Dead 12v battery, locked out of 2016 Ford C-max Plug-in Hybrid Sw. No key in FOB

[doc101]

Found the mechanical key in the FOB.  In the morning i should be able to get in, pop the hood and jump it.

 

Can't get into my 2016 CMax due to dead battery.  So i can't open the hood for a jump.  Googling around and found out there should be a mechanical key in the FOB, but there is no such key in either. I took them apart, and only found a battery and a circuit board inside.  Any suggestions?

a thousand thanks,

christopher

Edited August 17, 2022 by doc101
found solution

[takingittothemax]

Did you buy your C-Max used or new? I bought mine used, and I only had a physical key in one of my two key fobs. I now only take that one with me, and just have the other one as a backup.

[nogoodbum]

This raises a BIG RED FLAG!!! for anyone having key fobs replaced by any dealer or locksmith. As far as I know all original key fobs came with a mechanical key from factory. The problem is that they are treated as a distant afterthought from then on & lost in the shuffle. The local Ford dealer replaced one of my fobs & did not switch out mechanical key from old to new & sadly I did not discover it until 3 weeks later. The lesson I & everyone should learn is they & myself is to CHECK KEY FOB EVERY TIME it is replaced. Thanks for the read.

[C-MaxA2]

Two C-Maxs, 2 physical keys each.  I didn't know people only had Fobs only.  Neither of our cars (SE models) have a push button starter; you have to put the metal key in the ignition and you can always open the driver's door with the physical key. 

[cr08]

Sadly from what I've seen in the C-Max FB groups, it's not unheard of for people picking these things up used to either get mismatched keys/fobs, no physical backup keys, or incorrect backup keys. The dealers/sellers probably don't due their due diligence simply enough as long as the vehicle starts. So probably a good thing for anyone looking to buy a used C-Max to check on this straight away. I was also dumb and didn't check mine right away when I bought the car. I do have two backup keys and they are keyed correctly, however one doesn't have enough thickness filed off so it wont fit in the lock. Still haven't gotten it sorted mainly because the few local locksmiths I've checked won't mess with these style keys. Couldn't tell you why. ?

 

Another potential thing that I've seen come up on those FB groups though I haven't had anyone 100% confirm the outcome: But the potential is there to be given a simple 3 button fob (lock/unlock/trunk) but have the vehicle equipped with remote start. A quick and easy check for new owners is using the vehicle settings menu in the left screen of the IPC/gauge cluster and there will be remote start settings there. If they are not greyed out and can be adjusted, your vehicle should be equipped. If you don't have a fob with the remote start button on it, bug the dealer/seller you bought it from to get the correct fob.

[cr08]

On 8/21/2022 at 10:10 AM, C-MaxA2 said:

Two C-Maxs, 2 physical keys each.  I didn't know people only had Fobs only.  Neither of our cars (SE models) have a push button starter; you have to put the metal key in the ignition and you can always open the driver's door with the physical key. 

 

For the most part, it seems the large majority of C-Max's (especially Energi models) were keyless entry/start equipped. Later model years Ford started to dumb things down and equipped them with traditional keyed ignitions on the base trims. 2017 was possibly the tipping point here. I'm sure earlier model years had some keyed ignition models but they were probably fleet/barebones models.

[stolenmoment]

On a similar note, I also bought my Energi used, and dealer had only one fob; I had them make two more as part of the sale, and neither of the hardware keys had been cut.  This was resolved cleanly, but could have been trouble if I hadn't checked.