When doing ANY smartkey work, make sure the batteries and buttons on all fobs are good (does LED light up when you press each button). When doing Gen3 fob work, check the part numbers of the circuit board inside the fobs. Ideally each board has the same part number. (the part numbers on the Fob case should match too, but the numbers on the case don't guarantee which board is inside since they are easy to swap) If you do all these checks and it still won't pair you either have a non-virgin fob, the wrong part number fob for your car, or you are doing the procedure wrong.
That was my problem the first couple of times I tried to do this. Once it worked ... duh! I don't remember my mistake, but it was one of those things where I tried to skip a step or something like that. Mike
@Chazz8 , could you expound upon how your friend used the cable to program the new key? I am in a tight spot and do not want to give toyota the satisfaction of gouging me
I got a used Prius V for under $13K had 70 K miles on the car. I figured I got a good enough deal. Had only one key with the car. I figured a new key would cost me maybe $60 from a locksmith? He is the best around and he said there is nothing he can do. I had to go to the dealership. They charge OVER $200 for the part. I had them do an $18 state inspection on the car they charged me OVER $310 for the key and the inspection. I told them a GUN does not cost as much as that key did and I can use a gun if they try to steal the key but if I don't have a gun when they steal the key I sure as hell am not going to argue with them? Want to make a smart key make one with a 12 gauge shotgun slug attached that you can fire? That would be smart because if you make a car that you can't steal they are going to kill you and take the key off your body. I am not impressed with their logic not cool at all.
You didn't have to purchase the key from the stealer. If you had read through this thread, you would see there are cheaper ways to get a spare key.
I wanted to get it over with and have the spare key ASAP not going to run down the local hacker to get a key that may or may not work. Stealership got it done and I am done with this. I had planned on keeping my last Prius for 300K miles I made it to 220K We just wanted the extra space and really liked the V sound system. Not too bad we are in a Prius V less than 73K miles for under $13K we were going to get a new one in 2012 that was going to cost us over $28K the way we went we got the car for half the price and we get to retain our debt free status. We paid cash for the car.
I think you got a fair deal. That blank key probably cost the dealer $150. But he has to keep that part in inventory, along with tons of stuff you didn't buy that day. And he has to pay the full Techstream subscription fee, and the very expensive, special key cutter, and pay his mechanics shop rates, and taxes, and the lights... he probably made $10 or $20 profit selling you that key. He didn't cheat you, even though there are ways to buy the key and program the car yourself for half the price. Like you said, you just got it done, and he provided that convenience. That's my opinion.
Thanks for this thread. Just got my one key'd 2010 Prius yesterday and am needing to make a spare. I ordered the cable with software from amazon and have a 32bit Windows XP laptop to work with it. From what I gather I now need a fully functioning key fob. Am I correct in thinking this thread tells me that it's OK if it has been used before? Is ebay the best source and I assume I need the A/C button on it since mine has that currently?
No, do not buy a used fob. It will not work without special access that few locksmiths and the dealerships have a subscription to. Buy a new fob from the cheapest reputable source you can find. New fobs are the only ones able to be programmed using the cheap ODBII USB connector and TechStream. The only reason I was able to pair a used fob to my car was because it was the original fob, but had become deactivated when a different fob was assigned as the master.
Thank you for the clarification. Looks like $100+ for a "new" one on ebay right now. Ouch. I want the software to turn off the reverse beeping anyway, but it seems I could find a better deal than this on the key.
Unfortunately, that's about as good as I've seen for a "virgin" key. Used ones are so cheap because they are a hassle even for those with a proper subscription to pair with the car.
Can you buy a new key through the dealership, just the part? Or they won't do it? And/or you don't want to know the price?
Hi everyone, I just brought home my new to me 2012 Prius V wagon from the Toyota dealer. I love it and am thrilled to have a Prius. I bought both the aftermarket extended warranty for 4 years 80,000 kms (still have 1 year left on the factory powertrain plus 4 years on the hybrid battery), as well as a key fob replacement warranty as they are quoting me $750 to replace! The car came with two key/fobs. My question is, do I really need either of these? Especially the key coverage for this particular thread, though insights into the reliability of the car and the need for the extended warranty are welcome. Thanks!
I called my insurance rep (Amica) who said they would pay for a lost fob with no deductible under the re-keying clause of the policy.
Extended warranties are exactly like insurance, and the purpose of insurance is to protect against unlikely events that could cause financial ruin. If you would be in financial ruin from an out of warranty failure on your car, then an extended warranty might make sense. I don't even have a factory warranty on my 2012 because it has a reconstructed title. Neither do I have comprehensive or collision insurance. If my car went up in flames this very moment, I wouldn't suffer financial ruin or lack of transportation. I'm more likely to profit from investing the savings than loose money through an unlikely catastrophe.
I generally advise against aftermarket warranties. Most don't cover hybrid specific stuff (Hybrid battery, inverter, etc) and overall toyota Hybrids are very reliable so the factory warranty is usually good enough. As far as getting another keyfob, look for a shop like mine or an auto locksmith to make you a 2nd or 3rd key. We charge $150 for fob+door key+programming, about 1/2 what dealer charges.
Just bought a 2014 Prius Five that came with only one fob (ugh, you don't know this until you're leaving the lot and they say they don't have another one). Dealer said just under $400.... I called a local independent auto locksmith. This guy charged me $170, came to my house and took no more than 15 minutes to program the new fob and to cut the emergency key (no, lasers are not involved in this).
Can you share the contact info of mobile locksmith you used? I'm sure others in Houston would be interested.
Sure, call Santiago with Low Priced Keys, his cell phone number is on his website: Sugar Land, TX Low Price Keys - Lowpricekeys
