Replacement car key

[Ian J]

I had call out yesterday from my wife who couldn't get her Renault Megane Coupe started outside the school.

It would seem that it was the key that was faulty as it would neither operate the central locking nor switch off the immobiliser but she used my key and off she went.

I assumed that it was the battery but I took her key to the local Renault dealer who told me that it was the key itself that was faulty and needed to be replaced at a cost of £135.

I asked why the key had suddenly failed and was told that they didn't last for ever which surprised me as there didn't seem to be any working parts. I am not particularly technical and wasn't aware that silicon chips wear out so you learn something new every day.

It would seem sensible to get both keys renewed at the same time and whilst I'm at it I may as well get the pair of keys for my car renewed too in case the chip's are wearing out in them too. What a joke

[Decadence]

They charge that amount because they can! But keys wear out as the metal is worn away...car security systems are coded to the individual keys...

[lynx]

It won't have 'worn out' as such,the embedded chip will have failed.This could be for a variety of reasonse.g. water ingress,static charge etc. Do you have the original key details,code number etc? P.M me later if you wish.

[eviljohn2]

As above, integrated circuits (ICs or silicone chips) are fairly resilient these days - even the CMOS modules inside computers are happy to take quite a static beating. A faulty switch could easily fail though or the various reasons that lynx mentions.

I dread to think the kind of battering that car keys get in peoples pockes and bags!

[Ian J]

I may have inadvertantly stumbled on an even more expensive solution as my wife has now decided that she would rather have a Mitsubishi FTO instead

[lynx]

Maybe a domestic trade-in is looming?

[eviljohn2]

Originally Posted by Ian J

I may have inadvertantly stumbled on an even more expensive solution as my wife has now decided that she would rather have a Mitsubishi FTO instead

Could you just speak to a Mitsubishi dealer and arrange to buy her the key rather than the whole lot?

[Ian J]

I should have learned my lesson by now and it's my fault for showing her a picture of the FTO

[Mac Man]

I remember a clause in a vehicle leasing contract which said that a replacement 'red key' for an Alfa Romeo was £2K.

Other manufacturers prices for keys were in the several hundred pound level.

Scandalous really.

[lmccauley]

Originally Posted by Ian J

I should have learned my lesson by now and it's my fault for showing her a picture of the FTO

Group 18 import - that'll be cheap to insure her on then

Cheers,
Liam

[spl23]

Originally Posted by Chris Lamle

I remember a clause in a vehicle leasing contract which said that a replacement 'red key' for an Alfa Romeo was £2K.

Other manufacturers prices for keys were in the several hundred pound level.

Scandalous really.

I have heard (whether true or not I don't know) that the reason for that is that the immobiliser tends to be built directly into the engine management computer nowadays. If you lose the master key, they therefore have to replace the entire engine management system (and the keys), which isn't a cheap job.

Or at least, that's what I was told by a Mazda dealer when I asked a few years back.

On the original topic of the thread, I don't think the transponders in the keys wear out over time - they may well fail due to water damage, ESD, vibration etc, but they certainly don't "wear out", as such, and I really wouldn't replace all your keys as a preventative measure. There's no guarantee the replacement keys wouldn't die in the first week of ownership for the same reason!

[Decadence]

www.japaneseauctions.co.uk should save you a few quid over buying one already in the UK, compensating for the extra insurance costs...

[Kramer]

FTO.....nice enough run about. Not ideally suited to the taller driver though .

I hate their semi-automatic gearbox though which seems to be fitted to most FTOs.

You wouldn't need to spend £135 for a key to start a car where I live .

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by lmccauley

Group 18 import - that'll be cheap to insure her on then

It shouldn't be more than £300-£350 per year as that's about what I paid in the past for imported Preludes and Soarers and it's fully tax deductable anyway as a company partner. When you look at it that way the insurance premium is only the price of a couple of keys

The driver's height issue shouldn't be a problem for someone who can't even muster 4'11"

[mattym]

the immboliser function is programmable, the red key is simply the first key that was programmed to the system, the key is remembered by the car, dealerships simply reprogram the car to take new keys, or re-introduce the key to the car, its higly unlikely to have failed, more likely its just 'forgot'

I will see if i can find the reprogramming instruction for that key if you like Ian, and forward them to you via PM

[Ian J]

Thanks Matt

[lmccauley]

Originally Posted by Ian J

It shouldn't be more than £300-£350 per year as that's about what I paid in the past for imported Preludes and Soarers and it's fully tax deductable anyway as a company partner. When you look at it that way the insurance premium is only the price of a couple of keys

The driver's height issue shouldn't be a problem for someone who can't even muster 4'11"

Insurance must be cheap in your part of the world. Better make sure she doesn't rack up any speeding points...

I've always liked the looks of the FTO. There used to be a couple of them in the carpark at work. Now it's overrun with Audi TTs and A3s.

Cheers,
Liam

[richjthorpe]

Sorry to jump in this Ian, but my wife went to a key cutting place for another set of keys for our P reg Golf. He said that we'd have to go to VW for a replacement key because the keys have chips in them.

Is there anywhere else I can get keys for my car ? Seems strange there is an immobiliser in the kay as there is the standard Golf immobiliser in there too !

Richie.

[eviljohn2]

It's not necessarily an immobilising chip per se, but just an RF transceiver to remotely lock/unlock the vehicle.

[lynx]

The Golf key appears to have nothing to do with the immobiliser which requires to be programed using diagnostic equipment.

[lynx]

Originally Posted by mattym

I will see if i can find the reprogramming instruction for that key if you like Ian, and forward them to you via PM

According to Autodata there are 5 types of key and quote 'keys with 5 numbered key head do not require reprograming'. Don't know if that helps or confuses.

[richjthorpe]

Originally Posted by lynx

The Golf key appears to have nothing to do with the immobiliser which requires to be programed using diagnostic equipment.

So why do I need to get an expensive keyfob then ? We use the locks to open the car, it's not done remotely. The button on the keyfob works the light that's in there.

[MonkeyDonkey]

I picked up my megane coupe key from renault today, key was £60 and coding the car was £30 and took 30mins, whilst sitting there I was almost certain they were making me wait so I wouldn't complain at a 2 minute job costing £30.

[Ian J]

Interesting - if we have the same car and I assume that you are referring to Renault in Tamworth I wonder why I was quoted £135 yet you only paid £90

[MonkeyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Ian J

Interesting - if we have the same car and I assume that you are referring to Renault in Tamworth I wonder why I was quoted £135 yet you only paid £90

I'm wondering myself, although £135 is the figure i've heard from others and what I expected, still can't say I was pleasantly suprised. Yes it was Sutton Park Renault in Tamworth.

Here's a break down of the cost with part numbers:

RF Plip Key Part No. R77 00 438 342 £41.98
Key blade R77 01 039 957 £7.70

Vat £8.68

Parts total £58.27

Coding was £31.96 Inc VAT