Spare key

[Slam]

so I own 2 bmws an E70 x5 and my z3 both of which I only got with 1 key. So the x5 battery finally died so I thought I would get a spare key for each car. Phoned around the car key companies and it seemed the recommendation was to buy from main dealer as they are complicated and the cost won't be much different to main dealer. So trip to main dealer today armed with 2 log books a utility bill and a photo driving licence and my keys. The x5 flat key battery was replaced fortunately it has comfort entry and the battery can be replaced otherwise that would also have been another new key as the batteries are not replaceable in the standard entry key !! Anyhow 2 new keys ordered one standard x5 entry key and one new z3 key £330 if you please. Had I bought a spare comfort entry key that's a whopping £350 on its own as the old missing key has to be removed from the ecu. Moral of the story get a spare key with the car.

 

[GazHyde]

Expensive little things, and only made worse by all the additional gadgetry they pile on cars these days.

 

[Shelly]

I nearly didn't have a spare key a few weeks ago as I accidentally put it in the bin

 

[Cooper]

There was a guy here in Australia at was charged almost AUD1000 for a spare key. He complained to the ACCC [Australian Consumer Complaints Commission] that ruled in the guys favour - that the price was excessive and abuse of whatever.... and he got the key for about AUD400. That ruling should be applied right across the board with all manufactures. It is a form of extortion really.

 

[Tearoom]

I recently got a spare key for my zed. I had to order through the main dealer, took about a week for it to come from Germany, then they had to do some sort of Masonic handshake with it on the car before it would work. Then I had to buy a black plastic cover for the key, which for some reason wasn't included. All in all cost me about £140.

 

[Paul M]

I paid £50 for my key at BMW

 

[mrscalex]

In fairness it's not just a BMW thing. My 2014 Alhambra key cost me about £175 with programming at the main dealer. And again, no auto locksmith wanted to touch it.

It's where modern car security comes from no doubt. But with it a monopoly by the main dealer that stops competition and keeps the price high.

 

[FRANKIE]

I had a BMW 325ci that had a dead key. The key would insert into the ignition and turn ingition to on where everything would light up on the dashboard but it wouldn't crank the engine in the start position. I thought the starter was bad so I got under the car and hot wired the starter which worked just fine. I then turned the ignition to 'on' and got back under the car and hot wired the starter again. The engine cranked but didn't start. Plenty of gas in the car. I then sprayed starting fluid into the throttle body and went through the same proceedure. This time the engine fired up using just the ether. The chances of the wiring for the starter and the fuel pump going bad at the same time was remote. A neighbor who was a mechanic was watching. He said it seemed like security issue. Looking up the ews (I think that's what it's called) system, I found out that the starter system and the fuel pump are blocked if the right key isn't used. Since it was the right key, and it has a rechargable battery in it that operates a transmitter that contacts a small ring on the lock on the steering column, I knew the battery was dead. Not replaceable. But on the internet, they do it. I followed the instructions getting a new rechargable battery. Very difficult to seperate the key, but do-able. The battery is held into place by 2 metal clips that pick up the positive and negative charge on each side of the battery disc. I wasn't careful enough in extracting the battery from these clips and broke one free from its soldering point on the small circuit board inside the key. Things went downhill from that point as I tried to re-solder the clip back on and badly knackered it up. So I ended up getting a new key anyway for about $125.00. Next time, I'll be more careful........................Frankie

 

[Paul M]

My question is do the price differences differ how old the car is?
I am sure I asked about a key last year and it was going to be £150+
I was in BMW and asked out of curiosity and I paid £50. My car turned 20yo in March, key was bought 2 weeks ago.

 

[mrscalex]

My question is do the price differences differ how old the car is?
I am sure I asked about a key last year and it was going to be £150+
I was in BMW and asked out of curiosity and I paid £50. My car turned 20yo in March, key was bought 2 weeks ago.

In short I would say yes. The older the car the more simple the key is likely to be. Hence more simple to produce/programme and more likely to be a competitive price if 3rd parties can produce.

 

[Paul M]

In short I would say yes. The older the car the more simple the key is likely to be. Hence more simple to produce/programme and more likely to be a competitive price if 3rd parties can produce.

Was a genuine BMW key with light, but not a keyless entry.

 

[Kit]

I need a 3 button diamond key 2007 Z4 anyone know what that might cost.

 

[Tearoom]

My key, included remote central locking buttons and alarm.

 

[Slam]

To top it off I had a phone call from BMW today saying I can't have a standard remote key for the x5 it's got to be a comfort key and another £70 thank you very much ! So totals up,to £400"for 2 keys. The z3 key with remote opening and another button for unlocking and a third button for what looks lights was £181.48 inc vat

 

[Slam]

And the thats assuming I don't have to book it in to get the old comfort key removed from the ecu.

 

[mrscalex]

Btw I'm assuming most people need another key as they bought their car with only one key or lost a key.

If anyone has the key but thinks the electronics are knackered and it needs to go in the bin it can quite probably be repaired. I discovered an expert after I paid out the £175 for a new one. He brought back one key that had gone through the washing machine. And another that had been sliced up by the lawn mower. He reshelled that second one somehow even though it was a tamper-proof shell designed to self-destruct.

Good old-fashioned, straight-forward service.

He charges about £30 including return postage. But in both instances the key had to be reprogrammed which could be a £50 plus job in itself.

Crescent Radio Ltd 21C Green Lanes Palmers Green London, N13 4TT (Inside Spencer Ave)
https://www.keyfobrepair.co.uk/
spencer.electronics@yahoo.co.uk
020 889 7593

 

[the Nefyn cat]

Pah! Used to be able to buy a whole working car for less than the price of a key. Pah again.

 

[Geophys]

When I bought my Z3 it came with one remote key and one non-remote. The remote key was pretty worn, so for my own peace of mind I bought a new remote key from the local main dealer for £172. When I went in to collect the key and for them to program it, 4 mechanics came out of the workshop to look at the car, they'd never had a Z3 in the shop, this a main dealer! When I went to my local Independent BMW garage, they had another one there they were working on. Guess who gets my business.

 

[mrscalex]

When I bought my Z3 it came with one remote key and one non-remote. The remote key was pretty worn, so for my own peace of mind I bought a new remote key from the local main dealer for £172. When I went in to collect the key and for them to program it, 4 mechanics came out of the workshop to look at the car, they'd never had a Z3 in the shop, this a main dealer! When I went to my local Independent BMW garage, they had another one there they were working on. Guess who gets my business.

A red 2.2 Sport. Quite a rare beast.

 

[Geophys]

A red 2.2 Sport. Quite a rare beast.

Yes I searched for quite a long time to get this specification in a 2.2 Sport, to me a sports car has to be red, (I would have settled for yellow), and I particularly wanted the Lotus White interior. It's a really great condition car, which I got for a very good price.