RKE Chip Full?!

[shgrier]

2011 Ranger 4x4 4-door Sport, 4L 6-banger AT. I have 2 fobs. When I program the second fob into the RKE system, the 1st fob quits working. Do I have to go to the stealership to clear the programming?

I program the first fob into the RKE chip (On-Off 8 times - leaving it in on with the 8th sequence - locks cycle). I program the fob, and the locks cycle. I turn off the truck, and the fob works flawlessly. I rinse-repeat with the second fob. Second fob works flawlessly, but the first fob quits working. What gives - I'm pulling my hair out, and can't find any reference to this in any thread, either here or on the internets.

Any help out there? Thanks in advance.

 

[shgrier]

Well, I think I figured it out. I was searching randomly through "FOB Programming" and found a thread that was somewhat related - the OP couldn't get their fob to work after programming.

Turns out pulling the battery cable loose, letting it sit a few minutes and reconnecting must have rebooted the RKE system. Upon reconnecting the battery, the previously working fob was still working, and the other fob was still NOT working. But when I programmed them both at the same time, they both worked. Not sure if "Rebooting" was part of the solution or not, but "couldn't hoiyt", as Mo would say. One of the other things that's often left out of the YouTube vids on this subject is that the driver's door can either be open or closed, but if the driver's door IS open, the passenger door MUST be closed for any programming to work. Further, if you are programming more than one remote, they must be done together (8 on/off cycles, then press a button on one remote, and then press a button on the other remote, etc., etc.).

Thanks for letting me work my way through this - hope this helps others.

 

[2011Supercab]

if the driver's door IS open, the passenger door MUST be closed for any programming to work. Further, if you are programming more than one remote, they must be done together (8 on/off cycles, then press a button on one remote, and then press a button on the other remote, etc., etc.).

Thanks for letting me work my way through this - hope this helps others.

Correct, all fobs must be done on the same programming cycle, I thought both doors had to be closed to program.

 

[sgtsandman]

I do believe there is a limit to the number of FOBs that can be programmed but it is more than two. I think I have three that all work and all came with the truck but I did order an extra key when I bought the truck. So the dealer may have went through the process to make sure all three work.

 

[JoshT]

I may have commented in that other thread. I know I did in one recently saying that all fobs had to be programmed at the same time, even if some were already working.

It was funny because a week or two later dad told me about "something weird" that happened when he was trying to program a new fob for his truck. The "strange" thing was exactly what you described, programed new fob and old one quit working. Told him the same thing, you gotta program all ay once, but he didn't think that was right. He tried it my way a few days later and it worked perfectly.

I do believe there is a limit to the number of FOBs that can be programmed but it is more than two. I think I have three that all work and all came with the truck but I did order an extra key when I bought the truck. So the dealer may have went through the process to make sure all three work.

IIRC there is a 5 unique key limit. I think fobs may be the same.

I say unique because you can have more than 5 working keys if some of them are clones of other keys.