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No Key Detected / Removing the Console/Cupholder

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PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
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Fellow s550 owners, my apologies if this is a dumb question, but I'm going to ask it anyhow. If you're not switching to a standalone management system (MoTeC M150 group buy!?) and still stripping out your interior, uh, how do you start your car without getting the No Key Detected?

I had taken the armrest/center console out, glove box, and then started on the dash when I realized that I needed that start button, which looks like it's part of a bigger connector. I plugged that back in, and then got the No Key Detected error. Noticed that there were a few connections around the cupholder, one for the cigarette lighter, the other for the USB, and this mysterious mount at the bottom of the cupholder that one might not notice if they haven't removed the plastic drip trays. I'm guessing that's where you'd put your keyfob if you lose all power, and it's some sort of keyfob sonar since it's centrally located and the keyfob would be at worst 2-3 feet away from it, good engineering, I'll give them that. Thing is, once you've removed that carpet, the tissue paper padding, and other things, it sits all goofy against the bare metal. I'm assuming that I could remove or cut the module out from the center console, and duct tape it or something cool like that, but when you guys start doing your cool flip switches, well, then what?

In the meantime, I ended up removing it and putting one end over the white screw coming from underneath, and it looks like I could fix it to some exposed screw with a nut to keep it from bouncing up.

img_20200401_170313_1024.jpg

img_20200401_170043_1024.jpg
 

PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
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Ah this is a question for @Black Boss or @honeybadger

Im from SD but live in the Bay Area now. What part of SD you in?
San Mucous. Your triple 7 car looks real familiar, I think we've been out before (oh my!) at either Buttonwillow or Laguna. I'll be sure to stop by and say hi next time, y'know, supposing we all don't die from these infectious diseases.
 
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San Mucous. Your triple 7 car looks real familiar, I think we've been out before (oh my!) at either Buttonwillow or Laguna. I'll be sure to stop by and say hi next time, y'know, supposing we all don't die from these infectious diseases.


If it was BW it was during a Signature Wheels private track day. If it was LS it was in Nov of 2018 in the rain. And I am the only 777 backwards (AKA Hockey sticks) I am from Carlsbad and was born in Die City. I'll be home at the end of May if society is semi normal. Let's meet up for a beer or 10 at Pizza Port, Mother Earth, Etc, you name it. But not Stone. I am friends with the founders and its like Disney Land now.
 

PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
725
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If it was BW it was during a Signature Wheels private track day. If it was LS it was in Nov of 2018 in the rain. And I am the only 777 backwards (AKA Hockey sticks) I am from Carlsbad and was born in Die City. I'll be home at the end of May if society is semi normal. Let's meet up for a beer or 10 at Pizza Port, Mother Earth, Etc, you name it. But not Stone. I am friends with the founders and its like Disney Land now.
For sure and perhaps it was that Thanksgiving rainfest. Coming in wayyy too hot through Rahal Straight on approach to the corkscrew, hydroplaning through the braking zone, and fullsend through Rainey was some of the most fun I've ever had. Shame my GoPro was off for pretty much the whole day.
 
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For sure and perhaps it was that Thanksgiving rainfest. Coming in wayyy too hot through Rahal Straight on approach to the corkscrew, hydroplaning through the braking zone, and fullsend through Rainey was some of the most fun I've ever had. Shame my GoPro was off for pretty much the whole day.
Haha glad I wasn’t around you then. That was my 1st track day in the rain and it was a blast. Here are a few pics of my car that day.

0C274359-28F1-45E2-86E7-C8D8D54511F2.jpeg

78CD388D-BAE4-4422-9FEB-AB3BBB95C891.jpeg

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JDee

Ancient Racer
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5 miles from Mosport
This is probably a dumb thought, but it looks like there's only 2 wires in that device? Could you just short them and thereby create a "key found" situation permanently?
I ran into this myself last week but as I had the console out I knew what the problem was. Didn't seem to be much weight in the console so I just left it in place, for now anyway.
 

PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
725
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@PaddyPrix You are correct, you need to retain the key fob detector located in the center console. It’s straight forward to use the RCM retainers to secure. I’ll post up a photo later.
Thanks for the validation, and that's exactly what I ended up doing. Didn't know if there was anything cooler, but I guess it's not as bad as it could be with just that module, compared to having the whole tray jerking around.

@JDee - That shorting idea isn't a half bad one, but I've got a feeling that it's not just a simple electrical signal, but using that module to get and verify some sort of unique device response that was stored as part of the key pairing process, similar to a common computer routine used for grabbing unique things from your computer's motherboard when generating hash values for things like computer software registration so that we know the resulting code can only be properly decoded by you and you alone.
 
Shorting will not work. I researched, and there is no way to override key detection with the OE S550 set up. If you loose a key, to replace it you need to order a new key and take both keys and the vehicle to a dealer to activate the new key.

Here’s a photo of the sensor install using using the forward RCM mount:

51C3CB3F-8226-4901-A4A5-58E0050D699D.jpeg
 
For sure and perhaps it was that Thanksgiving rainfest. Coming in wayyy too hot through Rahal Straight on approach to the corkscrew, hydroplaning through the braking zone, and fullsend through Rainey was some of the most fun I've ever had. Shame my GoPro was off for pretty much the whole day.
Hi, I have done exactly the same thing as you- took out seats and console. engine still started. then took out parts of the dash thinking that the plugs for the starter would be all that was required- then got the "No Key Detected" message. I have reconnected all the gear and it still says No Key Detected. Do you have any other tips to get the key to sync with the computer? I had the doors off and even put those back on to see that the remote still works and the car locks and unlocks....
Thanks a lot for your help guys.
 

PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
725
1,081
Exp. Type
Time Attack
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Under 3 Years
San Diego
Hi, I have done exactly the same thing as you- took out seats and console. engine still started. then took out parts of the dash thinking that the plugs for the starter would be all that was required- then got the "No Key Detected" message. I have reconnected all the gear and it still says No Key Detected. Do you have any other tips to get the key to sync with the computer? I had the doors off and even put those back on to see that the remote still works and the car locks and unlocks....
Thanks a lot for your help guys.
All of the gear? Can you double check? I ran into that same problem which was what I had originally faced when writing this thread.
On the bottom of the cupholder, there's a black plastic thing on the bottom of it that is responsible for detecting your keyfob. I think the reason that's on the bottom of the cupholder, is that if your keyfob battery goes dead, you take the rubber liner off the cupholder bottom, put your keyfob in that now revealed cubbyhole, and the car should start. I, as well as the others here, popped that off and mount it in different and better secured areas, but can do away with the rest of the console, but yeah, you definitely do need to make sure that it is connected up. Power-wise it's it's on the same harness with the USB and Cig lighter.
 
All of the gear? Can you double check? I ran into that same problem which was what I had originally faced when writing this thread.
On the bottom of the cupholder, there's a black plastic thing on the bottom of it that is responsible for detecting your keyfob. I think the reason that's on the bottom of the cupholder, is that if your keyfob battery goes dead, you take the rubber liner off the cupholder bottom, put your keyfob in that now revealed cubbyhole, and the car should start. I, as well as the others here, popped that off and mount it in different and better secured areas, but can do away with the rest of the console, but yeah, you definitely do need to make sure that it is connected up. Power-wise it's it's on the same harness with the USB and Cig lighter.
Thanks for that. I did double check and tried again car went absolutely dead thinking I shorted something. I disconnected the battery then reconnected and then it turned over! So all good.
With the factory harness can you disconnect the monitor screen- the cd player- only leave the "start bottom" hooked up plus only the key fob detector connected and the car will start? Thanks again.
 

PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
725
1,081
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
San Diego
Thanks for that. I did double check and tried again car went absolutely dead thinking I shorted something. I disconnected the battery then reconnected and then it turned over! So all good.
With the factory harness can you disconnect the monitor screen- the cd player- only leave the "start bottom" hooked up plus only the key fob detector connected and the car will start? Thanks again.
Just now tested it on my base 2018 GT that it starts with only the power to the lower half. The bottom two of that panel are for the USB and the Cig Lighter, with I believe the smaller of the two (when plugged in properly, it'd be the one on the driver side) controlling the Phone and Radio functions, while the other controls/powers the start, trac control and A/C functions.
img_20200414_180612.jpg
Just verified that it still works and starts without the screen, stereo, and CD player, which the 2019+ do not have.
 
Thanks for checking that and if you need any info/ help on Fords in Aus let me know.
Just now tested it on my base 2018 GT that it starts with only the power to the lower half. The bottom two of that panel are for the USB and the Cig Lighter, with I believe the smaller of the two (when plugged in properly, it'd be the one on the driver side) controlling the Phone and Radio functions, while the other controls/powers the start, trac control and A/C functions.
View attachment 14818
Just verified that it still works and starts without the screen, stereo, and CD player, which the 2019+ do not have.
 

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