I bought my car with only 1 smart key. Then after a couple of years the key fell apart and I had to go old school plugging in the key and using the blade to open and lock the car. I talked to the dealership and they said it would be $280 per key. That was out of my budget at the time so I didn't do it. Now I'm having a baby and my wife wants the smart key -__- so I find out I can buy replacement keys on Amazon and just do the "chicken dance". So I bought it and do the dance and great news I can program the new keys to start the car. BUUTTTTT I can't program the smart functions because I can't press the lock/unlock buttons on the old remote because they don't work. (Yes I have tried replacing the battery). So now I am stuck with the same problem. Is there another way I can program the smart capabilities or do I have to take it to the dealer???
Maybe somebody or an electronic repair shop could fix your old key? At least temporary fix it? That way you could use it to program in the new key(s). You should really always have at least two fully working keys for a Prius as losing all keys can get very expensive. And since key fobs are easy to program, if you have at least two keys, losing one is not that bad of a thing.
There are replacement fob cases available for minimal prices. If the problem is a stuck key then a new case should resolve it. Be sure to transfer the transponder chip as well as the circuit board to the new case.
