Where and how to make a second car key chip
Modern cars are not equipped with an ordinary ignition key, which mechanically closes the contacts and the engine is started. This is an outdated technique that does not provide security – any schoolboy knows that you can steal a car with such an ignition with a simple screwdriver or by shorting the wires.
That is why now it is possible to start the car only with a special chip-key, which is also called a transponder. It comes in different types and performs several functions.
What is a chip-key and why is it needed?
Such a key has a special chip – a chip, which is programmed in a certain way and can remotely communicate with the car security system. The chip tells it a special PIN-code, which unlocks the most important systems, without which it is impossible to start the engine.
Each vehicle has a unique key, which does not fit others. This technology can significantly improve security and make life very difficult for hijackers.
Types of keys
These devices are used for quite a long time, and have undergone several modifications. Therefore, on different models of cars of different years of manufacture, you can find the following variants of chip keys:
- Separate. This type was used on models of VAZ and can be found even now. Here, two things are required to start the engine – the ignition key itself and a special remote control – a communicator. To start the car, you must first bring a communicator to a special reader, then the engine will be disabled. Then you can start it with the key. But there is a disadvantage – you always need to have both of these things, and something of them can be easily lost, and then start the car will not work.
- A chip in the key. This is the most common variant now. The chip is located inside the key and is powered by a miniature battery or battery. It is impossible to start the engine without such a key, and usually there are several pieces in the set.
- Card. To start some foreign models, a special plastic card is used – a flat device with a built-in chip. This card is inserted into a special reader on the car console, and the engine is started with the “Start” button.
- Wireless. Such a device doesn’t have to be inserted anywhere or even taken out of the pocket. It wirelessly communicates with the car blocker, and they just need to be nearby. If there is no such device, the engine will not start. If the owner moves too far away, the system completely locks the engine and doors. On approaching, everything will unlock.
The second option is the most common and such a key can be restored, so below we will talk about it.
Why do you need a duplicate?
Having only one key, the car owner can face a lot of trouble in a variety of situations:
- The key can be lost or stolen;
- The transponder can be forgotten somewhere;
- It could be accidentally left in the cabin and the door could be slammed shut.
Of course, these are only the most common situations, but all of them are very unpleasant, and it is not possible to get inside the car, let alone drive. If the transponder is inside, you can get by with broken locks or broken glass, but if you lose it, you will have to make a duplicate, and a full analogue not only of the key, but also of the chip.
Where to make a chip-key for the car
A few years ago, to get a duplicate, you had to go to an official dealer and make an order. Then you had to wait for a long time until the factory made and delivered it. It costs a lot, takes a long time, and all this time the car is forced to stand idle.
Now you can make a duplicate in the city at a service station, and quite quickly. Where they make keys for the car, you can usually order a copy of the chip key. It is very difficult to do it by yourself, since special equipment is required. And if the metal part of the key can still be made after several attempts, it will be difficult to program the microchip correctly. After all you need to read the information from the original or from the dashboard.
Of course, everything is simplified if you have the original key and just need to make another copy. But it is much more complicated if it has been lost. Accordingly, and the cost may be different.
How much does the service cost
There are many specialized workshops that make new car keys. Prices everywhere are different, depending on both the city and the model of the car. For example, for Moscow, the cost of work is approximately as follows:
- restoration of keys in case of complete loss – from 5000 rubles;
- Cutting a new blade (if, for example, broke) – 700 – 1200 rubles;
- Manufacturing of a key on the ignition lock – from 3000 rubles; – from 2000 rubles.
In other regions prices may be slightly different. If you bring the original to a specialized workshop, which has all the equipment, its cloning will take literally 15 minutes. If there is no original, you need to bring there the car or call the master to him – to extract the necessary information.
How to make a duplicate key with an immobilizer yourself
To make a second set of keys for the car by yourself will not be possible. To do this, you need to do the following operations:
- Make a copy of the key itself, its blade, while very accurately. You can buy the blank, for example, on Aliexpress;
- To buy a special capsule with a blank chip that is installed in the key. It is harder to find, but it is possible;
- Read the information from the original;
- Flash a new chip;
- To embed the capsule into the key.
All these operations require high precision and special equipment, which only those who do it professionally can have. Even making a key blade requires a professional approach – the slightest deviation will make the whole job worthless. That is why specialized workshops use special machines that reproduce the original with perfect accuracy. Of course, you can work with a file, but that’s only half the battle.
Programming the chip also requires special equipment. Incorrect identification of the original PIN code also brings the whole job to nothing. If there is no original, it is necessary to restore the key for ignition lock and read out the information from the onboard computer, it becomes an impossible task for the average car owner.
Therefore, it is better to turn to specialists who will do everything quickly and relatively inexpensively. It is obviously not worth buying all the equipment and looking for special software for the sake of one key.
Instructions for manufacturing
The car owner himself can take some steps if the original key has been lost:
- You need to remove the ignition lock from the car to make a new key from it. But the manufacturers have specially complicated this task for security against the thieves. Therefore, you may have to turn to the masters. Then you need to extract the secret part from the lock, and this is also difficult to do without help.
- The secret part should be taken to the place, where they are engaged in the manufacture of keys, preferably car keys. There, according to the location and design of the teeth will be able to cut a new blade, the same as the old car key.
Then comes the stage of work with the chip.
Features of programming
It is impossible to give any specific advice on programming transponders. Each car model has differences both in software and in the security system, not to mention the design. Therefore the keys may be very different even in different models of the same manufacturer and even more so in different models.
In the most general case, the programming of a new chip occurs after reading the information from the original or from the dashboard. This requires special programs and equipment. Therefore, this is done by specialists who have experience working with different car models.
Therefore, it would seem that such a simple operation – to make a second key for the car – today requires recourse to specialists. It is not done independently.
Making a chip for the car startup
Fabrication of an auto-launch chip also requires special equipment. In the simplest case, the information is simply transferred to a new “dummy” – a blank chip. In complicated cases, each new device requires writing its codes into the onboard computer. So it also requires contacting specialists.
Restoring a lost car key: how best to do it
Everyone can get into such a situation when the car key is lost. It is good if there is a second key and the car is near the house. But this is not always the case. Sometimes you have to call a tow truck, and then look for specialists in key making.
How much does it cost to make a key An ordinary key to the ignition switch of a domestic car “classic” type can be ordered in any workshop. It will be made quickly for only 100-120 rubles. If you need to “reproduce” a chip key, which are used on modern cars, you will need to pay a lot more. These keys are equipped with special chips, without which the car immobilizer will not allow you to start the engine.
Some car owners, not really thinking about the consequences, sometimes simply remove the chip from the original key and glue it next to the ignition switch. This is the greatest foolishness, which completely nullifies all the regular anti-theft features. The thief just has to start the engine with a picklock and drive away. The immobilizers of modern cars cannot be fooled that way. In the majority of cases even making a duplicate key will not help. It all depends on the specificity of the immobilizer system implementation and the security policy which is relevant for each particular car maker. There are many technical difficulties “tying” the car key to its electronic unit. This process is complicated and does not tolerate dilettantism. Only a competent specialist using special equipment is able to perform this procedure correctly. Thus, in this case, all roads lead to the dealers or to narrow specialists. The cost of services in both cases is quite high.
As mentioned above, the service of manufacturing of a key duplicate includes manufacturing of the key itself, selection of the chip and programming – “binding” of a new key to the electronic block of the car. Let’s consider the whole process using one VAG model as an example. The original key costs about 5000-7000 roubles. If you order its duplicate, with the simplest chip, it will cost about 1000-1500 rubles. If the remote control buttons are integrated into it, the price rises to 3000-4000 rubles. In the presence of a folding mechanism, the cost will increase by another 30-40%. Ordering a key fob/card will cost in the range of 6000-8000 rubles. Hence, we can conclude that, as the degree of protection and technological sophistication of the product increases, so does its cost. There is a great temptation to order it, for example, on AliExpress. This is a questionable decision. Saving money, you can get a product of unknown quality. Although practice shows that the owners of the keys ordered in this way are satisfied in most cases.
It can happen so that a car owner has lost a main and a spare key. Or the main key was lost by the current owner and the spare key was lost by the previous one. Then it is much more difficult and expensive to restore them. First of all, you should know that the cutting of the new one will be made only directly from the lock cylinder. In order to do it you will have to invite a specialist to the car parking place or to take it by tow truck. It is almost impossible to remove the lock and all the electronic block by yourself. Although, dealerships may produce a VIN number duplicate upon request. But it is long, difficult, and expensive. The second complication is the question of “binding” the produced key. It is easy to do when the chip is present and one just needs to read its data. Very different difficulties arise when integrating a new chip into the security system of the vehicle. It is possible only with special knowledge and, most importantly, expensive equipment. Therefore, the prices are appropriate. Added to all the rest are all the difficulties associated with the peculiarities of security measures laid down by those or other car manufacturers. Also any car owner is worried about security. After all, his lost keys can be found by malefactors and try to use them. In such cases, all sorts of thoughts come to mind. Therefore, door and ignition locks will need to be replaced, which is an additional expense item.
Having made an analysis of all possible cases when it is required to make a duplicate key of a modern car, experts recommend to address with such a question to an official dealer. It will not be cheaper, but safer than looking for outside workers with unstained reputation.
