Lost Car Keys - Advice Please

[asitag]

Hey guys,

This is not related to my skyline, but the advice will probably be the same.

My wife has lost her keys to her '01 liberty (including spare key), and Subaru quoted $400+ for a replacement set.

Is there a way to get a locksmith to cut a new key set instead of spending such a ridiculous amount of cash to get a new set from the stealership?

We don't care about the immobiliser etc. Just need the stupid thing to start!

any advice?

[Nightcrawler]

How exactly do you think you are going to cut a key without a template, and start the car without the immobiliser fob/code?

You need the dealership to do it.

[IMPORTD]

no you don't need a dealership. Start with getting quotes from locksmiths. Thats thier profession. They know what they are doing.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5722036_replace-lost-car-keys.html

[IMPORTD]

Just on that advice given, people should really refrain from offering advice if they have no idea what they are talking about.

[Nightcrawler]

^^ yeah right - if you read tip 6 of the article you linked to, most vehicles cannot have a new immobiliser fobs made (you need a dealer to do this) .... so have a tow truck ready - yeah right. So suddenly the $400 from the dealership seems cheap. They can probably make a new key and immobiliser fob from the VIN number of the vehicle, courier it to the OP and they are away.

And Kylie have you ever had the exact thing the OP is describing happen to you? Well I HAVE - so it seems you are the idiot giving out bad advice based on an American article you found on the internet. Useful. Not.

And I take it from your long history of warnings that your outspokenness has seen you undone before. So how about you stop talking about things you know nothing of.

If the OP followed your advice there is every chance that they would have to pay for a locksmith callout, non-genuine key to be made, unsuccessful non-genuine fob to be made, tow truck to the dealer, then the actual cost of the new key and fob. As I said above, this makes $400 seem very cheap.

Just go genuine. Yes stealerships suck, but to get a genuine key and fob and have 100% satisfaction the first time round, you would be foolish to call out a locksmith.

[sonicii]

I agree with Nightcrawler. If you still had a working key, most good locksmiths can cut a new key and clone the immobiliser chip. But without a key or a chip, you are probably left with getting ripped of by the dealer.. assuming the liberty's have a chip in the key head..

Lucky it isn't a toyota.. some of them need to have the whole immobiliser system replaced if you don't have at least 1 working key on hand.

[IMPORTD]

err the op wasn't worried about the immobiliser for now, just a key, and if he calls around for pricing he most probably will save some coin but I guess that depends if he needs to tow his car or not.

The site offers advice and australian sites to visit. I didn't see anything to say it was American?

That statement about giving advice must have hit a nerve hey, but it was a general statement to anyone wanting to give advice. My advice was pretty clear, research your options. Don't just take someones 'word' for it.

You can hit below the belt and bring up private confidential information that shouldn't be aired on here....just shows how mature and professional you take your moderating position.

[Nightcrawler]

LOL I am not just a moderator.

And he said, and I quote "Just need the stupid thing to start" - the very definition of needing to deal with the immobiliser.

[Vimana]

This car still has a transponder style immobiliser and will need a genuine key to start it. No locksmith can make a new key and code the transponder without the original. The best they will be able to do is unlock the door.

The reason it costs so much to do at the dealer is because the will need to fit a new body control module with matched key, not just code a new key.

I have a $15,000 scanner that can code most keys and do all OBDII stuff, but i cant code a new key unless i have the old.

Nightcrawler is correct in what he has said.

PS.... this is what i do for a living.

[Chris Rogers]

This car still has a transponder style immobiliser and will need a genuine key to start it. No locksmith can make a new key and code the transponder without the original. The best they will be able to do is unlock the door.

The reason it costs so much to do at the dealer is because the will need to fit a new body control module with matched key, not just code a new key.

I have a $15,000 scanner that can code most keys and do all OBDII stuff, but i cant code a new key unless i have the old.

Nightcrawler is correct in what he has said.

PS.... this is what i do for a living.

and I agree. same thing goes with most of the newer cars. unless you have the pin code OR a working key dealer is the only way to do it. doesnt matter if you think its expensive or not.

VIM,

carmen or hannotech?

[Alkatraz]

I would be guessing that the keys for most manufacturers would simply come out of China and then be programmed by the dealers. Any chance of finding a blank for that particular model, having it sent to you and then going to the dealer to program it? The blank would probably cost $2 but based on the amount of time you would spend f'ing around doing this, it might be easier paying the $400.

Have a look at your home and contents policy (provided you have one), there might be a clause in there that covers something like this. Then just weigh up the $400 vs. your excess and possible premium increase on renewal. Some car insurance's will also cover this, the excess on the car insurance is generally higher though but may be worth a phone call to find out.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Alkatraz

[Vimana]

and I agree. same thing goes with most of the newer cars. unless you have the pin code OR a working key dealer is the only way to do it. doesnt matter if you think its expensive or not.

VIM,

carmen or hannotech?

carmen.... i have the older one with the built in dual trace sillyscope and the newer touch screen blue one... sorry cant remember model names, but you get the idea. Also have all the european add ons.

[Chris Rogers]

Launch X431 here. same setup.

[sonicii]

The reason it costs so much to do at the dealer is because the will need to fit a new body control module with matched key, not just code a new key.

Is that true with subaru too? I am fairly sure a Nissan dealer can reprogram a new chip to NATS without needing an existing coded chip?? After all, when they enter the program mode, it erases all existing chips anyway.

[sonicii]

I would be guessing that the keys for most manufacturers would simply come out of China and then be programmed by the dealers. Any chance of finding a blank for that particular model, having it sent to you and then going to the dealer to program it? The blank would probably cost $2 but based on the amount of time you would spend f'ing around doing this, it might be easier paying the $400.

Normally the keys are supplied with an existing unique code burnt into the chip, the car's immobiliser needs to be programmed to accept this code.

I purchased a chipped key for my J31 from hong kong, $25 for the key (free postage), about $10 to get it cut and $33 for nissan to program NATS to accept it. (which also cleared the old lost key) much cheaper than the $250+ that Nissan wanted to charge to do the same thing.

[Chris Rogers]

suabru are a different matter - they use a different frequency here vs rest of world.

[sonicii]

I know Nissan uses different frequencies for the remotes here vs asia.. didn't know there was a difference with the immobiliser key too...

[Deep Dish V35]

id be trying to find a professional car theif. they seem to know how to bypass all that key and immobiliser nonsense.

/just adding humor

[GTR-N1]

Hey guys,

This is not related to my skyline, but the advice will probably be the same.

My wife has lost her keys to her '01 liberty (including spare key), and Subaru quoted $400+ for a replacement set.

Is there a way to get a locksmith to cut a new key set instead of spending such a ridiculous amount of cash to get a new set from the stealership?

We don't care about the immobiliser etc. Just need the stupid thing to start!

any advice?

Has wifie lost other things besides 2-3 keys? I suspect so!

Short term memory? Cognition issues? PM me if she needs to have that tested.

Otherwise, if she thinks hypnosis might help her find at least one, as an SAUer, I'm happy to do it for mates rates (if I have a gap).

Thoughts?

[asitag]

Thanks for the advice guys. gonna have to just bite the bullet and torch the car and blame on youths...