hi there i have a 2004 ford escape xls. i know if the key is turned a specific number of times in the ignition without turning the engine on it will either enable or disables some system. my question: is there a list of instructions of these codes? i think i accidently turned off my traction system and i dont remember how to undo this. i prefer not to go to a dealership.

 

The traction control shouldn't be any kind of configurable in something that old; it either worked, or it didn't. My bet is that it's not working properly.
And yes, depending on how many times you cycled the ignition, you might of heard it locking and unlocking the doors, because it went into programming mode (I think it's like 8 times, but could be wrong). There's also a gateway procedure for entering tire training, but this car didn't have that system.
Read the owner's manual for a complete listing of what you can and can't program. There's not a lot on this car from today's standards, but the autolock and autounlock stick out in my mind.