Having a working remote key fob for your 1996 Lincoln Town Car adds a layer of convenience to your daily driving. If your remote has stopped working, or you’ve replaced the battery and need to reprogram it, you might think a trip to the dealership is necessary. However, programming your key fob can often be done right at home using a simple procedure and your vehicle’s keypad. This guide will walk you through the steps to reprogram your 1996 Lincoln Town Car remote quickly and easily.
Step-by-Step Guide to Program Your Remote
The programming process for the 1996 Lincoln Town Car is straightforward and utilizes the keyless entry keypad located on the driver’s side door. Before you begin, ensure you have your 5-digit permanent entry code. This code is crucial for initiating the programming sequence.
Prerequisites: Locate Your 5-Digit Permanent Code
You’ll need your Lincoln’s unique 5-digit permanent code. This code is typically found in a few possible locations:
- Owner’s Manual Package: Check for a keyless entry code card that came with your owner’s manual.
- Trunk Label: Look for a computer-printed label inside the trunk, often on the right side lift-support arm.
- Keyless Entry Control Module: The code may be on the keyless locking control module itself, located inside the driver’s door. The part number for this module is F6AB-13C791-AA, which might help you locate it if needed.
Once you have located your 5-digit code, you are ready to begin the programming process.
Programming Steps:
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Enter the Permanent Code: Using the keyless entry pad on the driver’s door, carefully enter your 5-digit permanent code.
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Initiate Programming Mode: After entering the code, press the “1-2” button on the keypad. If successful, the door locks will cycle, locking and then unlocking. This lock cycling indicates that your Lincoln Town Car has entered the remote programming mode and is ready to learn the signal from your key fob.
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Program the First Remote: Within 7 seconds of the door locks cycling, press any button on the remote key fob you wish to program. If the programming is successful for this remote, the door locks will cycle again (lock/unlock), confirming the remote has been recognized. If the locks do not cycle, ensure your remote has a good battery (CR1616, installed with the ‘+’ side facing down against the plastic) and repeat this step.
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Program Additional Remotes (Optional): If you have another remote to program, you can do so immediately. Within 7 seconds of the last successful lock cycle, press any button on the second remote. Again, the door locks should cycle to confirm successful programming. You can repeat this step for up to a total of 4 remotes per vehicle.
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Exit Programming Mode: To finalize the programming and exit the mode, simultaneously press the “7-8” and “9-0” buttons on the keypad. Alternatively, if you do nothing for more than 7 seconds after the last programming step, the system will automatically exit the programming mode.
After completing these steps, test each of your programmed remotes to ensure they are working correctly with your 1996 Lincoln Town Car.
Troubleshooting
If you encounter issues during the programming process, consider the following:
- Battery Condition: Ensure the batteries in your remote key fobs are fresh and correctly installed (CR1616, ‘+’ side down). Weak batteries are a common cause of programming failure.
- Timing: The 7-second window between steps is crucial. If you exceed this time, the system may exit programming mode, and you’ll need to start over.
- Correct Code: Double-check that you are using the correct 5-digit permanent code for your vehicle.
- Module Issues: While less common, if you consistently fail to program remotes and have verified all other steps, there might be an issue with the keyless entry control module itself. As mentioned in the original forum post, replacing this module could be a potential (though possibly costly) solution if all else fails. However, for most users, following these programming steps will successfully resolve remote key fob issues for their 1996 Lincoln Town Car.
