On these Ram and Dodge trucks, Bill (a working locksmith in Arizona) programs FOBIK keys on site with an Autel IM608 plugged into the truck, then cuts the emergency key on a 3D Elite key machine. No tow and no dealer visit in any of these jobs. Below are the real jobs on video, newest first, with what happened in each one.
Other makes: see all vehicle key programming videos by make.
2016 Ram 3500 Key Fob Programming (All Keys Lost)
The customer had three FOBIKs and each one only half worked: one started the truck but wouldn’t lock or unlock it, one only locked, and one only unlocked. Neither of the last two would start the truck. They wanted two keys that fully worked.
Part 1 (10:03): trying the customer’s own fobs first, then programming 2 new FOBIKs and tracing the emergency key.
Part 2 (3:30): testing the original emergency key in the door, then cutting and testing the new one.
What happened, step by step
- Try the customer’s keys first. Bill says the easy move is to sell new keys, but the honest one is to see if the keys they already own can be saved.
- Plug in and identify the truck. He connects the IM608’s VCI, picks Dodge, lets it auto-detect the truck, reads the VIN (not shown on camera), chooses FOBIK, and goes into the key learning function.
- The tool shows 4 keys already learned. Instead of adding a key, he backs out and picks all keys lost. That erases every key the truck knows, then learns the ones you put in. His reasoning: these keys all worked in this truck before, so they should program right back in “unless the key is bad.”
- Result with the old keys: the first FOBIK learned. The second and third came back learning failed. The remote buttons still did nothing. That told him all three fobs were bad, so he switched to new ones.
- Two new FOBIKs, all keys lost again. The tool erases the keys (zero keys learned), then asks for each FOBIK in the ignition in the locked position, one at a time. Both learned.
- Test. With each new key the security light on the dash goes off, and lock and unlock work on both.
- Turn the hazard flashers off. The tool has you turn them on during programming. Bill’s warning: leave them on and they’ll drain the battery.
Why the old fobs failed and the new ones worked
Both tries used the same all keys lost routine on the same truck, so the procedure wasn’t the problem. Two of the customer’s three FOBIKs simply wouldn’t learn back into a truck they used to work in, and none of the remotes responded. When that happens, the keys themselves are the problem, and replacing them is the fix. Good to know before you try this route: all keys lost wipes every key the truck knows. Any key that isn’t relearned afterward won’t start the truck, so have every key you want to keep on hand.
Cutting the FOBIK emergency key (Part 2)
Every FOBIK hides a metal emergency key: push the little button on the fob and the blade slides out. That’s what opens the door when the fob battery dies. Bill usually moves the blade over from an old fob, but here he cuts new ones to show how.
- There was no key code, so on the 3D Elite he clamps the customer’s working key in jaw B against the tip stop and has the machine trace the cuts.
- Test before you cut. Part 2 opens with Bill admitting he broke his number-one rule in Part 1: check that the original key actually works the door before copying it. It worked. He’s had jobs where it didn’t.
- He clamps the new blade the same way (jaw, tip stop up), cuts side one, flips it, and cuts side two.
- The moment of truth at the door: the new emergency key works.
2015 Ram 1500 All Keys Lost: 2 New FOBIKs + Key Cut by Code
All keys lost · 6 min
No working key, no tow, no dealer: two new FOBIKs programmed and the blade cut by code.
On YouTube this one is titled “2016 Dodge Ram,” but in the video the IM608 identifies the truck as a 2015 Ram, and Bill selects a 2015 Ram 1500 on the key machine. The customer’s fob wouldn’t start it. Bill reads the VIN, turns the hazards on when the tool asks, and the tool reads the truck’s security code (not shown). It shows zero keys learned. He programs two new FOBIKs one at a time with the ignition in the lock position, then the security light goes out and lock and unlock work.
For the blade he had the key code, so the 3D Elite cut it by code. His tip: it’s best practice to cut an inexpensive steel test key first so you don’t ruin the blade that goes into the fob. To get a code when there’s no key, he decodes the truck’s lock with a decoder tool, which gives him the cuts.
2015 Ram 1500: Adding a New Fob When One Still Works
Add a key · 5 min
The old fob was shorting out but still started the truck, so this is an add-a-key job, not all keys lost.
Here the customer still had a working key, so Bill picks learn key instead of all keys lost. His first try came back learning failed because he’d left the already-programmed key in the ignition, and the tool made him wait a minute. With the new FOBIK in, it learned in under 10 seconds. The new key starts the truck, and the customer’s old key still locks and unlocks. Then he traces the old emergency key on the 3D Elite (jaw B, tip stop), cuts an exact duplicate on both sides, and tests it in the door.
2015 Ram 1500: Two FOBIKs Added, Remote Start Checked
Add keys · 5 min
A working key in, two FOBIKs learned, then lock, unlock and remote start tested.
Heads-up: on YouTube this video is currently titled “2023 Chrysler Pacifica,” but in the footage Bill says it’s a Dodge 1500 pickup and the IM608 confirms a 2015.
Bill starts with the customer’s working key in the ignition, has the IM608 identify the truck, and uses hot function to learn new FOBIKs. The tool erases the keys first, then has him turn the ignition off and the hazards on, reads the security code (not shown here), and asks for each FOBIK in the ignition in the lock position. Both new FOBIKs learn. With each one the security light goes off, the truck starts, lock and unlock work, and he checks that the remote start works too.
2014 Dodge Ram All Keys Lost: One New FOBIK
All keys lost · 3 min
The red security light says “wrong key.” Here’s the IM608 fixing that on a 2014 Ram.
The customer had lost every key. With a new FOBIK in the ignition the red security light stays on, which means the truck doesn’t recognize it. Bill auto-selects the truck, reads the VIN, turns the hazards on, the tool finds the security code, and he runs all keys lost (it warns that this removes all keys). One key learns, the light goes out and the truck starts. The customer bought a second FOBIK while he was there, and he cuts the mechanical key by code on the 3D Elite.
2010 Dodge Ram 3500: Two New FOBIKs
Program 2 fobs · 3 min
A screen Bill had never seen before on the IM608, and two new fobs that start the truck.
On this older 3500 the IM608 showed Bill a different key menu than he usually sees. He reads the VIN, the tool pulls the security code, and he puts each new fob in the ignition and turns it to run as the screen asks. Afterward the security light is off, both fobs start the truck, and lock and unlock work.
2023 Ram: Where to Plug In (STAR Connector)
Quick tip · 42 sec
Where the programming connector hides on a 2023 Ram.
On the 2023 Ram, Bill finds the STAR connector by the steering wheel: pull the side panel off and it’s right down there. That’s where his programmer cable plugs in.
Fob Buttons Dead? Check the Battery First
Battery · 1.5 min
Before you pay for programming, try a fresh battery.
If the truck still starts but the buttons don’t work, a battery is the cheap thing to try first. Bill pushes the button to remove the mechanical key, pries the case apart with a small pry tool, and points out the battery direction (in his fob, positive side down) before snapping it back together. For the 2016 Ram battery type and a full checklist, see 2016 Ram key fob not working? Battery checks.
Add a Key or All Keys Lost? How to Tell
- You still have one key that starts the truck: usually an add-a-key (learn key) job, like the 2015 Ram 1500 above. Your existing keys stay programmed.
- No key starts the truck: all keys lost, like the 2014 and 2015 all-keys-lost jobs above. The tool erases the old keys and learns the new ones.
- Your keys half work: like the 2016 Ram 3500. A locksmith may try relearning them first. If they won’t learn back in, new FOBIKs are the fix.
- The red security light stays on with a key in the ignition: in these videos that’s the truck saying it doesn’t recognize that key.
Ram Key Fob Programming FAQ
Can a locksmith program a Ram key fob without the dealer?
Yes. In every job on this page, Bill programs the FOBIKs on site with an Autel IM608 connected to the truck, then tests start, lock and unlock. No tow and no dealer visit.
What does “all keys lost” do on a Ram?
On the IM608 it erases every key the truck knows, then learns the keys you put in one at a time. Any key that isn’t relearned afterward won’t start the truck, so have every key you want to keep on hand.
Why would an old Ram FOBIK fail to program?
On the 2016 Ram 3500 job, two of the customer’s three FOBIKs came back “learning failed” even though they had worked in that truck before. Bill’s rule: a key that worked in the truck should program right back in unless the key is bad. Those two were replaced with new FOBIKs.
Does a Ram FOBIK have a hidden key?
Yes. Push the small button on the fob and a metal emergency key slides out. It opens the door if the fob battery dies.
Can the emergency key be cut without the original code?
In these videos, yes. On the 2016 Ram 3500, Bill traced the customer’s working key on the 3D Elite and cut a copy. On the 2014 and 2015 jobs, he cut it by code. When there’s no key at all, he decodes the lock to get the cuts.
How long does Ram key fob programming take?
On the 2016 Ram 3500, Part 1 runs about 10 minutes on camera, and that includes Bill trying the customer’s old keys first. On the 2015 Ram 1500 add-a-key job, the new fob learned in under 10 seconds once it was in the ignition. Your job may take longer.