Question 1

How long does Lincoln dealer key replacement actually take, start to finish?

Accepted Answer

The shop time for the programming itself is not the real delay. The immobilizer system enforces a mandatory security wait between each key during the programming sequence, so if they're adding or replacing multiple keys, that built-in timer adds up in the service bay.

The actual bottleneck is everything before they touch your car. Lincoln dealers in this area are often booked out by weeks for service appointments. If the fob has to be ordered, that's another wait on top of the appointment. Some owners have reported the key fob and the blade cutting being handled as separate line items, sometimes on separate visits.

With me, the whole job from pulling up to a tested, working key is typically under an hour for adding a key to an existing working key, and under 90 minutes for all-keys-lost where the security sequence has a longer reset cycle. I come to you, so there's no tow, no waiting room, no scheduling two weeks out.

Question 2

What exactly is a remote head key and how does it work on the 2004 LS?

Accepted Answer

A remote head key is a single piece with two jobs. The key blade turns in the ignition like any traditional key. Built into the head is a transponder chip that the immobilizer reads every time you try to start the engine. If the vehicle doesn't recognize the chip, the engine won't run even if the key turns freely. That's the security side.

The fob portion is separate. Those three buttons send an RF signal to the body control side of the car for locking and unlocking. That circuit runs on a CR2032 battery. The two halves, transponder and remote, can fail independently of each other. A dead fob battery has no effect on whether the car starts. A transponder that loses its programming won't stop your buttons from working. Knowing which half is acting up saves time and money on diagnosis.

Question 3

Why does the dealer take so long on Lincoln key jobs specifically?

Accepted Answer

Three things stack on each other. The immobilizer programming sequence has a mandatory timed wait built in per key, so the security module itself is part of why shop time runs long. Add the fact that Lincoln dealers in the Thousand Oaks area are not typically doing key jobs on walk-in basis, and you're looking at an appointment window that can be days to weeks out. Then if the fob needs to be ordered, that's a separate delay before the appointment even becomes useful.

A qualified locksmith does the same programming procedure with the same tools, shows up at your location, and doesn't split the job across multiple visits.

Question 4

I have one working key for my 2004 LS. Should I get a spare made now or wait until there's a problem?

Accepted Answer

Make the spare now. Adding a second key while you still have one working key is the easier, faster, and less expensive job. All-keys-lost is a different procedure, takes longer, and costs more because the security sequence has to be handled differently when there's no recognized key present to begin with.

The 2004 LS is old enough that finding a correctly cut and programmed replacement in a hurry is doable, but not instant. Getting ahead of it while you have a working key on hand is the smarter move.

Question 5

My 2004 LS starts fine but the remote buttons stopped working. Do I need a whole new key?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. Start with the CR2032. Even a battery that tests okay on a meter can be too weak to drive the RF signal reliably, especially if it's been in there a few years. Swap it fresh and retest all three buttons.

If the new battery doesn't fix it, the fob may have lost its pairing to the vehicle's receiver and needs to be reprogrammed. That's a common failure mode on these, and it doesn't mean the key itself is ruined. The transponder side, which is what starts the car, can still be perfectly valid while the remote side is out of sync.

If reprogramming doesn't bring the buttons back, then you're looking at the fob hardware itself. At that point a replacement remote head key, cut and programmed on site, is the path forward. But don't buy a new key before ruling out the battery and the programming first.

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