Maybe call around to a few dealerships in the general area first. Not saying you have to go to them, but if you get a few prices you could go back to your dealership and ask if they'll match the lower price. They don't need to know you have no intention of driving out to the other locations.
It is the dealership I bought it from, and it was the first one they delivered. Can you (or anyone) confirm from knowledge the amount of time it should take to program 2 keys? They say they have to wipe the whole system so that the old keys wouldn’t work if found. I could see that taking longer, but also being optional in case your want them to be different. Certainly seems like they should be able to program the key to any existing car/code.
Nope not at all. The procedure will still be the same.
Thanks. Will attempt once I procure another key. Strangely for all of the vehicles I have owned previously, 2 keys was always enough. With the Bronco and all of the smarts, I now crave a 3rd...
Honestly??.... about 20-30 minutes if I'm taking my time. Usually it takes more time to find the vehicle on the lot (can't do the old "panic button locator" trick with no fob
), hook up the laptop, and do the paperwork than it does to actually program the vehicle.
Thanks man. Agree with your analysis, but I’m gonna talk to the service manager and use this info to get him to come down on their quote. They couldn’t do it yesterday anyway, said they didn’t have any techs who knew how cause they just do maintenance on Saturdays, so they had to keep it till tomorrow. I’ll call in the AM and talk him down.Honestly??.... about 20-30 minutes if I'm taking my time. Usually it takes more time to find the vehicle on the lot (can't do the old "panic button locator" trick with no fob
They are correct that they need to wipe the entire PATS system before programming the new key, but that's only a few extra button clicks and a bunch of waiting for FDRS to do it's thing.
Most dealerships charge in either 30 minute or 1 hour increments for labor, with 1 hour increments probably being more common nowadays. And obviously the cost of labor will vary widely based on where in the country you are. At my local dealer it costs around $350 to buy and program a brand new fob with a cut emergency key. So the fact they are charging you $350 for just the programming step does strike me as a little high... but it's not so catastrophically high that it raises huge red flags for me.
Fundamentally the problem you have is this: It will probably cost more money to have the vehicle towed to a different dealer that charges less than it would be just to have this dealer program the vehicle. So unless you can find a locksmith that's willing to march onto a dealer lot... you're probably stuck.
I lost one of my fobs and was Quoted just under $600 and they have to order lol so I’m still waiting
As insurance, I bought a non-OEM key off eBay for around $20, and cloned it myself using instructions provided by forum members. It was surprisingly easy, cloning worked first try.
Here’s an alternative for those who want to add a cut key at a reasonable cost. I bought a blank key online, but I couldn’t find anyone to cut it. The hardware stores did not have the right equipment for the newer keys and the locksmith/dealers insisted on only using blanks purchased through them. I ordered another blank on eBay for $10 and sent the seller a picture of my existing cut key. They were able to cut it before they shipped it to me. It works just fine.
You need more than just FDRS and an interface to program the key—only specific people (generally speaking, dealerships and licensed locksmiths) have the necessary login credentials to preform the necessary steps.
Thats not my experience. I have been fully able to access all PATS functions with the above. To access PATS functions there is a 10 minute security timeout that has to expire before you can do anything.
Not for any newer vehicle. Things have changed.
