FOB/Keys Question
 

2005 Ford Freestar with one FOB.

I'd like to add another key and FOB.

KEY: Is it a chipped system, or can I just get a copy?

FOB: Does this need to be programmed at a dealer? Or is it something I can do with a certain amount of voodoo, rain dance around the vehicle, and holding the ignition at just the right position?

1. Keys - they are chipped.
If you already have 2, you can program a third yourself. Buy an uncut key online from Amazon. Take to anyone with a key cutter to be physically cut. I took mine to Home Depot and they didn't even charge me anything. Then search online for the instructions to program it - as I said, you will need 2 already-programmed keys.

If you only have 1, buy the key online, then you have to take it to dealer or a locksmith who has the machine to program it properly as a second key.

BUT do not make the mistake I made of believing that stores like Walmart can now do the programming for chipped keys. All their machines do is clone the contents of your existing key. So they will run the care fine. But if you ever want to get a third key, you cannot program it yourself because you need 2 existing keys to do that - the procedure involves inserting 1 programmed key, removing it, and inserting a 2nd programmed key, so the system can verify you already have 2 programmed keys - and the Walmart clone is recognized as the same key since it is just a clone, not a true programmed 2nd key.

2. Remote fob - not 100% sure, but I think:
if you already have one, just buy another from Amazon, you can program it yourself, just search online for directions.
If you don't already have one, must be programmed by the dealer.

Or maybe you can even program a first one yourself, have not looked this up in a while.

When you order keys/fobs from Amazon the companies give you the directions, but you can also find the directions by googling.