2020 Ford Explorer
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in San Diego

2020 Ford Explorer Smart Key Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

I got a call early on a Tuesday from a job site off Otay Mesa Road, right along the edge of Ocean View Hills. Construction crew, first light, and a guy standing next to his 2020 Explorer that would not let him in.

His fob had been acting up for a few days -- touch unlock going in and out -- and that morning it finally quit. Push-button start would not respond, and he had a foreman waiting.

He had already tried holding the fob against the start button, which is the right instinct when the battery is dead. Nothing.

I was rolling by 6am and on site in about 25 minutes. Opened the door using the mechanical key blade in the fob, which is exactly what it's there for. Once inside I backed up the existing key data through the OBD port before touching anything. His fob had the original factory battery in it -- four years of daily use on one CR2450. The cell was reading low enough that the vehicle's receiver was dropping it at the antenna range required for passive entry, but it would still read from six inches away when mashed against the button. That's why the hold-to-start trick almost worked.

Swapped the battery on site, confirmed the fob was re-reading clean on all doors and the start button, then programmed the spare I cut and enrolled for his glovebox. He had never owned a spare for this truck.

He clocked in late, but not by much. Saved a good chunk compared to a dealer visit -- and the dealer would have meant a tow, a wait, and probably a whole missed shift.

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