Technical Remote key question

Wheelnut3104 · Mar 4, 2017

Hi. Newbie question!
I have just collected a 2011 500 1.2 Lounge for my daughter. It was a cat D, but fully repaired and is a super little car - just like new.
The previous keeper only had the manual (non remote) key.
There does not appear to be a plastic card with the key code on it, the radio code is there and lots of other documentation, but no key card.

Having looked at the forum, there seem to be all sorts of prices around £150 to get it coded. Is this possible without the key code or is there another way of doing it - Timpsons & eBay etc?

Thanks in advance.

John202020 · Mar 4, 2017

If you want a fully working 3 button remote double your price approx.

jrkitching · Mar 4, 2017

Hello and welcome to the forum :wave:

Wheelnut3104 said:
There does not appear to be a plastic card with the key code on it, the radio code is there and lots of other documentation, but no key card.

Key code cards are not issued to first purchasers of UK cars at the request of the insurance industry.

You can get the code from any franchised dealer on presentation of valid ownership documents. The charge for this should be about £25.

As far as I am aware, you will have to go to a main dealer if you want a remote second key (as would have been supplied with the car). As previously stated, budget £250-£300 including the cost of obtaining the code, which will be needed for this.

You can probably get a second non-remote key from a third party for somewhere in the region of £65-£75. I don't think you'll need the code for this service, but check with the provider first.

ArthurM · Mar 4, 2017

Hi all A bog standard key(Not a remote) quoted £250 from Fiat and about the same from the AA. When contacted Timpsons and said it was needed for a Fiat they did not want to know. The remote key would probably be double that figure. You could try mobile key engineers. Another option would be your household insurance company or possibly your car insurer. ????loss of no claims? Have a look on the forum, there are plenty of answers.

jrkitching · Mar 4, 2017

ArthurM said:
Another option would be your household insurance company or possibly your car insurer

The OP says this was a recently purchased repaired Cat D car, bought with only one key.

No insurance policy in the world is going to cover replacement in this case.

Wheelnut3104 · Mar 4, 2017

Thanks for the comment. Certainly not worth paying hundreds of pound for - may look to fit a decent remote alarm and link that in.
I would still like to get a spare key cut and coded though. Will Timpsons do that?

John202020 · Mar 5, 2017

could try these people but give them a ring first
https://www.replacemykey.com/

jrkitching · Mar 5, 2017

John202020 said:
could try these people but give them a ring first
https://www.replacemykey.com/

Interesting link; they appear to use a large number of different local companies to provide the service. If you follow through the various menu options, the cheapest quote I could find for a remote key comes in an around £200 and you will still need the code, though they claim to be able to get that for another £24. Even for a non-remote, the lowest price I could get down to was over £100.

This chap has helped others in the past and generally seems to get good feedback but it depends how close you are to Essex?

portland_bill · Mar 5, 2017

Try an earlier owner!

It had a bump. It was recovered, declared a write off, sold on, repaired, sold to a new owner. All with the key that was in it at the time of the bump. Meanwhile the owner, at the time of the bump, likely has the other key, and has no incentive to try to pass it on. It is possibly in a kitchen drawer.

The registration document shows some former keepers. Try to find them and ask. Worst case scenario is where you already are.

John202020 · Mar 5, 2017

portland_bill said:
Try an earlier owner!

It had a bump. It was recovered, declared a write off, sold on, repaired, sold to a new owner. All with the key that was in it at the time of the bump. Meanwhile the owner, at the time of the bump, likely has the other key, and has no incentive to try to pass it on. It is possibly in a kitchen drawer.

The registration document shows some former keepers. Try to find them and ask. Worst case scenario is where you already are.

Same here, bought a car from a dealer used the V5 info to contact the previous owner, sent a SAE, week later spare key

ArthurM · Mar 5, 2017

Hi JR. You are quite correct. For some reason I thought they had lost their key. Getting old now, it comes to us all?? I got a second coded key from a company in Telford for £70.I had to take the car to them.It's a case of looking round.

typecastboy · Mar 5, 2017

I have looked into this before. I have seen keys on eBay which then have to be coded. I believe multiECUScan can do it

jrkitching · Mar 5, 2017

typecastboy said:
I believe multiECUScan can do it

Not unless things have changed recently. Yani (author of MES) has posted elsewhere that it does not support key programming, for security and potential liability issues.

The body computer needs to be reprogrammed to accept any new keys, hence the aftermarket replacement key providers need physical access to the car to do it. Be careful who you allow to do this; if it's done incorrectly you could end up deleting the existing key or even bricking the body computer; either of these events will likely result in you needing to have the car recovered to a main dealer for reprogramming and possible body computer replacement. That would make £300 for a replacement key look cheap.

Fiat key programming is non-trivial, which is why some aftermarket key providers won't touch it.

typecastboy · Mar 5, 2017

jrkitching said:
Not unless things have changed recently. Yani (author of MES) has posted elsewhere that it does not support key programming, for security and potential liability issues.

The body computer needs to be reprogrammed to accept any new keys, hence the aftermarket replacement key providers need physical access to the car to do it. Be careful who you allow to do this; if it's done incorrectly you could end up deleting the existing key or even bricking the body computer; either of these events will likely result in you needing to have the car recovered to a main dealer for reprogramming and possible body computer replacement. That would make £300 for a replacement key look cheap.

Fiat key programming is non-trivial, which is why some aftermarket key providers won't touch it.

Could have sworn I saw it in one of the menus under Body in MES

portland_bill · Mar 5, 2017

typecastboy said:
Could have sworn I saw it in one of the menus under Body in MES

Could be just the remote, not the immobiliser. These are very separate systems.

Immobiliser has to be difficult to achieve security, otherwise no point to it.
Remote can be programmed to the car with less security, I think I've seen a sequence somewhere, but key needs to be in ignition, so that immobiliser accepts key, then it will also accept its remote.

minirib · Mar 6, 2017

You don't say where abouts you are. But a remote key can be programmed without going through the dealers. At a significantly lower cost than the dealers if you have the equipment and knowledge to do so.
If you let us know where you are based then maybe one of us can point you in the direction of someone that can do it for you.

MN500 · Mar 6, 2017

John202020 said:
Same here, bought a car from a dealer used the V5 info to contact the previous owner, sent a SAE, week later spare key

I'd use a freind's address though. Otherwise somebody knows your address where your car is likely kept and has the key to your car.

jrkitching · Mar 7, 2017

If you can't stomach the thought of shelling out hundreds for a replacement key, at least consider spending a few pounds on getting a replacement key blank cut. It won't disable the immobiliser and you won't be able to start the car with it, but it will open the door if you somehow contrive to lock the existing key in the car.

Wheelnut3104 · Mar 7, 2017

minirib said:
You don't say where abouts you are. But a remote key can be programmed without going through the dealers. At a significantly lower cost than the dealers if you have the equipment and knowledge to do so.
If you let us know where you are based then maybe one of us can point you in the direction of someone that can do it for you.

I am near Market Harborough, on the Leics/Northants border.

Mick F · Mar 7, 2017

jrkitching said:
If you can't stomach the thought of shelling out hundreds for a replacement key, at least consider spending a few pounds on getting a replacement key blank cut. It won't disable the immobiliser and you won't be able to start the car with it, but it will open the door if you somehow contrive to lock the existing key in the car.

I drive the local community bus. Fiat Ducato Dualogic.

There are about fifteen of us drivers, and we all have a blank key to get in. The key opens the central locking but won't start the bus. We all have blanks because it costs an actual fortune to get us all proper keys. The "Head Driver" has a proper one, and also the chairman of the committee, and a third one is hidden inside the bus .......... where only we drivers know ............... so when it's our turn to drive, we open up with our blank key, get the proper key, then do the route.

After our duty is complete, we stow the proper key away and then lock up with our blank key, ready for the next driver to do his bit.

Regards,
Mick.

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