Stolen but Recovered

[JADFPE]

Long story.
Short version - My baby (39,000 mikes on her) was driven by someone else. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img]Thief broke into my company car earlier last week and got a set of my keys to the Excursion. I was unaware. Saturday night, theif came calling. Noticed the Excursion gone on Sunday morning. Filed police report. I went looking around. Found my Excursion at 10:00 P.M. being driven. It passed me! I was pissed. Followed theif to an apartment complex. Called 911. They got vehicle. Theif was not around. Still on the loose and no leads. I thought the police would have staked out the area. Oh well!

The Excursion looks fine. No obvious damage. The theif has both keys. I had the Excursion towed to a safe spot for the night and a than to a Ford dealer in the morning. I want new lock cylinders (or the tumblers changed) for all four locks and the new keys reprogrammed for the PATS system. I also want new FOBs programmed to match a new code. State Farm says they will only pay to cut identical keys and reprogram. They do not care the theif still has keys to get in the Excursion, only that he can not steal it. What? Corporate policy.

Okay - I will handle that latter. What is involved in changing the tubulars. The dealer said 2 hours per lock cylinder and between $50 and $75 per lock cylinder. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
John [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[fxdwg]

I'd look into buying an entirely new lockset for her. The door locks are replaced by pulling off the interior door panels (no real big deal), unhooking what ever rod that connects to the lock cylinder, and removing the retainer (usually a flat spring steel "C" shaped thing). The lock cylinder will fall (push) out of the door. Reverse the process to install the new ones. The ignition switch is a little more involved, but not too bad. Remove the trim around the steering column, usually has screws from the underside. The lock/cylinder will be staring you in the face. There's usually a screw/bolt or a drift pin that holds the cylinder in. Often you have to twist the assembly to then remove it from the column. Reverse the steps to install the new one. The FOBs are no big deal, the owner's manual will tell you how to program them and delete the old ones. The PATS system needs a computer reprogram to make it work. That's probably the ONLY reason I'd let the dealer do the ignition cylinder. Then they can reprogram the PATS at that time and all you do is drive off with a clean vehicle. Though, you may be able to get the ins to buy new/program new and then you buy new ones to then program over the old ones. You can read the "How many PATS keys can we have" posting that's going on a few lines down. It will give you some more info.

[AllAboutJeeps]

You might consider just doing away with the lock cylinders in the front doors. You can replace the front door handles with a new set from the back doors. The lock cylinders are a poor attempt at keeping people out of these trucks. Then you may just consider having the dealer change the rear window lock (for dead battery/dead fob emergency) and ignition keys. They could redo your pats stuff as well. I think this is the route I would go.

...danny

[Bruce1954]

Or you could get a new 05 they only have 3 locks on the entire truck to keep up with! I about Sh t when I went to open the pass side door with a key [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]

Just kidding [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img]

[MotionMan]

I would leave the truck at work again, in the open. Hide either inside the truck or close by so when the theif comes you can hit him in the back of the head with a bat, then take the keys off his dead carcas [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I would never rest knowing he has keys to so much, not just the autos. I would trap him then you have closure. Beat him senseless saying "he ran right out in front of the truck as I was trying to get away form him, I must have surprised him" [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[clamgulch]

[ QUOTE ]
You might consider just doing away with the lock cylinders in the front doors. You can replace the front door handles with a new set from the back doors. The lock cylinders are a poor attempt at keeping people out of these trucks. Then you may just consider having the dealer change the rear window lock (for dead battery/dead fob emergency) and ignition keys. They could redo your pats stuff as well. I think this is the route I would go.

...danny

[/ QUOTE ]

Brilliant! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img] I might just do that to mine while I have everything torn apart.

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If my keys were on the loose, I'd be spending my lunch money on the best alarm I could get and another box of 3" 12 gauge rifled slugs. Rottwiel is my personal favorite. http://www.dnrws.com/rottweil.html

What disturbs me about your whole ordeal is that this thief ripped you off TWICE, and the cops aren't even interested in playing catch and release. Your rig should have been dusted for prints. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[JADFPE]

[ QUOTE ]
What disturbs me about your whole ordeal is that this thief ripped you off TWICE, and the cops aren't even interested in playing catch and release. Your rig should have been dusted for prints. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

They dusted for prints. They said they found no prints to which I said not even mine, my wifes or my kids prints. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]Auto theft must not be a high priority in my area. There is to much of it I guess.

John [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]