If you need to reset your Ford Transit immobilizer, you should start by trying another car key. Your Ford Transit may not recognize your normal car key, so you might solve the issue by using a spare key instead of your usual key. If this doesn’t work, there are several other things you can try.
If that does not work, there are several other options that you can try to locate the issue. Having to reset your Ford Transit immobilizer is not a huge task as long as it is not the result of a bigger issue.
Most Ford Transit owners are able to do this simple reset on their own with little to no experience required. The only time when this is not the case is when the immobilizer issue is the result of a bigger problem in your vehicle.
Try the 30 Minute Procedure
The 30-minute procedure is a method used to reset a Ford Transit immobilizer in a variety of models. It is a process that takes 30 minutes and should help to reset and correct any minor immobilizer issues.
Here are the steps to take to do this 30-minute reset:
Step 1
Connect a charger or jump-starter pack to your battery to give it some extra power. Then turn on the ignition so that the dashboard of your vehicle lights up.
Step 2
Wait for 30 to 35 minutes for this process to reset the immobilizer. Turn off the ignition and remove your key, then insert it back into the vehicle and start the car.
Try Another Key
Ford Transits work in a way where the immobilizer is a safety mechanism that helps ensure that the owner is starting the vehicle, not someone else. It does this by sensing and authenticating the key being used.
By inserting the key into the switch, the electrical circuit will close and start the immobilizer box, which will then communicate with the transponder coil. This whole process is necessary to authenticate the key.
If your vehicle has issues or simply has a small glitch, it may not recognize your key even though it is the correct one. This could result in your car not being able to start with that key.
To try to fix this simple issue, try using a spare key and see if the Ford Transit recognizes it. If the failed authentication was just a glitch, it should recognize the second key.
This is the easiest and most common way to reset your Ford Transit immobilizer by yourself. This is not an uncommon issue as safety features can frequently become too sensitive and work against you.
This should be the first solution you try before trying anything else, just to make sure that it is not a simple issue with the authentication.
Replace the Key Fob Battery
Sometimes you may experience immobilizer issues purely because the battery in the key fob has gone dead. This is by far one of the simpler issues to fix and takes very little car knowledge.
All you will need is a small flat-tipped screwdriver to help you open up the key fob area. From there, you can remove the battery to see the kind of battery it takes.
Buy the correct kind of battery and carefully replace the old one. You don’t want to be too rough and risk damaging the responder chip inside. If this happens, the key fob won’t recognize the key at all.
Check The Key Fob Battery
The second thing you should do is to check your battery. To do this, you will need to have a voltmeter on hand.
If your battery is below 13 volts, this may be the cause of your immobilizer not doing its job properly. When you check the battery, the voltmeter should show about 13 to 15 volts.
If your battery does not have enough volts or has even gone dead, you will have to get it repaired. This will need to be fixed before you focus on resetting the immobilizer.
Check the Relays
The next thing you can try is to check the relays, which should be at the Ford Transit’s fuse box. If you are not sure how to do this or where the relays are, you can check your vehicle maintenance manual for instructions.
Once you have found the relays and fuse box, check to see if any of the relays are grilled. If one is damaged, you can easily replace it by buying a new one and attaching it yourself.
If you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, you can take your vehicle to a repair shop and have them fix it.
If the relays look like they are in good shape, then this is not the cause of the issue. After checking all of these things, the problem is most likely a bigger issue within your vehicle.
The Transponder or Immobilzer Box Could Be Faulty
If none of the above ideas work, the problem with your immobilizer is most likely located within the transponder coil or immobilizer box. Both of these items would need to be replaced and installed by a professional.
The only thing left for you to do is take your Ford Transit somewhere to be looked at by professionals. If none of the three reasons mentioned above are the culprits, it is much likely something more serious.
Get a Replacement Key
If the key is just not being recognized by your vehicle and it reacts the same way to your other keys, you may have to get a replacement. This is an easy fix and simply requires you to go somewhere where they make new car keys.
Two Reasons Why There May be an Immobilizer Error
If your Ford Transit is showing you the error light that signifies the immobilizer is not recognizing your key, it is usually caused by one of two reasons.
These are the two most common reasons why your immobilizer may be giving you an error signal.
1. Incorrect Key Authentication
The top reason why you are seeing an immobilizer error in your Ford Transit is incorrect key authentication.
Ford Transit vehicles have a safety system that will only recognize the correct key. This helps to keep your vehicle safe from car jackers and robbers.
However, this safety feature can sometimes work against you and not recognize your own car key. This often happens when there is a glitch or the system is not running correctly.
If this is the issue, you could try to use a spare key, most vehicles come with at least one or two extra keys. Using a new key might help the authentication system recognize the car key.
This doesn’t work all of the time, which means that you will have to explore other issues that could have occurred.
If the main problem is your keys, you may need to go and have a new set made in order for your vehicle to recognize them.
2. Immobilizer Box Issues
The immobilizer box is the heart of this Ford Transit safety feature and is what helps it to run smoothly.
If anything is wrong with this box, it will need to be fixed before your vehicle can recognize your key. Some things, like the relays, you can fix on your own as they require minimal work and knowledge.
But most issues with an immobilizer box will require you to get it professionally fixed. The most costly repair would probably be if the entire box had to be replaced.
You Can Remove the Immobilizer
If you have tried everything and still can’t get your immobilizer to work, or you can’t afford the costly repair, you have other options. One great solution would be to just remove the immobilizer altogether.
By doing this, you will be eliminating that safety feature in your vehicle; it is a personal decision but is not recommended by most.
There are two ways that you can go about this if you decide that you don’t need your Ford Transit’s immobilizer anymore.
Enter a Code
By far, the easiest way to override the immobilizer to start your vehicle even when it isn’t recognizing the key is to use a code. Ford Transit comes with a code card that can be used much like a key.
You will need to start this process by turning on your ignition and using your centralized button to enter the code that is on the card. Carefully enter the entire code, and once you are done, this should start the vehicle.
This is not an ideal solution for long-term results, but it can be very handy in a pinch when your Ford Transit isn’t starting. That is why it is important to keep that code card on hand in case you ever end up needing to use it.
Manually Remove the Immobilzer
If you don’t have your code card or want a more long-term solution to immobilizer issues, you can manually remove the immobilizer.
This is best done by a professional who knows the inner workings of a Ford Transit. They can safely remove the immobilizer system without damaging any other part of the vehicle.
This is not a highly recommended option, and some places may not even do it as it can put your vehicle in harm’s way.
If you remove the immobilizer and your vehicle gets stolen, your insurance will not cover it for you. Once the immobilizer is gone, your vehicle could be started with just the wires without the extra protection.