Are Pcar keys made of platinum or sumptin?

RANT ON! When I bought my car last fall, I was told it had all both keys and all the books. When the car was delivered from 1,200 miles away, it did have all the books...even the original window sticker and the prior owners puchase sheet. But, there was only a single key. "Oh well," I thought, "part of the hazards of buying a car over the internet with faxes and wire transfers." Decided that rather than make a big deal of this, I'd just pick up a spare key the first time I went to the Pcar service. I mean $50 or $75 would buy a new key (fob, really) for the Vette, surely a Pcar key would be about the same or maybe a little more.... Never occurred to be that this would be a big deal. Well, the car developed the "Won't take gasoline through the filler tube" affliction. First trip to the local Pcar service. I asked the service writer about getting an additional key and she told me that I would have to order it through the Parts Dept and when it came in there would be a $60 fee for programming it to the car. First thought, "Rut-Roe, there might be a tactical error on my part here." So, while my car is having an initial check by the tech to see if this will be an easy fix, I wander around to the parts counter. I asked the guy behind the counter about replacing the spare key. He clacks on his computer, digs out a couple of books and then prints out a replacement key quote for me. According to his quote, it's $165 for the keyhead with the buttons, then another $145 for the blade and laser cutting. If you add the $26 local sales tax and the $60 programming fee, you are beer money under $400 for a single key. The he goes on to tell me that it'll take about 3 weeks +/- to get it. I have to pay for the key with my order, provide evidence that I own the car (something with my name and the car's VIN printed on it) as well as a copy of a photo ID (either my driver's license or passport). He says that all of this information is then sent to Germany where the key is laser cut and sent back to them to be picked up by me. The only thing that I can figure here is that the keys are actually made of unobtainium. RANT OFF. On the one hand, I've never lost a key to one of my cars and the last time I accidentally locked a key in the car was way before cars had remote lock mechanisms. OTOH, if I did manage to lock this key in the car or lose the key, having to go through this riggamarole to replace the key after the fact would be an enormous PITA. Does anyone have any other ideas about how I can skin this cat for something less than 4-Cnotes? On the "Won't take gas issue"...they thought that it was a dead solenoid that controlled the little flapper door. They replaced it, but the flapper door still doesn't work and the car keeps popping the fuse. They "think" now that there is a dead short in the electrical line and they're looking for it. Glad this puppy is still under warranty...don't think I'd really want to see the charges for the tech's time while he's looking for that short.

Contact the original owner, it's what I did when I realized I was missing a key. I sent him a pre-addressed envelope with a $5 bill in it. He sent me back the missing key and returned the $5...nice guy. There are also non-remote keys that are less expensive from the dealer. Also, you can probably get the keys discounted with the same information from Sunset..but then it'll be a RPITA if it doesn't work.

There are possible work-arounds, none of them are great. You can order a key blank and fob and find a friendly Audi dealer to cut the key for you. You still have to pay to get it programmed. I'd also check at another P-car dealer. I was in the same position, ordered key+fob from my dealer for about $250 and he programmed it for no charge, told me programming was included in the price of the key. Programing takes about 5 min tops. $60 is absurd.

I would call Hans over at Ruf in Dallas. He's a great guy and very helpful. He might have a better solution.

new key include recoding and 2nd key recoding I paid about $450 at dealer..the recoding charge was $150 so the new key was about 250...and than you got the pay the government (TAX). I have read, but am not sure, that there is platinum and a bit of uranusium in the key

If you have the dealer cut the key blank using your existing key as a template vice getting a new one cut from the factory, you can save $50 or so. Still expensive as hell, but the savings will at least buy enough beer that you might forget about it for a short time!

got a spare key at local flee market for 25.00, blank and all. of course no buttons and a little ugly. But it will get the car open and running.

Deja Vu and yes, I don't think there's a cheap way to get a duplicate key... What I did: Ordered a key blank ($20) and a remote transmitter key head ($120) from Suncoast. I found a locksmith here in town with a machine that could make the cuts (only one in the county out of several that claimed they could cut european car keys - $65) then took the whole shebang to a dealer and had them coded for $60; total spent $265... Once upon a time I fell of a chair when MB wanted $125 to make a duplicate... Rudy ---------------------------- '01 Arctic Silver/Black C2 Cabriolet '03 Silver F-150 Supercrew

OK... I have to say it... This is stupid $400 bucks for a bloody key... Next time my wife asks me if I have any money in my pocket I am going to tell here "yes" Show her my key and say, here is $400 ! ! ! Hell at the rate I am blowing thru cash at the dealer/parts house just on maintenance, they should give me an extra key to encourage me to keep driving it... and thus buying more stuff for maintenance........

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I'll bet Congress can use your help... Sounds like stimulative spending to me! Rudy ----------------------- '01 Arctic Silver/Black C2 Cabriolet '03 Silver F-150 Supercrew

Another alternative might be to order a valet key, which does not have any remote features. This could make it a lot less expensive than the full-function key, and will still enable you to get in the car and get it going (it will not unlock the center console, however).

Asked about replacing a key for my VW Jetta and the Stealership quoted me $250. $175 for the key and $75 for the programming. John

This is pretty much standard for most keys now days. I bought a used key transponder on ebay for $60, but still had to get the blank cut @$100. I got the local dealer to program the car to accept the key gratis (it only takes about 10 minutes or less), so there are cheaper solutions, but the bottom line is that almost all cars have the same situation. Gone are the days when you go down to Woolworths to get a new key cut for $3!

I would like to change my possition.... Although I hate a key costing $400.... try this on for size. The people making the key live in a world much like ours. They make a reasonable wage and have a lifestyle much like ours. Take into account that a blank must be made, then cut to a pattern that comes from a database (so it must be "looked up") Then the electronics must be made and stored, the pill... yea... um, you try and make that thing... and there is the outter case which was injection molded. If you have ever run or seen any or these machines run, assembled any PC boards, loaded and unloaded key blanks.. (each one unique as the are all -most all- differant) then you know this takes time. The workers are not getting rich, but they cost money and a business must make some amount of profit. Storage, taxes, wages, beneffits and all that other stuff come into play when its not made in some 3rd world country..... all in all, if I had to make one for you, $400 would be a real bargin.. hold onto it tightly though! (now I better not find out it says "made in China" - then I will blow a gasket)

Ed, I saw a couple of MB keys on ebay. You might want to check those out. Those are certainly something you don't need, so I thought you might be interested.

Don't the keys have to be programmed for a disabling anti theft transponder? Or will a cut key alone be able to start the car? I am in the same boat and was expecting a $250 cost but $450 really seems out there.

I wonder sometimes if we've reached a point where the aggregate cost of the keys exceeds the aggregate cost of (potentially) additional thefts. In other words, are the keys "overdesigned" and could a much less expensive alternative be more sensible? Of course, a cynic might view the key design and cost as a pretty effective revenue enhancement mechanism...

All of the keys have to be registered in the Anti-theft subsystem of the car, or the ATS will not allow the car to start. This is pretty standard for just about any modern car. $250 is actually about right. If you go to your dealer on the back of a turnip truck, you can expect to pay more.

I am reviving this thread for more answers. The remote function of my key no longer works. It appears the circuit board on the key has a tiny crack, and the red light no longer works with the button pressed (despite new battery). I don't want to spend $400 just to avoid having to put the key in the door to unlock the car. My plan is as follows: buy a used, similar remote somewhere, swap out the whole circuit board assembly, take to dealer for re-programming. I should be able to do this for less than $200. Will my plan work? Thanks Stefan

You would need the white tag with the keys programming info to make that work so I suggest a new key head from sunset for under 100, than take it to the dealer for programming. Sounds like your transponder is fine and its just the remote section.

I throughly appreciate now when I picked up my car the salesman (I thought he was very **** at the time) He made me be sure that all three keys worked before I left. One of them didn't work and he got the service guy to fix it right away,if I had come back later it would have really cost me I'm sure.

Well the Porsche purist might frown on the solution I came up with. Twice I had to go out and buy a new remote at the outrageous prices, so I decide that was enough. I took it to a auto alarm shop in my area and had them install a simple Viper keyless entry system, which they connected to the Porsche alarm system. Remote works great as well as the alarm, though I have to carry a seperate alarm fob. Only cost me $200 for the whole thing. I should mention that I have a 1999 996 C2, and that a co-worker of mine had the same problem with his Porsche remote for a 2002 996 C2 Targa and the Viper Keyless Entry didn't work with his car. Probably something to do with the alarm module being different.

I just finished this little process myself and can share the info. There are two parts you need, well actually three. You need the remote control part with the button (fob). You need a key, and you need to have the key cut. Sunset imports had the best deal, so I went with them and ordered a blank key and remote. I must have called 20 locksmiths and none could cut that blank here in the Bay Area. The one that said he could was too far and wanted $65. It's a steel key and they don't want it damaging their machine. Now, you can find them on Ebay, but they need to have the Porsche code tag attached that is used during the programming process. Flea bay being what it is, I just skipped the waste of my time getting a bad fob and got it straight from a Porsche dealer. So I called Sunset and ordered a cut key based on my VIN number. They will want a scan/fax of your drivers license and registration and it took about a week. Then you attach your new cut key and fob together and go down to the dealer with ALL your keys and hand them over. Then $50 later all your keys will work. They won't guarantee all the keys will work unless you drop them all off and they then verify they operate. A cut key by itself WONT work. Even the fobless ones have a microchip attached to the plastic grip that must be programmed

That is why when I bought my car from the dealer I made sure they wrote down they owed me another key before I signed. The sales guys made it sound like it was no big deal. He was a little pissed when I called him on it before I signed. I am sure he would have try to wiggle out after the deal was done.

just another part for these cars that is made out of unobtanium. btdt.

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Awe, come on!!! A car salesman would never try to do that! Good job on making them note it before you signed the papers!

99% of the programing fee is for programing you to forget inserting key and turning

Local dealer wants $160 for the remote key fob, into which they can apparently swap my metal key. They will then program for a mere $80.00. Apparently, they are not able to program a used fob without the code paperwork, which I suspect most used sellers will not have. Perhaps use of an actual key to open the door will add to the 911 nostalgia.

As everyone noted, there are 2 steps to getting a porsche key to work, 1 getting the physical key cut, and 2 getting the immobilizer pill on the key fob registered in the security module of the car. I have found that almost every VW dealership has the equipment to cut the key for you, and many will do that for no charge. This takes about 5 minutes. However the second part of getting the key assembly paired with the car will require a system tester to register the key ID. If you have any sort of relationship with your Porsche service department, most will do that for free as well. The second part only takes 5-10 minutes top. You will need to have the ID of the key fob to make this work.

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Rudy, I know this is an old post, but I see you're in San Diego, so I thought I'd ask.... I need to get a duplicate key made for my car and I haven't been able to find a locksmith in San Diego who can cut the key. Which locksmith did you use? I've got the blank and I'm ordering another remote. So I'll be doing the same that you did, get the key cut by locksmith, and have the dealer program the remote. Dan

Sadly, this is the price we have to pay to keep the bad guys from taking off with these cars. Unless you're a seriously professional car theft it is a major ordeal to get into one of these cars, much less start it and drive it off. The message here is: DON'T LOSE YOUR KEY and GET ALL THE KEYS during a transfer. They are valuable! This is cool--I have the original keys to a one-owner 1964 356C that I'm selling for the owner. I think it's neat that they are the original keys--46 years, and never lost. If some people can do that, why can't someone keep track of keys for a ten year old car!!

FYI, most VW dealers have the key cutting machine necessary to cut a Porsche key, but you still have to go to the dealer to get it paired with the car.

I'm resurfacing this thread because I need another key. "Suncoast will order a key to your VIN" - Not anymore. I just spoke with them and they won't. "VW/Audi dealers will cut the key" - Not anymore. I just spoke with them and they said they don't have the equipment "Find a locksmith to cut the key" - Can't find one. I've called a bunch in Houston and none will do it. So I called my dealerships. Momentum wants $400 for the key and $135 for programming. North Houston charges $350 and $68 for programming. I know you have to "pay to play" and these keys are not cheap but that is steep!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsc...item51915903f9 What did Sunset want for a transmitter? They sold me one for ~$100. I had the key blade so all I had to do was bring both working key and new to local dealer and $$220, transmitter + programing, later I had two keys again.

I know there is a guy on ebay too, that you send a pic of your key. He cuts it from the pic then mails it to you. I think he is in england. Cheap too. I have not used him but I have read several post that people have and it does work. Here is a http://cgi.ebay.com/Porsche-911-914-924-944-Key-cut-your-car-NOT-BLANK-/130551987936?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e65813ee0

I don't really understand the lost key thing. I have never lost a key in my life yet invariably most used cars are sold with only one key. WTF? On the P-Car purchase I made sure that two keys was part of the deal when I bought it and sure enough they had to have a 2nd key cut and programed. As for the prices quoted they are actually on the low side stealers down here want about $165 just for the programing. so you are looking an north of $400 for a key. Which is REDICULOUS but in line with what other luxury car stealers charge. Sister lost a MERC key once and that was north of $500.00

My key w/programing was $345

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I wish! I don't have a problem with that price.

I had 2 keys, but an inoperable key head. My indi did me solid getting the original codes via the cars VIN and basically "adding" a key to the car. Key head was $129, IIRC (Suncoast). Having to cut a new key by a local key smith would be a tough task; the dealer may be the only option. I was quoted $35-40, with a risky guarantee that it would work(a local old-timer)

My car came with 2 FOBs, but no valet key. I never use a valet anyways, but it would be nice to have.

My dealer is picking up the cost of programming both keys because both have to be done when a new key is added.some 240.00. My cost is 240.00 for the hardware. Thats a 480.00 key! Where I was brought up when you bought a car you got two keys. This is a very top shelf Penske dealership and I feel like I'm being nickel and dimed.