 · 2011-2014 · from 2015	IKT · three-button IKT (S) · side-mill PATS key or Intelligent Access fob	Remote-head and fob programming, all keys lost
Ranger	1999-00 (V6) · 2004-2011 · 2011	Fixed-code 4C · 40-bit IPATS blade · three-button IKT (S)	Spare, all keys lost, lockout

Compiled from STRATTEC's Ford listings (2020 catalog, 2008 guide), with the transpondery.com Ford catalog for the fixed-code F-150 and Super Duty rows and the 128-bit chip. Bands the table leaves out are answered by the dispatcher from your VIN.

Every Ford Service

Each Ford job, and the detail that decides it

What changes the work on a Ford, with the full guide for each service one link away.

Spare key: two keys, one key

With two coded keys, a third is cut and the vehicle is taught it, through Ford's owner procedure or by the technician at the same stop. With a single key, Ford's procedure is closed, so the new key is programmed with a PATS-capable tool instead. Either way the spare is made where the Ford sits. More on car key duplication.

All keys lost

A blade is made from the code, the stored keys are erased and new keys are programmed after the security-access wait, at the vehicle rather than at a dealer. Give the year when you call, and the procedure is decided then. See every key lost and replacing lost car keys.

Remote-head keys and push-button fobs

IKT keys get the immobilizer and the remote set up in one procedure; Intelligent Access fobs are added within Ford's four-fob limit. A fob or key ordered online can be used when the part number, the FCC ID and the frequency all fit the Ford (what to check first); a fob that still transmits but lost the car is re-linked, while a broken one makes way for a new fob that the 4Keys warranty stands behind (which is which). Service: smart key fob programming.

Ignition and cylinder

A Ford key that will not turn or turns without engaging is diagnosed at the vehicle, and the cylinder repaired or replaced there; a new cylinder means a key cut to match it. Guides: a Ford key that will not turn and one that spins; service: ignition cylinder repair.

Broken key

A snapped FO38 or side-mill blade is lifted from the ignition or a door lock, and the recovered pieces guide the new cut. Read broken key in the ignition before trying anything yourself.

Modules

When a body control module or engine computer is swapped, the Ford may refuse to start until its keys are introduced to the new module. Say which one was replaced; module programming at the vehicle has the detail.

Lockout

Keys shut inside a cab, a cargo area or a car? Lockout tools get the door open. See car lockout service, or trunk lockout when the keys are in the back.

Fleets

Transit vans, Super Duty trucks and F-150s are keyed one after another in the yard. The process is laid out in the next section and on fleet van key programming.

Ford Fleets in One Visit

A yard of Transits and Super Duties, keyed in a single trip

How a business with several Fords gets every vehicle keyed without sending one to a dealer. GM pickup and van fleets have their own notes on the GMC page.

1
Send the list before the visit
Model, year and VIN for each vehicle. The dispatcher sorts them by PATS generation, because a 40-bit blade truck, a three-button IKT truck, a side-mill Transit and a push-button F-150 each take a different blank and a different procedure, and loads the van for all of them.
2
Count the coded keys on each vehicle
Two working keys means a spare can go in by Ford's owner procedure; one or none means a programmer at that vehicle, and the ones with none add the security-access wait. That count sets the order of work and the time in the yard.
3
Bring in every key that should survive
An erase-and-program clears the stored codes, so any key not at the vehicle that day stops starting it. Collect keys from drivers and the office first.
4
Count the Transit cargo keys too
From 2015, STRATTEC lists a cargo key of its own for the Transit, also side-mill. Say how many of each the crew needs per van, so the van is set up to cut both kinds.
5
Leave with a spare on file for each vehicle
A PATS vehicle holds up to eight coded keys. A second key per vehicle keeps the next addition on the short path. Paperwork for the fleet is sorted out on the phone beforehand; GM pickups and vans in the same yard are covered on the GMC locksmith page.

Ford recalls that involve the key: a second fob before the 2020 Escape repair

Recall 20V-635 covers 2020 Escapes with key start: the body control module may not pick up the key fob or the tire-pressure sensors, the remedy replaces the module, and Ford tells owners that two key fobs are required for the repair to be completed, so a one-fob owner needs a second fob before the dealer visit. Separate campaigns concern a key that can be pulled while the shifter is not in Park: 14V-736 (including the 2014-2015 Fusion), 18V-471 (including the 2013-2014 Escape and 2013-2016 Fusion) and 19V-362 (2013-2016 Fusion, 2.5L), a shifter-cable bushing. Under 15V-436, the 2015 Escape and Focus could keep running after the key or the START/STOP button was turned off, fixed with body control module software. Recall repairs are dealer work, so a VIN lookup on NHTSA comes first.

Key fob not working Smart key fob programming

Service Area, Home and Business

From a Norcross job site to a Fairburn driveway, and the locks on the building too

The vans are dispatched from Brookhaven across Metro Atlanta, and the arrival time is part of the call. That takes in Chamblee, Doraville, Norcross and Duluth to the northeast and Fairburn to the southwest, along with the rest of the metro. The Ford is keyed where it stands: a driveway, a company yard behind a gate, a job site, an apartment lot or a level and row in a parking deck.

The same van carries lock hardware for the doors at home and at work. Lockouts, rekeys, new locksets, deadbolts and smart locks at home are on residential locksmith service and Georgia house locks; rekeys after turnover, master keying, card entry and panic hardware at work are on commercial locksmith service and Georgia business locks. Callers can speak English or Spanish, and the crew includes Spanish-speaking technicians.

Customer Record

What Our Customers Actually Said

Every review below is 5 stars, published word for word. Showing 4 of 97.

4.8

97 Google reviews

13 in Spanish

Very efficient and professional they did the key for my Ford E350 really quick. Highly recommend

Ford10 weeks ago

Carlos vino e hizo mi llave de mi Ford F-150 2010 en menos de 10 minutos. Súper recomendado. Rápido y eficiente.

He was very knowledgeable and knew exactly what to do. He was punctual and pleasant to work with. Dan

They were great, professional and affordable, no complaints!

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FAQ - Ford Key, PATS and Fleet Problems

One coded key or none, the dealer tow, the security-access wait, fleets of Transits and Super Duties, cargo keys, push-button fobs, the 2020 Escape recall and keys that leave the ignition outside Park.

Not with Ford's owner procedure: it requires two previously programmed coded keys, and the vehicle stores eight at most. With one key, the new key is cut to your lock and programmed with a PATS-capable tool, which 4Keys Locksmith brings to the vehicle.

Ford's own text says to tow it to an authorized dealer so the codes can be erased and new keys programmed. A NASTF VSP authorized locksmith with a PATS-capable programmer does that erase-and-program where the Ford is parked, after cutting a blade by code. Your model year is checked with the dispatcher before the van goes out, and that same conversation covers the paperwork the case needs.

PATS imposes a timed security-access period before key changes are allowed when keys are erased and programmed. Nothing is wrong while it counts down; it is the system protecting the vehicle. The quote and the time on site already account for it.

Yes. Send the model, year and VIN of each vehicle before the visit, and how many working keys each one has. The dispatcher sorts them by key generation and loads the blanks and fobs for all of them, and the technician works vehicle after vehicle in the yard: spares by Ford's owner procedure where two keys exist, a programmer where one or none does, and the cargo keys for each Transit. Gather all keys that should keep working, since an erase-and-program drops any key not present. Trucks with a crew waiting can go first. The price for the whole visit is given on the call.

STRATTEC lists a plain side-mill key for the Transit from 2015 and, beside it, a side-mill cargo key. Count how many of each the van needs and say so on the call, and the technician arrives ready to cut both kinds.

Ford's Intelligent Access owner procedure needs two programmed fobs inside the vehicle and stops at four, and on some models Ford says the keys can only be programmed with a scan tool. Its FCC ID, frequency and part number have to fit as well. 4Keys programs a matching fob at the vehicle, or supplies a matching new fob in place of one that does not fit.

Recall 20V-635 replaces the body control module, and Ford tells owners that two key fobs are required for the repair to be completed. Have a second fob programmed before the dealer appointment, at your driveway or workplace lot, so the repair is not held up.

Yes. The 2004-2010 F-150 takes the 40-bit Texas 4D-63 IPATS blade with a separate remote, and 2011-2014 a three-button remote-head key. From 2015 the truck moved to a side-mill key with a 128-bit Hitag Pro chip, as a flip key or, on push-button trims, an Intelligent Access fob. Tell the dispatcher which one you hold.

It may be a recall rather than the key. Campaigns 14V-736, 18V-471 and 19V-362 cover, among others, the 2013-2016 Fusion and the 2013-2014 Escape, where a shifter-cable bushing or another part let the key come out outside Park. An NHTSA lookup by VIN tells you; recall work belongs to a dealer, and anything else gets a phone quote.

No. 4Keys has no shop: the cutter, the programmer and the parts travel in the van, and the work is done where the Ford is parked.

Ford Keys · 24/7

Two keys, one key or none? That number starts the call.

Then the model, the year and the address, or a VIN list if it is a fleet. The dispatcher quotes it right then, and nothing is dispatched until you say yes.