different forum member!

I brought a second hand Brava a few weeks ago and the problems have already started with the ECU. My friend has taken it back and when the diagnostics machine was plugged in, it said that we needed 2 blue keys to be reprogrammed (we were only reprogramming one). So, she spoke to fiat, got another key sent through, took it to a local key cutter and went to reprogram the key. Key's not working.

It's now booked into fiat for the key to be looked at (nightmare) but my questions are:

Can we disconnect the immobiliser once and for all - it's a P reg so I'm not worried about it being immobilised.

Is there a chance that the key cutter messed up the key?

Is there a chance that Fiat sent a faulty key? Ie has anyone else had a faulty one sent to them?

Really at the end of my tether with this car - please help restore my faith in Fiat.

Thanks guys!! :slayer:

No you cannot disconnect the immobiliser. The stickey "Keys Question" in this forum will answer all your question and how to programme the keys. The fiat keys should have a valid code in it then only it will programme. What about the other blue key, is it working?

I'm not taking it to Fiat - the dealer who sold it to me is.

They know how to reprogram the key but unfortunately the key won't take the programming. Makes me think the ECU is completely buggered!

i'd be interested to know where the code they are attempting to write has come from. you cant take a key to a locksmith and expect them to magically create a code. if you gave them a key with a code they could copy and then write to the new key. you dont want them to copy the codce from one of your existing keys because the ecu will see both keys as the same one, meaning reprogramming would still fail (code light remains illuminated during programming). you need a different code from another fiat key, which needs to be copied onto your new key. then you will have 3 keys with 3 different codes, thats vital to reprogramming.

it is always possible that a key will be faulty when produced, even the strictest quality control will let a few duds through. fiat "should" be willing to offer a replacement, especially if yours is still uncut. then again they may argue that only a fiat dealer can write to a fiat key, its lies, but i've heard them say it before. then they'll offer to do it for you at a price of £60. at that point you are well within your rights to swear.

jug said:

(code light remains illuminated during programming).

Click to expand...

My code light didnt remain on while programming. It may differ from ecu to ecu.

Insert Red key turn on the ingnition - code light goes off
Insert Blue key as fast as possible (1 sec) turn on ignition - code light goes off

Insert second blue key as fast as possible turn on ignition - code light goes off
Insert red key - code light goes off

start the car with blue keys

I have experienced that the process has to be really quick. It will take few attempts to programme it. But its possible provided that the blue keys have valid different codes.

Fully agree with Jug, fiat doesnt have full knowledge how the keys programming work, at least the dealer here in Cardiff and Newport.

I'd rather pay £60 for Fiat to completely reprogram the keys than loose my money on the car altogether!

neoseal said:

My code light didnt remain on while programming. It may differ from ecu to ecu.

Click to expand...

no what i mean is it stays on if you do something wrong (dont have unique codes on your keys). lol

So, from your experience do you think keys will need an overhaul reprogram from Fiat?

I'm hoping and praying that's what it is!!!

Strange that the new key won't accept the program procedure - apparently the person I brought it off has £8000 worth of diagnostics equipment so you'd think it would bring it up - it's just not accepting the codes. They've tried another blue key too apparently.....

'good' diagnostics equipment should be able to read the key codes stored in the ecu. you could compare these to the codes on your keys. the whole point of programming is to make sure the codes on your keys match the codes on your ecu.

I don't think that's the problem - I think the problem is getting the new key (or a new key period) to read the code. The older 2nd key is readiing it fine - very odd wouldn't you say?

how did you code the new key? the ecu will only be able to program a new key if its code is valid. where did the new code come from? i assume you stole a code from another fiat's key (such as another bravo, brava, marea, punto mk1, cinquecento key) and then copied that onto your new key?

No, I believe that the dealer is trying to reprogram the new key and the old blue key with the original code on the red key. The diagnostics eqiupment said that they were trying to reprogram only one blue key hence them buying a second 'blank' key. Now when they try to reprogram, the 2nd blue key won't accept it.....

So does the code sometimes go on the red key then and need to be reprogrammed by Fiat?

LOL , sorry I missed the word "fail" and took it the other way!!!

I read the whole thread again and now I think I am more confused.
If one blue key which came with the car is working, just clone that blue key. Why bother to programme another key. You have also not mentioned what kind of sytptoms the ecu problem gave.

Does the new blue fiat key turn in the ignition barrel but not start the car or it doesnt turn in the ignition at all?

I know the new fiat key opens the door but not sure if it turns over the engine.

I'm not actually doing the fiddling (based miles away) so can't give exact descriptions!

They are trying to turn the new blue into a slave for the red, but the new blue key will not accept the programming......but the old blue key does. Perhaps it is a faulty new key from fiat, but I'm just curious to know if this has happened to anyone before and it's turned out to be a certain problem (ie the ECU is buggered)

this is getting a bit confusing, can we just clarify the original situation-

option 1. the car wont start with the red key, you probably have a big problem, ecu failure.

option 2. if it will start with the red key but not the old blue key then the ecu could have lost the blue key codes (happens rarely when battery is disconnected or a main fuse pops) that happened to my first bravo.

option 3. if the car starts with the red key and the old blue key then you dont need to worry about anything and just get the blue key copied at timpsons for £20 so you have a spare.

which option are you? i made the assumption that you were option 2 but im starting to think maybe you are option 1 now? if you are option 3 i cant think why you would have taken the car back in the first place so i doubt thats your situation.

you did say "They are trying to turn the new blue key into a slave for the red, but the new blue key will not accept the programming"
the first thing i would wonder is where is the slave code coming from? then cant just magic it out of thin air and they cant take it from another of your keys coz that wouldnt be a slave, that would make a clone instead.

The car won't start with any key when its dead! Only way to get it going is to disconnect the battery then reprogram the red and blue key and away it goes - works for a while and then dies again. We were only programming 1 blue key (as the other one has disappared) and the diagnostics machine said to get another key. We do that and the machine won't program it...

When it 'dies' the code key keeps coming up, you turn it off and it won't start again.

Typically it's still running now and hasn't broken down again but the key code is up.

I'm trying to find out exactly what the diagnostics machine error code said. The machine in question is not an official Fiat machine.

Sorry, option 1.....

Right, now as jug said, the new fiat key is is always blank, it doesnt have the code in it. You have to feed in the valid code into the blue key. Both blue keys should have different code. The only problem I can figure out is that the fiat blue key doesnt have a code in it or it has the same code as the other blue key. So it is not programming. See if fiat can encode their key and programme it into the ecu. I would not suggest to shell ££££ for simple job. You can get hold of any other fiat brava/bravo/marea similar blue key from friends/family/scrapyard, go to timpson and get that code transferred to your fiat blue key and programme it into the ecu as per the procedure described in the sticky.

sorry i was writing my reply when you posted the recent ones