My 1983 Turbo Coupe came with Ford’s keyless entry system that was first used on the 1980 Thunderbird. Amazingly, the system is still available today, although better integrated into the blacked out part of the pillar. I quickly came to love it, as it was quicker and more convenient than using the key, and of course there were never any worries about locking one’s key in the car.
And I still remember my code key:
23252
So do you Ford owners remember your codes? I suppose if you still have one you undoubtedly do. So here’s a second part of the question: who’s had the longest gap since they got rid of their key-pad car, and still remembers it? I left my Turbo Coupe behind in 1985, so it’s been 33 years.
Well I know the one on my Mark VII. On the VIII it’s on a sticker on the control module in the door. I never knew it because I bought the car used. But of course I was too dumb to write it down when I had the door panel off when I had the car repainted. Now I don’t want to add wear and tear on the clips and take it off again just to look. If only I had x-Ray vision 🙂
On the VIII it should have also been on a small sticker on the driver’s side trunk hinge or near the latch on the underside. However in later years it was supposed to happen as part of the dealer prep instead of on the assembly line and may have been left in the owner’s packet and lost because it is a small sticker that just had 5 digits on it.
If you have a 96 or newer you can get a OBDII adapter that will also read the Medium Speed Can and Forscan and may be able to read with your laptop, tablet or phone. I know DDMs are on the MS CAN Bus in the 00’s and up vehicles but not sure on the 90’s.
My 88 and 89 Town Cars had a sticker with the code near the right trunk hinge.
Oddly enough, I’ve never used my Crown Victoria’s keyless entry system — and I’ve owned the car for 11 years. I have nothing against keyless entry, it’s just something I’ve never gotten into the habit of using.
Maybe I’ll try it this week and see what I think. After all, I’m kind of a late adopter of technology…
No Never even remember I have that feature
still have this feature on our 2018 flex and love it. I am a runner – awful nice to be able to lock a car with your wallet and key fob inside, nothing to carry. wish all cars had this
+1. We hike and do many beach activities. Great feature- my first one was on a ’83 T-Bird, but I’ve had many Ford’s with this feature.
The keyless entry pad is one of the (few) things I liked about Fords. And, as one might imagine, I read a while ago that Ford was considering ditching the option.
Having the ability to get into one’s vehicle without having to carry a key or key fob is a huge benefit. It absolutely removes any potential lock-out, as well as those times when it’s quite inconvenient to have to lug along one’s keys like, say, going to the beach.
They did drop it in 1998 because remote entry was a part of it and what everyone else was doing. However there was a large outcry by the faithful and it was brought back for 99 and then filtered through most of the lineup. I doubt they will risk dropping it again anytime soon.
I don’t really think there is a risk of an outcry like back in 1998. Back then a lot of cars did not have remote keyless entry and it was a point of status to have a car that you could unlock with a remote on your keychain.
20 years later 99.9% of all new cars sold in the USA have remote keyless entry fobs and some even have proximity sensors that let the car know you are next to it and allows you to unlock the doors without even taking the keys out.
So if Ford killed off the entry pad for 2019, a great majority of folks probably would not care.
I have had these pads on several Fords i have owned and I never bothered with it.
The problem is a lot more people have been exposed to it now. Not only has it spread to more models, including the F-series, it has moved to being included in middle trims as well.
People who use it love it.
“People who use it, love it”
That’s pretty much the bottom line. A bigger issue might be those who never thought they’d use it, the one time they needed it, had forgotten the code.
I scoffed at the keypad when I bought my Expedition a year ago. “Ford STILL uses this thing? Why?”
And…I’ve come to love it, simply because I don’t have to have the key when I want to get something from the truck. Use it ALL the time. Would it keep me from buying another vehicle without it? No. But I’d still miss it.
23278 on the 93 Crown Vic that left my family in 2014. Or maybe not. I cannot claim the prize in good conscience because I might be confusing it with the code or login for something else. I just remember that the last 2 numbers were on the same button.
I remembered the one for my first 92 CV for several years after it was gone. I do remember the factory code for our Mountaineer and that is the one I use despite the fact that I programmed it with the one for the wife’s old Fusion. Don’t remember the one for my Marauder or the Grand Marquis that my Son still drives but they also have the code for the Fusion we haven’t had in over 2 years. I suspect the next car that I buy will also get that same code as an additional code so the wife doesn’t have to learn the new one.
I bought my ’97 Crown Vic (pictured) in 2012, and, by that time, the keyless code was somewhere with the snow that blew in 2001. When I sold it a few years later, the buyer didn’t even ask about it.
My mother used to have a Nissan Maxima with that feature…yes, I still remember the code.
My parents never had a Ford, but my mom did have a Nissan Maxima with keyless entry. The code was 56792, which was also our home phone number, as it being a small town in Alabama, that’s all one had to dial. I used to love borrowing mom’s car for weekend parties at my fraternity, we would keep beer in it, and anyone that chipped in on the cases inside had the code to get their beer out when needed. I miss that car to this day.
I never owned a Ford, but I do remember my bike lock code from 4th grade: 4246!
FYI, I’m only telling it because I’ve never used that code for anything else important 🙂
Maybe this forum can settle an issue that has been keeping me up at night for the last 37 years (well maybe not.) Since a single button is responsible for two digits (or does the button toggle), does this mean that Paul’s code of 23252 will also work with 14161?
Yes they are really are only 5 buttons, so it is really 1/2, 3/4, 1/2, 5/6, 1/2. At some level my brain/muscle memory has changed in that I do think of them as 5 buttons and don’t think about the actual stated code when using it. Of course having it for 15 years might have something to do with that.
Both of our Ford products have them. My wife and daughter use the one on the Mariner all the time, though I never remember her code. I do know the code for my Fusion, though I virtually never use it.
I do think it’s a useful feature, and I like the way they now hide it in the door post.
I still remember my combination lock from grade 9 – 22-3-27. As for keyless entry, I have it on my 2010 Escape, and use it from time to time, it’s very handy to have.
Sure I do, my 2006 Mercury Mariner had this feature, and you could change the factory code to anything you wanted, although if memory serves correctly it seems that the factory code would still work, too. I used the address of my family home in Los Angeles where I grew up, and where my mother lived for 55 years until she passed away. Easy 5-digit number to remember, it’s emblazoned in my memory banks for all time. And I still use it in various combinations for many of my computer passwords. I really miss this feature, and oddly enough it was not offered on my 2003 Thunderbird, in favor of the ubiquitous key fob.
Yep still rember the code on my parents 89 cougar.
But don’t member on my 87 Lincoln. ( only had 1 yr.)
As I understand it, though I may be wrong, this feature can be added by the dealer to a car that didn’t have it from the factory?
I have a 2009 police interceptor that never had it, but would add it if possible.
Can someone here answer this definitively?
This car does have power door locks, but I would love to be able to lock my keys and wallet in my car while I am at the beach.
Yes, you can. Although I’m not sure if the Crown Vic specifically has that capability.
The add on system that Ford sells is just a different version of the remote that is self contained and affixed with 3M VHB tape. So you have to already have remote entry for it to work. I’m not sure when they added remote entry as an option on the CVPI which other than the 1998s is the only Panther that was available w/remote, w/o keyless.
Just because you didn’t get remotes with the car doesn’t mean it doesn’t have it.
You can find videos of how to program remotes for Fords and follow the procedure. If when you get to on the 4th time and the door locks cycle lock and unlock you have remote entry and can add the stick on key pad.
Otherwise if you don’t have it it would be a nightmare to add as the CVPIs don’t have a driver’s door module or the wiring for it.
Yes they do offer it
However it looks like a wort on the door. Well at least the one for the 98-04 Mustang does.
I can’t resist branching a comment stream away from Ford’s keypad entry….to their keyless starting.
I recently rented a Ford Flex with keyless starting like so many cars have now, including my 8-year-old Prius. Long story short, the Ford let me drive all the way from Denver airport to Boulder with the keys still in the rental checkout booth at the airport. No ding-dongs, no lights, no messages. I ended up 44 miles away with no keys. Fortunately I didn’t push the stop/start button or I’d have been stranded. Had to go all the way back to get the *&%#$ keys. Not happy with ‘modern conveniences’ that day.
I’m pretty sure the Prius would never have let that happen, it complains if I get out with the fob in my pocket while it’s running.
The NYTimes recently had a sobering story about how keyless start/stop has been killing people.
Weird! I wonder if perhaps the rental company hides an extra key somewhere inside their cars, in this case not realizing the consequences? Otherwise there must be something rather wrong going on there…
I know my friend with her older Prius had her now ex-husband let her out and drive off with the Fob in her purse and he didn’t figure it out until he was supposed to go and pick her up. No warnings given at any point.
If you had tried to shut off the Ford it would have complained with some beeps, and given you a 20 second countdown to restart the car w/o the intelligent access key inside the vehicle.
So did the attendant go get the car, leave it running, bring the key in and leave it on the counter? I know with my MIL’s Mustang it really has to be in the car, hold it out the window at arms length and the car won’t start.
Fob was in the Ford when I started it. I drove to the exit booth and put it in Park, engine running. Attendant took my license to confirm my rental, and fumbled with her wireless terminal for awhile, couldn’t get it to work. She asked for the fob to get something off its tag. I passed it out through the window and she took it away. No complaints from the car.
She seemed inexperienced, still couldn’t get into her terminal, went to get help from others. Several minutes passed. I was eager to get to my event. Finally she gave me my license and paperwork just like always when I rent a car, I put it in Drive and drove away. Didn’t realize the fob was still in the booth until I got to my hotel. The site manager was very sorry and took full responsibility when I got back and retrieved the fob.
I read a great solution to this potential problem, and that was to keep the spare fob concealed somewhere inside the vehicle with the battery removed, but nearby. That way, if one drives off with the normal key left behind, the spare could be retrieved, the battery inserted, and the vehicle safely driven.
Of course, this also negates using the spare fob for a SO, but at least someone would never be stranded. Unless, of course, they turned the car off and locked the door before exiting.
At least on Fords you don’t need batteries in the fob to start the car. My MIL bought a 2017 Mustang with the keyless start and if the battery dies in remote it holds an emergency key inside to get in the car. To start it you pull the rubber liner out of the cup holder and there is a little well that you drop the fob in. The car can read it like they used to do on transponder cars. I’m betting other cars have a similar work around for a dead battery.
I saw a video on YouTube entitled X secrets you didn’t know about the F150 or something like that. One of them was how he found a spot under the cup holders to store a spare fob. Of course it didn’t take too many comments until people told him that was for starting it when the fob battery dies.
> The NYTimes recently had a sobering story about how keyless start/stop has been killing people.
Hmm, nearly half involved Toyota or Lexus… Not mentioned in the article, but those two brands also sell the most hybrids; I’m guessing the combination of keyless start/stop and not hearing an engine running at idle is problematic.
Yes – mine has 5 numbers on two keys. I remember it with the rhythm method. da da DA DA da
Dad’s 2006 Taurus had the keyless pad, but we never knew the code, so it was never used.
My ’01 Taurus SE didn’t have that option. But I love it on my ’11 MkZephyr! Very usefull on the beach and picnicks and hikes.
I remember seeing the keypads on Ford Tauruses in the 1980s along with the bronze tint of the InstaClear windshields. From reading the comments, it looks like the combinations were hard-coded at the factory and could not be reprogrammed with something like your birth date or zip code…
You can’t erase the factory code but you can add and delete additional codes if you know the factory code.
I my mark vi has this and it’s a nice feature. I got my code from purvis Ford for free.
I’ve never had this kind of coded keyless entry. But I still remember the license numbers of my first four cars, the last of which I sold 36 years ago. On the other hand, I sometimes forget the PIN for my current debit card …
I still remember the serial number from my Nikon FM that I got for high school graduation in 1980 and was stolen in 1987. I have no idea why I even learned it let alone remember it, but I do also remember the license plates from.all my parents’ cars. They make great passwords.
I also remember all of my parents’ (and most of my grandparents’) plates and, same as you, use em as passwords.
Just augmented my land yacht fleet by adding a black with grey leather ’97 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series Touring Edition. It has the keyless code system and I’d like to figure out how to set a code. I think it’ll be a convenient feature.
The factory code should be on a sticker on the driver’s side trunk hinge or near the latch. If that sticker is missing it is on the sticker on the driver’s door module inside the door. Once you have the factory code you can program any 5 digit code. Enter the factory code, push the 1/2 button, enter your 5 digit code and press the 1/2 button again. If the doors lock and unlock it has been programed.
Thank you so much! It was in the trunk….15617 !
Glad to help and good to hear it was still there.
Pushing both the 7/8 and 9/0 will lock the car, even with it running.
After you enter the code 3/4 will unlock the rest of the doors.
After you enter the code 5/6 will pop the trunk.
‘88 5.0LX T-Bird: 06137
‘88 Turbo-Coupe: 35179
And I programmed each car with each other’s code, so it didn’t matter which car I was entering with which combination.
In my defense, I have a near photographic memory for numbers.
That said however, I don’t recal the ‘94 T-Bird’s combo, or my ‘97, so there’s a good chance those two cars didn’t come with the option. I know my ‘83 ‘Bird didn’t have it.
I remember the one to my ‘14 Lincoln MKS, but I had that car as recently as December of this past year.
Ford never bothered with that out here, cars were much easier to steal., Ive never unlocked my current car using the key locking with the remote sets the entry and proximity alarm automatically using the key does not.
The Ford keypad unlock is one of those features that, if you use it, you’d really miss it if it was gone.
But, as some have pointed out, they’ve never had the need. Frankly, though, besides the beach, driving somewhere to go jogging or hiking and not having to drag along your keys sounds like a very nice benefit.
The combination lock on the door is the one feature that may make me consider buying a Ford or Lincoln as my next new car instead of the Golf GTI that i’m eyeing. As others have mentioned, it’s nearly essential for anyone who ever goes to the beach. I can’t readily keep an electronic key on me that wont get damaged or lost by crashing waves of saltwater (yes, I surf, albeit not very well). I’m not taking a chance leaving a car key unattended out of eyesight when I’m in the water. I’ve considered hiding a key somewhere under the car, but I’m afraid this is too commonly done and thieves may run their hands under the car looking for a keyholder, especially if one sees you reach for it yourself to get in your car. I get irked when other manufacturers refer to remote key fobs or smartkeys as “keyless”. It’s NOT keyless if I have to carry something with me to unlock the door, especially if it’s expensive and fragile. Remote openers are a great convenience of course, but not a substitute for true keyless entry.
Let’s not forget Buick offered these on the Electra/Park Avenue starting in 1985, I don’t know for how long. And Nissan on at least two generations of Maxima, plus 200SX and 300ZX, maybe others.
Ironically a plain old mechanical key (that won’t be damaged by water) has its advantages…
In 1998-99 or so had an ice blue 1986 Town Car Signature Series with dark Navy interior. Loved that old barge, but like many big Fords it died in an ignition fire. I can still hear/feel the AOD clunk into 4th gear. ? Anyway, I almost always left the keys in the car (usually even in the ignition!) and used the keypad exclusively. I recall being elated to find the code on a sticker in the trunk some time after I bought the car.
Now, as to the code itself??? I plead the Fifth(s). Of bourbon. Couldn’t tell you if you held an M9 to my head.
Apart from a flipper Mondeo (Contour) and a Granada Scorpio when I was stationed in the UK I believe the stinkin Lincoln was the only Ford I have ever owned.
All cars should have that keypad.
For a long time I thought that the keypad was a silly idea. Then one day I accidentally locked the keys in a rental Ford I was driving. Having the keypad code saved the day.
It’s a brilliant idea. I wish Ford offered it here.
I can NEVER remember the code. I know that I hit:
– 2nd button twice
– 4th button once
– middle button twice
By accident, I found out how to unlock all the doors at once:
– follow above steps
– then hit 1st and 2nd buttons at the same time
To lock all the doors:
– follow top procedure
– then hit 4th and 5th buttons at the same time
The above is very handy when the battery in the remote dies while on vacation????
You do not need to enter the code to lock the doors, just push button 4 (7/8) and 5 (9/0) at the same time.
To open the rest of the doors after you’ve used your code to do the driver’s you hit the second button (3/4) because you want all 4 doors open. If you want the trunk/hatch button you use the (5/6) button because you want the “5th” door open.
And I just tried this, too. Ingenious.
’99 Expedition. Bought it in 2000 to pull my camper, sold it in 2005. 33557.
My daughter just bought a ’12 Explorer last year and I was surprised to see that they still put the keypads on them.
This is a feature that never made it to Europe. Perhaps we took to the Renault style le plip more quickly instead?
Presumably, if your code had a 2 or 4, you pressed the button twice in succession?
1st
3rd
1st
3rd
2nd
4th if you wanted the trunk open.
’01 Marqius. Sold it back in ’12.
I can’t remember the one from our Explorer but this morning after waking up I realized I remembered YOURS from reading this yesterday. I wonder how that piece of info will stay with me now…
Yes. Because I still have two Fords with keyless entry, and it’s a powerful selling feature for my forgetful millennial self
I remember using one on a rental. I actually liked it, which was a surprise. I’d always thought the keypad was pointless. But in use it seemed handy.
Cars nowadays should have fingerprint scanners. That’d be the ultimate solution.
I absolutely do, 17479, 3/4 to unlock the other doors, 5/6 for the trunk 7/8-9/0 to lock. This was for a 92 Grand Marquis, am I right?