Replacement key.. Dealer wants $300 :-(

Wife misplaced one of the two keys.

So far no luck with most of the web vendors who advertise the replace modern multi function key remotes.

FYI, this one MAY yet come through:
Allen J. Shelton
Direct Toll Free: 877.619.3136 x138
Fax: 208.475.6230
920 Rockmoor Drive
Georgetown, TX 78628
[email protected]
http://www.keylessride.com

Also FYI:
Local locksmith or most any hardware store can make a simple mechanical key for $3 to $5.
But all you can do with it is lock and open the doors and run accessories. Twist it to "start" and no ding. Car won't drive... Even though security system was disarmed with regular key.
Almost useless.
For approx $80 local locksmith says he can get and program a key that will start the car, but won't operate the electrical door locks without inserting in door lock, nor arm-disarm security system. (Will get one of these as a far-better-than-nothing-spare.)
Will, though, have to test if car has had theft alarm armed with regular key and you open car with this sort of "half capable" key what happens. I know the security system WILL see it as an intrusion and go off, but not sure if once I insert the key and turn it if that will,or won't satisfy the car and shut off the alarm.

In the meantime, if anyone has been through this, or no, and has a better than $300 alternative, pls advise. BTW North American keys not the same as Europe.

Moral: don't lose your key.

I'm afraid that I'm one of those people who rarely locks their car and on most of my other cars I even leave the key in the ignition (I never lose it that way), figuring that, e.g., with my old Saab, no one will figure out how to 1) start the car and 2) put it into reverse, not to mention the fact it it's not something anyone would even want to steal. :lol: Can't quite see thieves interested in stealing our iMiEV, and locking the car simply asks to have the window smashed. Sorry, but alarm systems for me are superfluous expensive unnecessary complications that drain our 12v battery. </rant>

Back on topic, here's an existing thread that might be of some help but doesn't appear to have solved the problem either: Car Keys

(Incidentally, Alex, I moved your thread from Wheels and Tires to here)

JoeS said:

I'm afraid that I'm one of those people who rarely locks their car ....... Can't quite see thieves interested in stealing our iMiEV, and locking the car simply asks to have the window smashed. Sorry, but alarm systems for me are superfluous expensive unnecessary complications that drain our 12v battery. </rant>

Click to expand...

I pretty much have to agree ..... but doubt I can get my wife to see it that way.
Even in one high risk area (a wilderness trailhead where cars are left for weeks and thieves find them convenient "safe" cars to break into), the savvy hikers know the smart thing is to leave the car unlocked and the glove compartment open to show there's nothing of value in it.

The one exception to your take is one of the rare occasions when we left our 2004 Toyota unlocked on the driveway someone got into it at night and rifled around looking for things to steal.

But you do raise an interesting option for me:
Get two of the $80 keys that can mechanically open and lock the doors and can drive (activate) the car, and just leave the alarm system off and the original key filed in a drawer at home.

acensor said:

just leave the alarm system off and the original key filed in a drawer at home.

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How to you deactivate the alarm? I got a key made at Home Depot and it can open the door. That is all I need as I need a waterproof key to use while surfing. So I have to unlock then quickly kill the alarm after finding the key. Would love to disarm for the surf trips. BTW, folks at Home Depot said my original key didn't have any electronics that their system could find. Some kind of new or different system.

olagon said:

How to you deactivate the alarm? . . . I have to unlock then quickly kill the alarm after finding the key. Would love to disarm for the surf trips...

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That's interesting. I thought the alarm was only activated if you lock the car with the key (though I don't know if it matters if the key is "smart" or dumb metal), so if you just lock it with the lock button on the driver's arm rest and close the door, the alarm isn't armed. Have you tried doing that instead of locking with the key?

olagon said:

acensor said:

just leave the alarm system off and the original key filed in a drawer at home.

Click to expand...

How to you deactivate the alarm? I got a key made at Home Depot and it can open the door. That is all I need as I need a waterproof key to use while surfing. So I have to unlock then quickly kill the alarm after finding the key. Would love to disarm for the surf trips. BTW, folks at Home Depot said my original key didn't have any electronics that their system could find. Some kind of new or different system.

Click to expand...

To deactivate the alarm just don't activate it.
AFAIK It is activated when you lock the car with the electronic key.
I believe (didn't test this, but almost sure) if you lock the car with your mechanical Home Depot key the alarm will not be active.
You can tell if it's not active as when active a read light flashes on the dash.

acensor said:

Wife misplaced one of the two keys.

So far no luck with most of the web vendors who advertise the replace modern multi function key remotes.

FYI, this one MAY yet come through:
Allen J. Shelton
Direct Toll Free: 877.619.3136 x138
Fax: 208.475.6230
920 Rockmoor Drive
Georgetown, TX 78628
[email protected]
http://www.keylessride.com

....For approx $80 local locksmith says he can get and program a key that will start the car, but won't operate the electrical door locks without inserting in door lock, nor arm-disarm security system. (Will get one of these as a far-better-than-nothing-spare.)....

Moral: don't lose your key.

Click to expand...

Follow up to my own post above:
Gave up on the option of keylessride.com when after email exchanges it started to appear that the key from them (assuming they got it right) would cost around $130 from them, BUT then, it appears, I'd probably have to take it, the car, and my other key to the local dealer to program it. Dealer charges $105 for programming, so (a) would be saving only about $70 over the dealer's $300 charge (if I purchased key thru dealer) (b) I'd be taking some chance that the keylessride guys didn't get it right and/or local dealer would either refuese to use third party key and/or refuse to stand behind their programming work.

As for the local locksmith who said for $50 to $80 they could clone/make a key that would start the car (though have no remote for locking and unlocking doors):
When I got there they tired several different devices and keys and finally admitted that they didn't have and didn't know if they could get what was needed to make such a key. Either the electronic clonable keys they had didn't have the right mechanical part of the key and/or the once that could be mechanically cut to work in the mechanical part of the locks could not be programmed/cloned with the devices that picked up the codes out of my good key.
Called one other locksmith who said MiEV keys were different than all other Mitsubishi electronic keys and that he doubted any local locksmith could do it and that likely I was stuck with going to dealer.
So for about $305 this week (it just arrived at dealer in Medford Oregon) I'll go in and get it programmed.

Again: Moral -- don't lose your key.
If it makes you feel any better replacing a BMW key costs over $400 at the dealer.

acensor said:

Wife misplaced one of the two keys......

So far no luck with most of the web vendors who advertise the replace modern multi function key remotes.........

Moral: don't lose your key.

Click to expand...

Final follow up on my Key replacements adventures. Finally ordered from the dealer. Got call from parts if had arrived. Made appointments to get it programmed. Their estimate of one hour to program the key Seemed pretty long but what the heck. After an hour it was obvious something not right. What happened is they had not mechanically cut the key .... for some reason couldn't do the cutting in their service dept. Sent key out to local locksmith.
The locksmith could you don't dare do cutting on the expensive mitsu electronic key until they cut a fake blank to make sure they can do it right.... And need car and the good factory original key present.
Bottom line is I was there 2.5 hours while things got un shuffled.

Service manager acknowledged that they dropped the ball .... should have had all Ducks in place and arranged for us to go over and get the mechanical key cutting before we came over for programming.

To their credit (Southern Oregon Mitsubishi in Medford Oregon ) in awkward situation they apologized and asked what they could do to make it right.
I said how about a courtesy discount.
They sold me the key at their cost , cut the programming fee in half, and paid the key cutting surcharge.

Bottom line I got the key plus programming for $170 instead of their originally quoted ~$320.

FYI , they mentioned that programming the remote ...door lock opener...was a bit tricky.. Threw them a curve for a while.

acensor said:

Made appointments to get it programmed cock. Gotzion and Surfas was taken down. Seemed pretty long but botanic. Threw the a curve for a while.

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So... confused?!

RobbW said:

acensor said:

Made appointments to get it programmed cock. Gotzion and Surfas was taken down. Seemed pretty long but botanic. Threw the a curve for a while.

Click to expand...

So... confused?!

Click to expand...

Sorry, that's some nonsense that was generated when I composed my post above by flawed computer generated voice to test.

See corrected edited post.

I said, "Stop using text to voice!"

http://youtu.be/OzebGvGH1h4

acensor said:

Sorry, that's some nonsense that was generated when I composed my post above by flawed computer generated voice to test.

See corrected edited post.

Click to expand...

Aw, man! You should have left the original. It was much more entertaining! Not to mention, now my reply looks stupid.

And as a follow up...

http://youtu.be/FnNlo-A8vW0

RobbW said:

acensor said:

Sorry, that's some nonsense that was generated when I composed my post above by flawed computer generated voice to test.

See corrected edited post.

Click to expand...

Aw, man! You should have left the original. It was much more entertaining! Not to mention, now my reply looks stupid.

Click to expand...

Yeah , My experience with the optional Dragon Dictate app in my iPad2
Has resulted in some REALLY amusing ones.

Most memorable the moment is when it made the last line of an email I sent to my son read as "...and I won't take Jay the rat."
To which he replied "Well, maybe Baracka [my cat, who is a ferocious hunter] will be willing to."

Apologies for off topic.

Relating to this thread, I posted some info here:

http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2932&p=27629#p27629