2010 Keyless Entry System - 'Reprogrammable'??

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MichaelH

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I have a 2010 Expedition, and my community is being targeted by thieves who have an RF Code Grabber. They have hit over 10 vehicles, mine included, in the past two weeks... Many of those vehicles have active alarms. Not a single piece of glass on the ground, not a single alarm has ever gone off.

The thieves clearly have the signal sent by my key fob to unlock the doors and disable the alarm. Can I change this signal, so that they no longer have the right one?
 

ExpeditionAndy

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Yes but it will be very expensive. It might be better to get a motion sensor light and a camera to see what's going on.
 

bobmbx

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http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/ver...your-key-fob-to-break-into-your-car/459117321


So yes, we can Verify thieves do have the technology to wirelessly break into your car by using your own keys against you.

So how do you protect yourself?

The experts with AAA said don’t be fooled by blog posts that suggest putting your fob in the freezer or fridge.

“You don’t want to do that because it could damage the keys. These keys are expensive and could set you back hundreds of dollars,” says John Townsend, AAA Public Affairs Manager. Instead, wrap your key fob in tinfoil or put it in a clean, old paint can, to block the signal, said Townsend.

Tin foil....the new duct tape.
 

Hayes Riviere

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So sorry to hear that. Are the thieves stealing stuff from within the car or stealing the car itself? As Andy said, it is very difficult and expensive to turn off the signal of your key fob. If it's chargable, I'd say to allow it to die without recharging. Otherwise, I would try something to block the signal from reaching your car. Try putting it under pillows, wrapping it in tin foil as suggested earlier, or putting it in a paint can, also suggested earlier. You can test if it works by pressing an unlock or lock button and seeing if the signal reaches the car. Otherwise, if you can omit using the truck, you could leave the keys at a friend or trusted person's house to make sure it isn't in range. Sorry I couldn't be of much help.
 

Flexpedition

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I dont think anyone understood your question or maybe how a transmitter works.

You can take the truck to any Ford dealer and have the OEM transmitters signature removed from the vehicles inventory, for lack of better terminology. Purchase two new FOBs and have the dealer program them to the vehicle as replacements. This happens more often than you think - vehicles purchased second hand without keys or fobs, auction vehicles, repos, stolen extra sets, crazy ex-wives.

I believe your 2010 uses the all-in-one key & FOB combo, right? I'm not totally familiar with this but believe the metal key blade can be removed and reused with the new FOB head along with the PATS transponder.

How expensive? I'd guess $200-$300 parts and labor. Less if the dealer will use transmitters that you provide, but beware aftermarket is usually substandard. A Locksmith might be less expensive, but often lack the Ford software required to remove existing transmitters. If you have this done with another service, such as tire rotation or oil change, you might be able to save a little on the labor.
 
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