Not mine, so you don't have to call me a dummy. It's a nice older lady I work with.

Apparently this has a chip of some sort so my question is: can I buy a new cylinder and key at Autozone or whatever for $30 and install it and expect it to run?

My truck is a 91 F150 and I just changed the key cylinder on mine, it was pretty easy. But according to google, an 04 Ranger has a chip and I've never changed out a key cylinder with a chip. I know nothing about newer vehicles.

Can I do it in a parking lot or does she have to hire a professional?

 

She needs a locksmith. You can't change the key and cylinder and expect it to run. You need to be able to program the PATS (Passive Anti Theft System) to recognize the new key. And if you've asked this question you don't have the tool to do this.

 

Thanks. And if you read my question you noted that I know nothing about newer vehicles.

 

Locksmith will fix her right up. also something to add. If you have 2 programmed keys in hand, you can buy a blank off amazon or whatever, get it cut and then use those 2 keys to program the third. On these trucks I ALWAYS keep three keys. One in my pocket, one hidden on the truck and one backup. That way if any one goes missing or stops working (I had this happen once) you can easily(cheaply) replace it with the self programming method. Otherwise it gets expensive because of the programming need.

 

FYI, we bought a 2005 Explorer a couple of weeks ago. The price was right, the mileage was only 75K, but....the owner could only come up with one key. Rumor had it that the local Wally World can program the "smart" keys, so my wife gave them a call. Her answer that the local WM gave her was "It depends...." So just yesterday, I went in to see what they could do for me. A big sign over the counter area said that they could program the "smart" keys and save big bucks verses having the dealer do it. So far, so good. It's a WM in a fairly small town, so the shop was doing absolutely nothing. Looked like the shop supervisor was giving a talk to the 5-6 employees that were out in the shop. Not busy, still looking good. After about a minute, one of the shop associates came in and asked me what I needed. I handed him the Explorer key and asked if he could give me a duplicate. In true sixth grade intelligence level (aimed at me, not him) and in a REAL slow dialog, so I could understand it clearly, he said: "Sir, what you have here is a SMAAAART KEY. If we make you a duplicate, you can unlock your car door, but the key cannot STAAART your engine. YOU will have to....". I stopped him right there and pointed to the sign over the counter. I told him that his sign clearly states that they can program a smart key. The guy then rolled his eyes, grabbed a laminated set of instructions under the counter, grabbed his key programmer and set it on the counter. He clearly knew the steps that it took to program a smart key and immediately looked up the key that my 2005 Explorer needed. (The blank key is a Hillman H84-EK, is anybody is still awake, BTW) He inserted my original Ford key in his programmer, patted himself on the back as he muttered that it had accepted the programming from my key and programmed a blank key in less than a minute. I told him to do two of them while he had it on the counter. The next blank key took another minute and then he cut the notches on both new keys quickly. Total cost per key was $70. (The local Ace Hardware charged $80 per key about five years ago) What was interesting to me is that while this guy was cutting my keys, another customer came up behind me and a different associate waited on him. He wanted a key cut for a 2005 Chevy. The associate, looked in the instruction book, told him WM couldn't do that one and he needed to go to the local Ace Hardware. The guy said he was just from there and Ace couldn't do it.The WM associates then told him to go to the Chevy dealer.
The interesting part of all this is that the guy clearly didn't want to do it until I pointed out the sign over the counter. Yet, he sped right through the process and had my key programmed quickly without asking anyone else for help.

 

Just be aware that the drone at WM sold you "clone" keys. They'll work just fine for normal operation except they won't allow you program your own as describe in both your owner's manual and in post #4.

If you ever have to replace the PCM, expect to have to purchase a new non-cloned key and have it properly programmed into the vehicle in order to get your SUV to start.

 

I remember replacing a pcm on an 07ish escape and a locksmith had to sell a key(because we had only one) and simply cycled both keys a couple times in some particular fashion for them to program. That was it. Also in my 03 ranger I was able to program keys with a verus. So perhaps any decent shop could help ya as well

 

DIYers can easily reprogram PATS using Forscan and the appropriate OBDII interface.

You just have to follow the rules and the proper steps.