Good idea. Been a few years since I did the keypad.

 

I actually have a spare key hidden under a bezel that pops on and off so that if i am ever to have my keys lost or stolen i am not stranded, say i were to get mugged and they toss my keys into a drain, or take them, i can unlock with the code, and have the spare key within 30 seconds, and be rolling again faster than they can check their rear view mirror and see they are about to get a trail ridge ramming bumper enema being pushed by a V10. I like to be prepared in case sh17 goes down, if im in arizona (and not headed to cali, i am also heavily armed as well), I had someone come after me "and shoot me" once after i helped bring them to justice, i provided the evidence that proved their guilt in a fraud case exceeding 500k that went federal because it covered 4 states, and 1 foreign country. After that, man i am ready if anyone ever comes again, this time i will be waitin for em. I even keep a K-bar in the back pocket of the driver seat as a backup, just in case i am without my sidearm.

 

double post..............

 

After someone jimmy'd my drivers key hole 4 years ago. I removed both front key hole handles, and replaced with rear door handles, I have an aftermarket fob with remote start, lock/unlock with the aftermarket fob sounds the horn once or twice. I use the keypad often if I need to lock or unlock in stealth mode if you will. I also have LED lighting under each door since I have no running boards, but the Ford accessory nerf bars, so a touch of the keypad gives good light if I need it, like walking into a dark garage or something. So I use mine a fair amount. Also after entering your code, only the drivers door unlocks, immediately hitting the 3-4 pad will unlock the rest of the doors. Vehicles with trunks can be opened using another ? pad following the entry code. For as long as I remember Ford has used the last 2 key pads to instant lock all doors, walking through parking lots I always hit those pads to see who's doors would lock.

 

I definitely know where you are coming from. I have a job where I have to drive on a reservation which is, of course, technically a sovereign country. They, and rightly so, don't allow guns to be carried-which only applies if you are a law abiding citizen and not some nut job. I work at a government facility there so it is not possible to take a firearm with you no matter what-not even in the car. It's a road where a family were all shot in the head by some car thief who had stolen a car and it broke down. They just stopped to help. I always remember the adage of not bringing a knife to a gun fight but something is always better than nothing. Best I have come up with is Bear Spray and the policy of not stopping. I'll wave my phone as I go by if someone breaks down and call someone when I get to an area of cell service. Oh yeah-there is no cell service on the road either. While I am a good shot, I've never shot a moving target that was trying to kill me. You can be a lousy shot with bear spray and still have a chance-hopefully.

In my previous X, I could leave my dog in the car when I would go in some place so I could keep him warm or cool as the case may be. I had a rental car recently after a deer threw herself in front of my Explorer(totaled so back to an X). It was an econo box and it was hell to get in and out of. One day as I got out of it at work, and unbeknownst to me, the keys fell out of my pocket onto the seat. I shut the door and that was it. There was only the 1 set so I had to sit and wait for a locksmith to drive 35 miles out into the country late in the pm in a place you don't want to be to open the vehicle. And yep, a keypad would have been very handy.

I don't know that I'd leave an X running with the keys in it now since they are a hot item.