A customer called us this week stating he had lost all of his keys to a 2000 Ford Mustang and had called another Locksmith company earlier this week to make keys. Since the door key and ignition key were different, the locksmith drilled out the ignition cylinder and made the door key match the new ignition cylinder. The locksmith was unable to program the new keys he cut to the vehicle and still charged the customer for the keys and programming even though the vehicle wouldn’t start. After complaining about the issue to the locksmith company, the customer was told that he would not come back to resolve the issue thus leaving him with no option but to call a qualified locksmith company. ATC was called to pick up where the other locksmith company left off and program the new keys to the vehicle. Upon arrival and diagnosis I found:
No blinking or solid IMMO light on the cluster or dash. This is a normal indication of an Immobilizer issue but either it’s not available on this vehicle or the light is nonfunctional.
No signal detected from the Immobilizer transceiver module or ring.
Initial diagnostic scan showed only one key programmed and a DTC code stating that the length of time for programming 2 keys was too long.
Programming function “All Keys Lost” showed only one key programmed after multiple attempts. The vehicle would not accept the second key when cycling 2 keys in the ignition or by manually trying to program a key using the “Add Key” function.
Removed plastic shroud around steering column and noticed that there was no immobilizer transceiver module or ring around ignition cylinder.
Found the white 4 wire connector under dash for immobilizer transceiver module.
Traced the wire to the backside of radio and found the owners original key taped to the immobilizer transceiver module or ring.
Removed the tape and key from the ring.
Programmed 2 keys into memory and the vehicle started as normal.
The end result was the issue was resolved and the customer was happy they could drive their vehicle once again. Here at ATC Lock & Key, we go the extra mile to research and resolve key related issues with your vehicle through the use of the latest diagnostic tools and analytical skills. We won’t leave you stranded without finding a resolution to the problem even if we have to refer you to someone else. We are knowledgeable and highly trained in the automotive field. The next time you have an automotive key issue call a qualified Locksmith service like ATC Lock & Key the first time and you won’t be left stranded or charged for a service that was never completed. We take pride in our service and we are Locksmiths that can be trusted!