I bought a strattec key on e-bay (and cut at a locksmith) that is supposed to work for 2001-3003 prius. I followed the instructions to program but it didn't work. I did everything very quickly and tried many times, so I don't think it was my execution of the steps that was the problem. Is it possible that my very early prius (manufactured July 2000) takes a different key, can't be programmed in the car, or uses a different programming sequence? Or, are some of the chips in the strattec keys bad? I am using a black key so it should be a master. The car only has one key left so I'm anxious to get another one working. These are the instructions I followed from the e-bay description: YOU MUST HAVE A PRE-REGISTERED MASTER KEY TO OPEN THE PROGRAMMING MODE. 1. Begin by sitting in the driver seat with all the doors shut. 2. Insert your working master (black) key in the ignition. 3. Very Quickly, turn the key from "LOCK" to "ON" 5 times. (You will end with the key in the "LOCK" position) 4. Immediately, open and close the driver door 6 times very quickly. (End with the door closed) 5. Immediately, remove your working Master Key and insert your new Master Key 6. Turn the key to the "ON" position and leave it there while you wait for 1 minute. 7. After the minute, if you want to program another key, just remove the first one and insert the next one, turning it to "ON" and leaving it in position for 1 minute. 8. When you are through programming keys, just take the last one out, open and then close the driver door to lock in the programming, and your done
It sounds right. I had the dealer program our backup key so I've not had a chance to practice the procedure. I did replace the FOB on my own. Bob Wilson
The dealer wants 70-90 to program a key depending on the time it takes them and they will not program my Strattec key so I would have to buy a key from them. That's out of the question. Another possibility would be that the car's ability to reprogram keys is not working. I wonder how that could be tested.
It's possible that you got the wrong transponder key. It's probably a type 4C transponder, and there are several type 4D transponder keys used by Toyota. Google any numbers you find on the key, along with the key manufacturer's name. There are locksmiths who have the equipment to clone the key you already have. A clone key looks exactly like the original key to the car, and thus the car does not have to be programmed for the clone key. The biggest project will be finding a locksmith with the proper equipment. The only difference between the black and grey keys is cosmetic. The functional difference is established by the programming of the car, and the cut on the key. An original black one is a master, and can be used to authorize programming another key. The original grey key cannot be used to authorize programming another key. If your black key was programmed as a valet key, then that would explain why you can't use it to authorize another key.
Funny, I was told by a Toyota technician that the only way to program keys on this vehicle was to use a Toyota scan-tool. Perhaps he was unaware of the procedure listed above. Since I too and in need of a second key, I may be trying this myself.
It may be that I have a valet key even though it is not gray. Could someone who has a valet and master key please see if there is a different behavior when they are inserted? A locksmith told me that he thought the valet keys causes the security light to go from blinking to on, stay on 2 seconds then go off. This is the pattern I get but I don't have any way to know if a master key would be different.
hello, when i tried to do the same things with the instruction you wrote it didn't work too. i found full instruction on coasteltech. it tells that for sub-keys programming on the step 4 you should open and close door only 5 times not 6. whoooa and it helps! don't forget about step 8, before testing the new key. good luck. а.
It turned out that the one key I had was a valet key. You can tell a valet key because the flashing light goes on for 2 seconds before turning off when the key is inserted. With a master key the flashing light goes off immediately. I did get a duplicate key by having a clone key made for $65. It works great but it does have a battery, so I'll be carrying a spare one. This car also doesn't have a FOB but I'm going to give up on getting one as there is no way to program it without a master key. I'm still not sure which of the instructions for programming a key would have been correct, but I did find several online. Some involve doing the door and others the gas and brake pedal. There were differences in whether you insert the key or insert and turn the key. So my recommendation is to search and then try them all. By the way, if after trying to program a key the original key doesn't work anymore just wait 2 minutes and it will. It's actually a good idea to wait 2 minutes between trials. Hoskee
It's good to hear that you have a solution. Thanks for the report. The battery for a clone key is a new one on me. I've got a clone key that doesn't use a battery. It cost about the same, and was produced with a Jet brand transponder duplicator. If you're up to more work on this issue, one thing you could do is to install a universal transponder bypass unit. They are generally used with aftermarket remote start and burglar alarm systems. You put a transponder key inside the box, and a wire back to the antenna around the ignition switch. When power is applied to the bypass unit, it relays information between the transponder and the antenna at the ignition switch. If you just power the bypass unit from the switched 12V system, it will appear that the transponder is present anytime the car is turned on. The ignition security reverts back to just the cut of the key, like all cars used to be. Then you can buy all the $2 keys you want. I paid something like $20 for a bypass unit.
I was thinking of doing the same thing by taping the transponder part of the key (cut the key off) near the ignition and then using regular keys. I've done that with another car. But for now I'm the only one who uses the car and I don't lose keys so having one plus a spare hidden is fine. It's an ILCO programmable key (#EH3) that has the battery.
Transponder key won't program (4c or 4d) ? Confused here, does the 2001 to 2003 Prius, use a 4c or a 4d transponder key? None of my original keys from Toyota, have any numbers on them.
Re: Transponder key won't program (4c or 4d) ? I think the 2001-2003 has a 4C but there is nothing on the key that identifies it that way. There are at least 3 keys that use the same blade as the 2001-2003 Prius. They are the 4C, 4D, and non-transponder versions. To select a key blank to use with the Prius, just use the car name and year to identify it.
An original black one is a master, and can be used to authorize programming another key. The original grey key cannot be used to authorize programming another key. [/QUOTE] That was my problem. I was using the grey key. Switching to the black one did the trick. Thanks!
Well, kind of yes, it's in the manual. The reason I say "kind of" is: There's a physical cut called master (it opens all the doors and the trunk), and a physical cut called valet (it doesn't open the trunk). There's a way the key can be programmed called master (can be used to program other keys), and a way it can be programmed called sub (works, but not authorized to program other keys). When Toyota sold the brand new car, the black keys were cut as masters and programmed as masters, and the gray ones were cut as valet and programmed as sub. What you get with a used car could be anything, because a key of any color can be cut either way and programmed either way. (It's hard to change the cut later, but the programming can be changed any time.) And the key blanks I was finding on line were pretty much all black, so whichever way you cut or program them, they'll still be black. The way you tell master (cut) from valet is by seeing whether it will open the trunk. The way you tell master (programming) from sub is by watching how the security light blinks when you insert the key. These questions do come up from time to time, so to save later readers the endless rediscovery of Westheimer's Discovery it might be worth linking to older PriusChat history where they were already covered. As always, you can find as many guides for how to program the keys as there are cat jokes on the internet. In the spirit of Westheimer, you can try them all to see which ones work, or you can drop by techinfo.toyota.com and compare them to the ones in the manual. The ones that are the same are the ones that'll work. The ones that aren't, won't. Or you can save the time of searching and start with the ones that work. -Chap
