SKS Key Technical Question

I bought my 2012 PiP with 1 key provided by the seller, but the key wasn't the original one issued to the car.

I just spoke to the original owner of the car who has both original keys and is willing to sell them to me.

Did the original keys get unpaired when the replacement key was issued?
-Yes, the original keys were unregistered when the used replacement was registered to the car

How are the keys paired? Does the car learn the key, or does the key learn the car?
-The keys are paired by using Tech Stream and a mini-VCI cable. The car ECU learns the keys.
If the original keys are no longer paired, how much are they worth?
-Probably less than $50, but the owner thought they were worth more. I paid $100 each.
I would just test the keys, but the woman lives 150 miles away. I'd like to be reasonably certain the keys will work if I make the trip.
-The keys didn't work because they were unregistered from the vehicle. I could have used Tech Stream to see what keys were paired to the car. This would have shown me that only 1 key was registered.

UPDATE: Keys there were original to the car can be registered back to it, even if a different master key is used.

 

I know the key I have isn't original because the original owner has told me she has both keys that came with the car, and did not surrender a key when the car was taken.

My friend lives in Eugene, so it makes sense for me to kill 2 stones with 1 bird by visiting him and testing to see if the keys will work. If I have reasonable assurance that the keys will work, then I'll just have my friend pick them up now, instead of waiting until I can make it down there.

It seems the keys would be worth substantially less if they don't work. What would it cost for me to purchase a new OEM key and program it myself? Perhaps $160? How much would it cost for me to purchase a used key from Ebay and have Toyota program it, assuming they even know how to do that?

 

Any chance the locks were changed to match the replacement key? Do you know if it's standard procedure to delete prior keys when adding a new one? Finally, is the key programmed to the car, or is the car programmed to the key?

 

The car was reclaimed by the owner's insurance company after it was in a wreck. According to her, the insurance company said they don't need the keys or the charger to the car.

The car was then sold at auction, repaired, re-titled, and now I own it. I found the original owner by looking up the address listed as "home" in the nav, and then looking the address up in the phone directory.

Nothing fishy about this, the DMV has already issued the title in my name.

 

I wish I had read your helpful reply before I went off buying the EVSE charger and keyfobs from the original owner. I purchased 1 charger and 2 fobs for $400, which is too much in hindsight. It's much less than the owner wanted for the items, but she was not in touch with the market value for used fobs and a charger that is universal. I bought a Leaf charger for $200 on CL just after negotiating the price for the original charger and keyfobs. Now I have 2 chargers.

The keys I got from the original owner seem like a worst case scenario. Neither smart key works, and the physical keys are cut differently than the key I got with the car. I haven't tried the original keys in the door yet, but I'm hopeful they will work considering the physical key I have with the working smart fob doesn't open the door.

I'm probably confusing things:

1 smart key came with the car. It has a different physical cut than the other 2 keys. The smart key does operate all car functions properly. The physical key doesn't turn in the door handle (I'm assuming you turn the key just like a normal key, but it doesn't move). It does not have the remote AC button.

2 smart keys were original to the car and no longer operate any function. I need to see if they still physically open the door. These have the remote AC function.

Based on JC's comments, there are 2 remaining scenarios:

1. A used keyfob was purchased that already had a key cut to the car it was being used in. It was reprogrammed to my car by a dealer or other authorized person that has access to the codes to do the key-reassign operation.

2. A used kefob was purchased along with the electronic unit that resides in the car and is paired with that key. My car no longer has the original key system.

If scenario 1 is true, then the original keys were simply deleted from the key registry of the vehicle, and another key was added. All I need to do is add the original keys back with some software or hardware that I can purchase relatively cheaply.

If scenario 2 is true, then the original keys aren't associated to the computer currently in the vehicle. In which case, I have to get them reprogrammed to my car by a licensed locksmith or dealer at greater expense.

Am I understanding this correctly? If so, what must I purchase to program the original keys back to the vehicle?

 

Yeah, in hindsight I spent too much. I had negotiated the price including the charger just after loosing 2 Ebay auctions for chargers that sold for $200. I figured the original EVSE charger was worth $200, I needed one, and there weren't other prospects on Ebay. The lady didn't want to let it go for so little, so I agreed to pay $100 for each keyfob thinking they would just work, and that I would have to pay a couple hundred to get a new key working anyhow.

Well, $400 later I have an extra charger to take with me, and 2 keyfobs that may or may not be easy to add back to the car.

Big thanks JC. I should have looked at your post before I finalized the purchase. My negotiating power was limited because I had a friend complete the transaction, since I live 150 miles away.

I'll drop the 25 bucks and see how it goes. I'm assuming this cable/software should will work?