On these Fords, Bill (a working locksmith in Arizona) cuts keys on a 3D Elite and programs them on site with an Autel IM608. Some F-150 jobs make you wait up to 10 minutes, and some Fords have a hidden programming slot.
Other makes: see all vehicle key programming videos by make.
2013 Ford Focus: All Keys Lost, Push-Start Fob
2013 Ford Focus No Key No Start FIXED (3 min)
The customer had lost every key. Bill plugs into the OBD port, picks Ford and auto-identifies a smart key car. The tool walks him through adding the new smart key. He also points out a slot the fob slides right into, which is the programming port on this car. The car starts on the new fob (clutch in, push start).
His advice: always keep two working keys. When you’re down to one, get a second made before you lose it.
2014 Ford F-150: Adding a Remote Head Key
Add a key · 4 min
Add a key without erasing the old ones. Plan for the wait.
Bill calls it a 2014; the IM608 screen reads it as a 2013 F-150.
Bill plugs in at the OBD port, turns the ignition on with the old key, and lets the IM608 read the VIN. He uses add a key, which doesn’t erase the existing keys. Then the new key goes in and the tool runs for up to 10 minutes. This one took close to the full 10.
When it finishes, the locks cycle, which tells him the remote will work. The truck starts on the new key. The remote didn’t respond at first, but it started working after he cycled the truck a few times.
Ford F-150: Remote Head Key Traced, Cut and Programmed
Cut + program · 5 min
Trace the old key, cut a new one, then program it.
On the 3D Elite, Bill traces the customer’s key to get the cuts and key code, then cuts the new key on both sides and tests it in the door and ignition. The IM608 identifies an 11–14 F-150 blade key. He uses add a key (no keys erased) and waits through the 3–10 minute learning, and it ends with three keys learned.
The new key starts the truck. For the remote, he cycles the ignition eight times until the locks cycle, then presses a button on the new remote within 20 seconds, and it works.
2020 Ford Escape: Push-Start Smart Key Added
Smart key · 5 min
A Ford smart key added over Wi-Fi without erasing the old keys.
On YouTube this video is currently titled “2020 Ford Escort,” but later in the footage Bill calls it a Ford Escape and selects a 2020 Escape on the key machine.
The IM608 auto-selects the vehicle and Bill uses add smart key, which doesn’t erase existing keys. He finds the programming slot up front, sets the key in it and presses learn, and it programs almost instantly. The new fob starts the vehicle and locks and unlocks it.
Honest part: the mechanical key wouldn’t trace on his 3D Elite that day, and he didn’t want to ruin a blank, so the customer left with a working fob but no new emergency blade.
2006 Ford Mustang: All Keys Lost
All keys lost · 54 sec
No keys at all: trace, cut, then program.
With no keys for the Mustang, Bill traces and cuts a new key, turns the ignition on (the security light blinks), and runs all keys lost. The two keys the car knew are erased, the tool runs its cycle, and the car starts on the new key.
Ford Focus: High-Security Key Cut on the 3D Elite
Key cutting · 1 min
A close-up of a Ford Focus high-security key being cut.
A short close-up of a high-security (laser-cut) key for a Ford Focus being cut on the 3D Elite key machine.
FAQ
Why do some Ford F-150 keys take 10 minutes to program?
On the F-150 jobs here, the programmer tells Bill the learning can take 3 to 10 minutes, and one ran close to the full 10. He sets a timer and watches the security light.
Does adding a key erase my old Ford keys?
On the add-a-key jobs here, the tool says it will not erase the existing keys. All keys lost is different. It erases the old keys, as on the 2006 Mustang.