I was in you situation and also only had one key. However I got lucky and a local key shop was able to make me a valet key. They're part of a national chain but they're not in every state.
If I can make a suggestion;
So far your choices are to send it to the M.S.S. in California or Needswings in Michigan. I would pick who ever is closer and pay the extra money and use FedEx or UPS overnight shipping and insure the key for whatever the amount would be to replace it.
You don't have to get a fob key, you can just get a valet key and save some money there.
Your other option is to wait until it gets broken or lost. Then you will have to remove the SKREEM and other components and send them out for a lot more money to have a new key made and programmed.
Either way you should talk to one of those shops and ask them for help. They're all good people and will answer your questions and end your worries.

 

My 2001 Ranger Edge has an 80 bit transponder key. I bought truck used, got two transponder keys on ebay, took them to local Lincoln-Mercury dealership, and they wiped all three and reprogrammed all three to the truck (since I only got one from the used car dealership). So, my OEM 2001 Ranger Edge, has an 80 bit transponder key ( https://www.therangerstation.com/for...-i-buy.178783/ ). Maybe they didn't do this to the less expensive rangers?


.

 

Replacement keys have always been expensive and having to be custom-built does not help with price. My son lost one of the keys to his 2007 back around 2010 or 2011 and the dealer ordered one using the VIN. I believe it cost close to $200 at the time, but worked great. (Then my idiot kid found the second key in a drawer a few months later.)

 

When I first got my 05. It came with only 1fob key. I found a local (Phx) guy with a mobile shop. He made me 2 new keys after pulling the skreem to read it. Cost was about $350. Fob key still works, but can’t get the remote to work. I don’t really care as I prefer the smaller key.

 

Are you saying they will not lock / unlock the car, but it starts and runs? If so you can resync the key. Instructions are in the owner manual.

 

Have tried that and more. Locksmith, after the fact spent an entire day trying to get it to work.

 

There are two parts to the key:
1) The RFID chip that the SKREEM interrogaes to be sure you are authorized ot start the car. THis is a high tech security feature required by EU insurers.
2) The UHF board - an easily programmable transmitter that sends a not-very-secure signal to the SKREEM to lock or unlock the doors. If the RFID chip is OK (and it is, or you could not start the car) this is intended to be EASY to program. And it usually is, but it IS possible that:

The UHF board is bad
or
The half of the SKREEM that listens for that signal is bad
or
The batteries in the FOB are crap
or
The battery contacts in the FOB are crap.

It is also true that certain cars seem finicky about reprogramming of this function. My Graphite was easy, the SE is a royal pain.

 

Batterys In the fob were replaced. The Chrysler reprogram process was done several times. The Mercedes process was done several times. Locksmith was working on this just to solve it for his own knowledge. He pulled the skreem module. Desoldered the chip to be able to put it in his computer reading unit. Resoldererd the chip in. As far as I know.
im sure he would love to figure this out for his own personal satisfaction. If you’re interested send me a pm and I’ll send you his contact information. I was/am very satisfied with his performance in making me new keys. Pretty cool to have a CNc key cutter in a van!

 

What do you mean, "As far as I know"?
I can tell Im missing something here, but I don't know what.

 

Means I wasn’t hovering over him while he was working.

 

Just had a new chipped key made by darknezz19 sent him my fob on Monday last week and got my new chip key today works great and price was great.

 

I'm missing something here to lol



Back to topic yes fob ares 300$ for 1 or 450$ for 2.
​​​​​2. (As long as it unlocks the door or starts the car we can make a fob.)
transponder are 50$
Our stuff does work.

Used fobs can't be programmed. But yeah don't lose your only fob lol

 

I had the same experience. Very quick turnaround.