Key Fob Reality Check...

do you have the little metal plate with the key number?

 

Hi JT,

Sorry for your loss, but for me this isn't too much of a sticker shock only because I have seen some of the EXHORBORANT prices for lost key fobs for Lexus, Mercedes and BMW. That being said, I would have thought for sure there would have been a discount being Toyota vs. these other Luxury brand names...

Good Luck...

To the other poster (Bisco), what diff is there if any, if the JT (OP) has the METAL plate with serial # or not...? I made sure to keep mine in a safe location...

 

i thought i was told if you didn't have the number, it would be more expensive, that's why they give it to you.

 

Just make sure that you don't loose both keys and the serial number plate! The cost for that particular scenario can be over $1,000! This is due to the fact that you wouldn't have a way of reprograming the computer to accept new keys. The immobilizer ECU would have to be replaced along with getting new set of keys. That is my nightmare scenario!!

 

I'm one of those poor slobs who lost a fob. Yeah, they are that expensive, around $500 at the dealer for the full Monte.

There is this guy in Canada who will do the laser cutting, if you've got the fob, for less than what the dealers charge. Local locksmiths may do it, too. I don't know where the "laser" gets into it; it's pretty obvious that it's just a fancy grinding wheel.

If you have a fob then the dealer will program it for around $50 or so. Shop around for that work. The killer is that Toyota, our lovely single source, has jacked the price of the fob up to the stratosphere, knowing that there's nowhere else to go. Aren't monopolies fun?

If somebody knows how to build an electronic activate-the-fob-and-home-onto-the-emissions widget I'd love to know. The missing fob is somewhere in the house, probably buried in a sofa somewhere.

KBeck.

 

In this situation the dealer can do a full reset on the ECU. There isn't any need to replace hardware. The dealer calls Toyota with the VIN, proves that he is the dealer, and Toyota issues a new seed number that is good for a limited time.

The whole process takes a bit more time than adding a single fob, but it's not as scary as the quoted post makes it sound.

Tom

 

I have (4) fobs. (1) from a previous 2010, (1) from Ebay, and (2) that came with the car.

Bottom line - they should be able to program (2) fobs for the price of (1) - it really doesn't take more time.

Issues? They had 'trouble' programming my extra 2 - rumor has it used fobs need to be 'reset' - but I would let the dealer figure that out...

Costs:
Ebay fobs are around $50 delivered.
Ebay key blanks (or elsewhere) are around $15 delivered.
Programming - $100
Cutting a blank - $20 at most good locksmiths.

BTW - I have yet to bother cutting the other two keys. I figure I have AAA *and* Toyota roadside (comes with car) - if I need for some reason to use the key (dead battery), I'll need one of the above anyways...

 

I think there is no going back.
Technology and the benefits cost money.

I think the problem is when people buy the Prius they are happy to embrace and enjoy the benefits of the "Smart Key System". But when they lose their fob or want a replacement Fob and Key, everyone stops looking at it as part of a "system" and starts defining it as simply a Key.....

$500 or even 100's of dollars is a lot to pay for a Fob or Key. But if you think of it as simply part of the smart key SYSTEM, the sophisticated user interface for a system that allows for keyless entry, simple entry and exit to your vehicle, vehicle security and simple push button starts, then it's still expensive but much easier to swallow.

Plus if it makes Prius owners feel any better, it really is just the way it is. I came from a 1993 Honda where the "technology" was basicly a mechanical key...PERIOD. My car alarm was a totally separate piece, the key and ignition had no transponder chip, so basically I could have replacement keys made for less than $3.00 at almost any store or locksmith. Which was nice, but argueably my car was not as secure, nor as convienent to use.

Now my new Honda Fit, which is Honda's entry level vehicle comes with a Lazer Cut "key" attached to a Fob with a transponder that controls the whole ignition system and keyless entry.

I don't think replacement approachs $500 but it's not cheap either. If I want a replacement I have to pay for Lazer Cutting and transponder chip programing and I don't have the full convienence of a Prius Smart Key System.

In anycase technology is not going to move backwards. The days of "Cheap" solutions as far as automotive keys are gone.

The trick today, is don't lose your vehicle entry, exit, security and ignition system user interface....because replacing the- "fob"- Is going to cost you.

 

What little metal plate???
I do not understand.

 

it is a little rectangular piece of metal that has a series of numbers on it that is the code for your car, probably 1/16" x 1/4"

 

It's the code for the mechanical key only. The dealer or a locksmith can cut a mechanical key from the number.

 

JT and others regarding the EBAY key fobs...

I've ordered one FOB for my LEXUS GX470 truck when my brother lost the key. The ones from EBAY are not true OEM keys, they are compatible and looks so much like the OEM that it even fooled the LEXUS dealer...

The steps needed to take for my Lexus Key:

1. Getting the key cut - Locksmith $40 ~ $75
2. Programming the GX470 - to recognize the new keyfob (instructions included eg, pressing all windows up and down and they changing in accessory mode...) - $0 included as part of EBAY order
3. SYNCHING the new FOB to the "IMMOBOLIZER" chip - This last step is the MOST important because while I was able to lock/unlock doors, arm/disarm alarm and panic mode, I could NOT start the car. This last step involves dealer... I simply took the EBAY FOB to dealer and slyly told them something happened to the my spare key I could unlock/lock doors, turn the key in the ignition slot but immobilizer wouldn't start the car. Dealer reprogrammed my key under warranty in less than 10 minutes and gave me a car wash

The key fob lasted about 2 years before the unit fell apart. The Lexus/Toyota key fob (EBAY) is inferior in plastic compared to OEM unit. When turning the key one day the two plastic halves of the ebay key cracked in half... Luckily I had a pair of Needle nose pliers to turn the key...

I'm not complaining because I did get two years out of the unit and I purchased two from EBAY. I simply removed the remaining bits of plastic that was left on the metal key blade, and installed it into my spare 2nd ebay unit. The electronics FOB was also swapped and I now have another two years on the key fob before it will deteriorate.

Total Price of purchasing the key from ebay, getting the key cut (locksmith) was around $200 saving about $150~250 from Lexus Dealer for a direct replacement...

After the unit broke on me I carefully had both OEM and the EBAY unit laid out side by side and was able to determine EBAY unit had cheaper plastic, LEXUS logo is slightly different than OEM, circuit board could not be swapped into the OEM housing, plastic shell thinner as well

JT if you get the unit from EBAY you shouldn't have to worry about the plastic shell breaking because of our touch start on the Prius we never will have to worry about the torque from turning the key in the ignition but just be aware that you *MAY* not be getting true OEM key... The cheapest pricing I see on EBAY right now is around $90 with shipping so it's SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than the $500 that your dealer has quoted you...

Just do everything I did and slyly go over to dealer and let them know that the doors lock/unlock with SKS but for some reason IMMOBOLIZER fails to start the car.... DO NOT mention that you purchased a new key and they should be able to reprogram the FOB under warranty... GOOD LUCK...

PS.. The prices I quoted for the locksmith was in NY (Queens/Long Island) YMMV when you check out local LOCKSMITH pricing. Also be sure to ask EBAY dealer if it will come with instructions on reprogramming the new FOB for SKS again this is different than the IMMOBOLIZER (ignition system)... If no SKS programming don't buy unit...too much of risk for dealer to know you "replaced" the FOB... IMHO...

 

Of course you are absolutely right. The dealership, be it Toyota with a SKS Fob or Honda or anyone...is charging you more for replacement than should be reasonable if we are evaluating based on the actual cost of the components and the actual labor involved in reprogramming and lazer cutting a blank.

But I still think there is psychological advantage and tangible reality to keep it mind that when we say "key replacement" or "Fob" replacement we aren't really talking about either a singular key or a simply a fob. These are rather sophisticated pieces of technology that do interact with other very sophisticated pieces of technology, in a way that while increasingly common today, was almost unheard of 15 years ago.

Should it cost $500 if you lose it, or simply want an additional one? No probably not....But you start to think about a part, with electronics, that needs to be programmed to work specifically with your vehicle, that ultimately allows you to do many, many things and the fact that dealerships have you by the shorthairs and there is significant mark up shouldn't be too suprising.

As SKS systems become more and more common. And perhaps as people complain (reasonably) about the high cost, I'd expect more options to appear, and costs to decrease.

I remember when I was a kid, my Dad got one of the earliest Televisions with a (gasp) remote control. It did not even work with infra-red...I was just a kid, but I think it used a radio signal...to activate actual motors that actually physically turned knobs..

I remember the great angst of my father and the hallowed Chalice Of God positioning that remote control got, because of it's rarity and the fear of it becoming broken and the potential cost of replacement.

Today ALL televisions operate with remote controls and I can generically go into almost any store and buy a functioning replacement for less than $10.00..

I'd expect things like Lazer Cut auto key, transponder chips, and the electronics of automotive key fobs to follow a similar arc.

And it really might help if people complain. If we can get the message back to automakers....not just Toyota...that we love the technology but feel the cost of replacement is excessive...change might come a little faster.

 

Now that you mention it, I think the one I'm thinking of was "Ultrasonic".

I was a pretty little kid at the time. What I remember most was I was NEVER to touch it.

 

Most of the remotes from that era were ultrasonic. They used tuned reeds that responded to a mechanical "clicker" in the remote. Each function clicked at a different frequency, activating the proper reed. Some of the more sophisticated ones used electronic circuits to make the ultrasonic pulses.

Years ago my brother spilled orange juice on one of those remote controls. After that, the buttons controlled random functions as the unit slowly dried out.

Tom

 

i think any of us would be unhappy paying $500. for a replacement. makes the battery pack look 'reasonable'. i hope you can get a key cut locally and a fob on e bay. good luck!

 

The key fobs on Ebay are not aftermarket copies - they are genuine Toyota - and likely salvaged from dead cars.

Cutting keys at most locksmiths (at least here in So Cal) costs around $20 - $25, and takes 10 minutes.

The Prius is far different from the Lexus GX (which we also own, and have also bought *real* lexus keys and blanks for).

As far as a GX 470 being a truck (???) - in what world do you live in???

Yes - GX470 keys (Toyota) are very available on EBAY, as are the blanks. OEM can stand for either genuine (as in Toyota), or equivalent replacement - just FYI... I believe we paid $150 to get (2) keys sync'd...