How To Disable Ford Pats System In 2023 (4-Steps You Should Know)

Learning how to disable Ford pats system is critical if you ever lose your extra key. For instance, there is nothing more annoying than losing your transponder key, since now you can’t start up your own car.

If you don’t want to spend money on a new transponder key, or can’t be bothered to set up a new key, don’t worry; we have you covered.

Throughout this guide, we’ll cover how you can bypass the PATS system without losing your mind in the process.

In just a few minutes, you’ll finally regain access to your beloved car without spending money on a new transponder key.

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What is a PATS System?

The worst feeling ever is when you walk up to where you originally parked your car to find out that the vehicle is nowhere to be found.

Car theft has been an on-going problem for decades, and car manufacturers have designed many systems throughout the years to stop this problem.

The most common security system is PATS.

Pats is a system that automatically detects whether you have the original key to start up the engine or some cheap key from Walmart.

The system initially started to make its way into Ford vehicles around 1996.

From there, the system was added to many more Ford vehicles.

Losing the original key means you no longer have access to the car.

You may open the doors, but the engine won’t start regardless of how often you turn the key to the on position.

However, you can set up a new transponder key as long as you have the original key, the process is not nearly as challenging, and you can do it on your own using FORScan.

Otherwise, you can get in touch with a dealer and have them program a new transponder key if you don’t feel like doing it independently.

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How Much Does it Cost to Program a Ford Key?

If you’re out of luck and lost your transponder key and can’t start up the car, you will have to get a new key.

This is when you learn how to disable Ford pats system PAT2.

The key itself is ridiculously cheap. However, if you have someone set it up, that’s when the price goes up.

And that is what you want to avoid.

You can find a new pair of keys for your Ford vehicle for about $20.

You can either purchase the keys on Amazon or eBay. Most of the time, they are relatively cheap on those websites.

With the help of a dealer, they will, most of the time, charge you about $250 for programming a new transponder key.

If you’re lucky enough, they might only charge you $80 for the whole thing.

Always having an extra transponder key comes in handy if you ever lose the primary key.

If you bought a card used, get another one as soon as possible.

Losing the key is quite common, and you might be shocked if this ever happens to you.

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DIY Guide: How to Bypass Ford Pats System

Are you feeling hopeless after you lost the main key? Don’t worry, though.

We’ll walk you through the steps you need to bypass the Ford pats system.

Before we get started, you should know that the following steps should not be a permanent solution; doing so will leave your car unprotected against possible car thieves.

You should only bypass the ford pats system temporarily until you get a new transponder key.

Now that we are on the same page, follow the following steps to get around the ford pats system:

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01. What You Will Need

Before we dive in, there are a few things you need to bypass the system.

The following items will allow you to exploit the pats system, so make sure to get all of them to follow the rest of the article.

• A flathead screwdriver — you can use a flathead screwdriver to get inside the key. If you don’t have a screwdriver, you can use anything that has an excellent straight edge
• Please get a new pair of keys and have them cut to match the original key
• Tape — you will need tape to hang the transponder once you have removed it from the actual key

02. Have the keys cut

How can I learn how to disable Ford pats system to get around the pats system?

The first thing you need to do is go to the local dealer and have the keys cut.

By getting the keys cut, the new keys will match the original key.

This way, you can safely put the key inside the ignition and turn on the engine. And you won’t need the chipped key to turn on the car anymore.

We won’t program the keys. We’ll use the new keys to trick the system into thinking you’re actually using the transponder key to start up the engine. More on this down below.

But for now, make sure you have the keys cut if you want to use them from now on.

03. Take Out The Transponder

Once you have the keys cut, you want to remove the chip from the transponder.

The chip inside the key tells the vehicle that you indeed have the original key and can have access to the car itself.

Without the chip, you won’t be able to get the car running, which is precisely what we’re trying to get around.

Follow these steps to take the chip out:

• Get the flathead screwdriver
• Right at the top of the key, there is a little square
• Use the flathead screwdriver and try to get inside
• Don’t apply too much pressure when getting inside the key as you will break the key
• Once you get the screwdriver inside, proceed to remove the transponder from the key

You’ve made a lot of progress just by removing the transponder from the primary key.

With the transponder, you’ll be able to use the new keys you just bought.

04. How To Disable Pats System  

The only way for the car to know you have the right key is by recognizing the transponder, which is why we removed it in the first place.

We’ll mount the transponder on the ignition so that the car will know you’re not a thief.

When you put in the new key, the car will automatically think you have the original key since the transponder is next to the key.

To mount the transponder, follow the following steps:

• Use tape to hang the transponder on the ignition correctly
• Make sure to place the chip somewhere the car can read the chip. Otherwise, the car will not turn on
• Now insert the newly cut key into the ignition
• Turn the key to the on position to see if the vehicle will start. If the car does not start, you need to reposition the chip until you get it working

Finding the right spot for the transponder takes quite a few tries—so don’t worry if you don’t get it on your first try.

You might trigger the theft light a few times in the process, but you have to keep going until you find the perfect spot for the chip.

DIY Guide: How to Reset The Securilock System

Is your vehicle stuck in the anti-theft mode? Rest assured! We’ll show you what you need to do to reset the system.

The car will go back to normal once you reset the system, and the anti-theft logo should be gone.

Unfortunately, most people assume something wrong with the keys or the vehicle itself, and they end up wasting money.

But most of the time, you can fix this issue by resetting the SecuriLock system. So you might not have to take a trip to the local dealer.

Without any further ado, here is what you need to know to reset the system on your own:

01. Securilock Passive Anti Theft System Reset 

Resetting your Ford vehicle system is super easy to do, and anybody can do this in their free time.

All you need is the key to the vehicle for this process. Follow these steps to reset the anti-theft system fully:

• Hop in the vehicle
• Roll the window down. By rolling the window down, you’re making sure you still have access to the car in case the car locks you out
• Insert the transponder key into the ignition and turn it on
• Leave the key on for about 10 minutes. We suggest using a phone to keep track of the current time
• Close the door
• Now get back in the vehicle to make sure everything is working
• You can tell the process was a success if the anti-theft lights are not on anymore
• Now your car should start like it always does

Resetting the anti-theft system is an easy way to ensure the keys are working.

And, you won’t have to spend a single cent on a new key to find out later the keys were working just fine.

If you need help, here is a video you can watch:

Ford Anti Theft System Problem

If the transponder key is not working when you insert it into the ignition, and the theft light blinks non-stop, you have an anti-theft system problem.

That is a common issue most ford vehicles experience.

Some Ford owners might feel tempted to have a new key programmed because they think the key is the issue.

Others might try to bypass the system by dissembling the key to remove the chip from the key itself and trick the system.

While this is somewhat effective, you might not have to go through those steps if you have a ford anti-theft system problem.

Follow these steps to fix this annoying issue:

01. What You Will Need

For this tutorial, you will need a few tools to fix the issue. Here is precisely what you need:

• An 8mm socket. You’ll need the socket as you will unscrew the bolt that is causing the anti-theft system problem. By removing it and cleaning it, you’ll fix the issue.
• Dielectric grease — you will use the dielectric grease to prevent both corrosion and moisture
• Remove The Bolt

Once you have gathered the tools you need for this project, here is what you need to do:

• Use the 8mm socket to remove the bolt from the eyelet
• Once you have removed the bolt, you want to clean both the eyelet and the surface where the eyelet sits

02. Apply Dielectric Grease

Cleaning is not enough — you need to apply dielectric grease to prevent moisture and corrosion from ruining the vehicle, which is why dielectric grease is so good.

That said, here is what you need to do:

• Put the dielectric grease on both sides of the terminal
• Apply dielectric grease on the surface the eyelet sits to make it even more resistant
• Once you have done that, make sure to put everything back on

By doing this, the engine should be working when you insert the transponder.

If you want to watch a video to help you get through this process, here is one you can watch:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

In this FAQ section, we’ve covered the most common questions about the PATS system you might have as well as some details that were not fully covered throughout the article.

01. How do you know if you have a pats system?

The best way to tell whether you have a Ford pats system or not is by using a non-transponder key.

If the theft light begins to flash non-stop, then your vehicle has a Ford pats system.

02. Can you bypass the PATS system?

Yes, there is a simple way to bypass the pats system on your own.

All you need is the transponder key to trick the system.

By having the transponder key, you can remove the chip inside the key and glue it to the ignition and use any key that matches the original to start up the engine.

03. How does the Ford PATS system work?

Think of it this way: a chip inside the transponder key tells the vehicle that you indeed have the right key.

The system then proceeds to read the chip, and if the system finds you have the original key, the engine will begin to run.

Otherwise, you will get theft-light on the board.

Conclusion

Learning how to disable Ford pats system barely takes any time or effort, and you can do this on your own without relying on a dealer.

Bypassing the ford pats system comes in handy if you can’t find a transponder key for your vehicle.

And, if you don’t want to spend money on new transponder keys, this method will get you out of trouble.

While this is not necessarily the safest way to have an extra key, you can use this method on and off if you don’t want to spend money on a new key for the vehicle.