Hi all, some of you may have read my post on the trials of getting your key codes, if the remote function ceases to work and you don't have the codes to hand.

Well, I was playing around with the two blue keys (I do also have the red key, but that is immaterial ), and I noticed that the spare key, which I never use, had a very small glass capsule inside the fob (underneath the PCB) which in turn contained what looked to be some sort of copperwire-wound apparatus inside it. I couldn't see too much, because half of the tube was coated internally. The capsule is tubed and between 2-3mm wide by about 6mm in length.
However, the point is - when I used my spare key to start the car (it gained entry no problem) it wouldn't start it. The car turned over, but no start. So, I removed the tube and fitted it to my normal daily key (which didn't have said tube), and tried to start the car with THAT key. Again, the car wouldn't start!
It seems that the little glass tube prevents my car from starting, which ever key fob I fit it to. NOTE; both keys DO start my car when they DON'T have the glass tube fitted!

Does anyone have any info on this? What is it? Why does one of my keys have it and the other not? Does my red key have it? (I am loathe to take THAT key apart to find out!). There is probably a very simple explanation for this, but I haven't seen it on this forum!

its the transponder 'chip'.although in the cinq the immobiliser wont allow you to start without it.

custard boy said:

its the transponder 'chip'.although in the cinq the immobiliser wont allow you to start without it.

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Thanks for the quick reply, but I don't think it is. Both key fobs ALSO have a chip in each, which I assume is the transponder. This small capsule is in addition to the transponder chip. You are correct in saying that the keys wouldn't start the car if that chip was missing, so it must be something else.

In a Cinquecento or Seicento the red key contains nothing but the glass phial, so it's definitely immobiliser related.

You may find that putting the phial in the blue keys effectively gives the key 2 identities, one from the phial and one from the chip.

fixitagaintomorrow said:

In a Cinquecento or Seicento the red key contains nothing but the glass phial, so it's definitely immobiliser related. You may find that putting the phial in the blue keys effectively gives the key 2 identities, one from the phial and one from the chip.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, I wonder........

Just after my two blue keys stopped working, I DID bid and win some spare keys from Ebay, with the thought that I could replace the PCB's in my original keys, when they stopped working. I can't remember for sure, but I may also have 'added' the glass phial to one of my keys (the one where the red light STILL works).
I'll try to reprogramme the blue key with the overhead console again, and see what happens. I'm not holding my breath though.......

Thanks!