I have 1 key but it has been bent slightly and there is a hairline fatigue crack on one side... I am paranoid that it might just snap one day and leave me high and dry. 

 

So How can a person purchase a replacement key, is it a 'go to the dealer and spend lots of money' job, or can I just walk into a key cutters and have a replacement cut? is there a chip or something inside which has to be programmed? .. could I just install a start button on the dash instead?  

 

kind regards,

 Neil.

 

 

 

 

There is an immobiliser chip in the key, so a new one does need to be programmed to your immobiliser, Timpsons do offer a cut key and they can do the programming of the chip, other key places might offer the same service, so you don't need to go to the dealers

Weirdest thing happened today! 

 

I stopped in at a key cutters, they said they didn't do car keys but had a wee look anyway, he popped open the cover (the blade pops loose from the remote buttons) and explained a little about the transponder etc and mentioned buying a blank one online and bringing in. He suggested I could also try another key cutters in town who do deal in car keys.  

 

So the worker in the other place pulled out a catalogue and started furiously flicking through pages and saying he didn't think he could get that type of key and proceeded to write down the name of another key specialist- I stopped him suggesting "why can't you just cut me one of the plain blank keys without the remote buttons"? He started to get a little uptight saying something about invalidating insurance and going to a dealership.  I think he thought I was planning to do something funky with the transponder like glue it next to the ignition barrel or something.  So I said "what harm can having a plain blank key cut do?" I figured it might help me out of a jam if my other one snaps and it was not like I was asking him to clone the transponder or hack my imobiliser.  (I was reconing that the plain key might still start the car if the transponder key is on the same key ring). 

This is the weird bit; the  guy marches off mid sentence, whips a key off the board behind him and starts to run off a copy without even offering a price. I asked how much and he said he couldn't charge me because he is "not supposed to do this" . He handed me the key and refused to take any payment again and stressed it had no guarantee. 

Perplexed, I left with my free key feeling a little embarrassed but glad to at least have a hard copy of the blade if my original snaps. 

 

After returning home I noticed that there was a plastic removable part on the plain key so I teased it out and found space to insert a new transponder chip ... two minutes later I had the one from my original key in it and it works fine.   

 

So I am confused by the guy's behaviour ... am I losing my mind or was that really odd?  

 

Anyway, problem solved.

 

Edited 23 March, 20197 yr by Blueb4sunrise