When I bought my Octavia last weekend the dealer only gave me one key. I just phoned him back to ask if he had the spare but he didn't.

When I went to get the key copied at lunchtime today in Swindon town centre, the key cutting man said he couldn't do it and I would have to pay Skoda about

Yup, fraid so.

Hi from another Swindon owner btw :wavey:

I thought you could be looking at nearly

You will have details of the previous owner on the V5 once you get it anyway. You need a key which has the imobilser transponder in it and thats why you cant just get them cut and your dealer will need to program the ECU to accept the new key.

I thought you could be looking at nearly

......I think there is a legal obligaion for a dealer to supply 2 sets of keys for a car.....

Can't beleive that - if they wrote "sold as seen" on the contract, I'm sure they could sell it with three wheels if they wanted!!

Can't beleive that - if they wrote "sold as seen" on the contract, I'm sure they could sell it with three wheels if they wanted!!

fair point - but you don't expact to and I certianly wouldn't sign that from a dealer.....

Thanks for your swift replies, chaps.

Possibly

I posted a litle while ago about a guy advertising on Fleebay who can cut you a key from a digital image. It was quite cheap too. The key fobs often come up and I believe you can code it with VAG-COM.

If I find the link I'll post it.

After speaking to Fish Brothers, Swindon, the total cost for a basic spare key is

Here we go mate

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/showthread.php?t=31171&highlight=key+digital

fair point - but you don't expact to and I certianly wouldn't sign that from a dealer.....

Me neither - in fact I recently spent a long time getting a key from a dealer who had told me there were 2 keys with a Jeep. When I picked it up, there was only the one.

The don't call them stealers for nothing

Thanks for the links VRStu. It looks to me like the guy could make me a key, but it wouldn't be able to start the engine without the immobliser chip?

Thanks for the links VRStu. It looks to me like the guy could make me a key, but it wouldn't be able to start the engine without the immobliser chip?

As I said the fobs often come up on ebay, I can put you in touch with a guy I use for cheaper parts or you could get one from your dealer. I think the programing can be done with VAG-COM and many members here have it so I'm sure someone can help.

ive just had a key cut for my '02 octy, without the flippy thing though and that cost me

mattstimpson - that's basically what I'm looking at -

Almost there mate!!

The key fobs are generic VAG parts so VW, AUDI, SEAT or Skoda will do AFAIK.

VAG-COM is software with functions similar to that used by the dealers. As I said many users here have it and would no doubt help you out.

Fobs

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9889&item=4561832970&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9889&item=4561835824&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9889&item=4562528135&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10372&item=4562032533&rd=1

I'm not saying all of these are the correct ones but you get the idea.

Don't be tempted to buy the info though

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10372&item=4562728881&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72191&item=6547280241&rd=1

I'd be concerned that someone has a spare key to my car.

I heard a story of guys who bought a van, they woke up one night to the sellers robbing the van with a spare key.

I would have expected the dealer to foot the bill for the key. You wouldn't accept a car with something missing so why should you accept that one key is missing.

Gaff - I'm not too worried about the missing spare key thing. I didn't change the locks when we moved house either... far more likely are people breaking the car windows to nick things inside.

The cd changer was missing too. I didn't expect the dealer to foot the bill for that either. Maybe if it was a Skoda dealer... but then the price probably would have been higher than

Ages - usually at least 2 years, often more.

Otherwise, are you happy with your car, MC? I noticed only 5 days ago you were asking about options etc. so you must have made your mind up pretty quick!

The standard CD changers may come up for sale every now and again - people often swap them out for aftermarket units, and the standard one isn't compatible with many HUs.

I imagine even the basic key will have remote locking - it will just be the fixed head key as opposed to the flip one (could be wrong though)

Yes, v happy with the car ncarring. I'd actually made my mind up about a year ago. My friend has 2 Octavia TDi's and I already have a Golf TDi so it was a bit of a natural progression, especially now I have a family. The questions were just to confirm my decision was the right one! I wanted to be able to justify in my mind why I wanted to pay the extra for the Elegance model, and the small extra for the estate version :-)

Actually 2 years doesn't seem *that* long for the remote battery. And I've no idea how old mine is already. How does fitting a new battery work? Not another way for Skoda dealers to take more money off you!?

No - there are ways to fit new batteries in the keys. Basically you prise them apart in the right places.

2 years would be a minimum - I've never had to replace a battery yet.

(oh and me name's Nick :P )

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v

Thanks Nick. Just in case the batteries do go in the remote - is there any info out there about how to replace the key battery (I didn't notice anything in the manual)? Or is it a question of fiddling around with a flat headed screwdriver?

I'm going to get an mp3 head unit. Much more convenient (I think) than a CD changer, especially with my (growing) mp3 collection!

Depends which key - Mike (KLB) posted some info for the flip key which is on his website, or there's an article here. The fixed-head key is easier - you just poke it and the top pulls off, then splits in two.

Ok, I give up, can you point me to Mike (KLB)'s website?

Thanks in advance :-)