Spare Keys

[Gowf]

Just had a thought... How many of you actualy have a spare key for your car?

The reason i ask is that i found myself looking for my van keys today. Couldnt find them anywhere in the house, so started on the huge task of tracing my steps to find them. Now i had resigned myself to the fact that i'd just have to order another set, even though im meant to be driving to aberdeen in it tomorrow, when i realised that all the paperwork i need to sort out my dad's probate is in the van.

Its amazing how many people suddenly appear in the street when you decide to use the universal ford key that you have found in your screwdriver set.

Some looks of horror, obviously Bell Bar is too upper class to have vans broken into at 10pm on a wednesday.

Anyway.... i think that im now going to get a spare for all of my cars now, as the old transit is a damn sight easier, infact scariely easy, to break into than a galant or a skyline! I hope!!!!!!!!

[miller]

Made sure to get a key cut within a week of buying, also lucky enough my mate who installs alarms had me a spare alarm fob within two days and coded it in.

Its just peace of mind more than anything.

My g/f winds me up cronic though, ive been at her for over a year to get a spare and i just know whats gonna happen. and i will hate to say i told you so. Same with AA membership...her attitude is well if it breaks i just call you!! But as we all know when things go wrong they happen in three's. What if im abroad or a hundred miles away and drunk.....I wish!!!!

Mike

[Davezj]

if you car is jap import then they do not have an transponder in the key. so you can buy any mitsi blank key from ebay and get it cut at any key cutters like timpsons, etc, etc.
should only cost £7 for the blank and cutting.

hope this helps Dave

[Nevman]

so how much is the one with the transponder?

[HMG1K]

Mine's a 2003 UK Elegance with no transponder in the key - just the standard fit Cobra CAT1 alarm...

I got the original spare and second alarm fob with the car.. but yes, always good to have spares just incase - cheaper than changing all the locks, including the boot and ignition!

[Nick Mann]

A neighbour worked for a large insurance company. If a car got stolen and wasn't recovered then they checked the owner still had two sets of keys. If the owner did not have two sets of keys then they assumed (and got away with it!) that the car had been stolen with the keys. Thus they deemed that the owner was negligent and didn't pay out. This is not the case if the cars keys were stolen as part of the car stealing operation.

So beware - She now gets a second key cut every time she has a car that only has one. If she thinks like that, then so should we!

[Davezj]

an 03 without a transponder. that doesn't sound right.
all car sold in europe after 00/01 had to be sold with an immobiliser deactivated by the key.
Or that was what i was lead to believe.

[HMG1K]

an 03 without a transponder. that doesn't sound right.
all car sold in europe after 00/01 had to be sold with an immobiliser deactivated by the key.
Or that was what i was lead to believe.

Seems like my key is a standard one with the Mitsubishi logo on it. Though thinking of it I have 3 keys... two normal black ones and one gray one which is the servicing key...

Maybe it has a transponder - looks like a regular key. Technolgy is so tiny these days!

[ANTHONY]

the 1st thing i did was get some keys cut i also got a spare remote but have yet to program it

[Johnny_Cashed]

I think there are crossed wires here? Some imports have transponders (?) in the key I think IE you press a button on the key to arm/disarm, but no immobiliser in the key itself, hence why you can just buy a key blank and use that.

My galant has a seperate fob for the alarm (as all UK galants do), but has an immobiliser in the key, and costs £30ish+VAT, then another £30ish to be coded by Mitsu.

EDIT: But as I didn't know whether my locks had been changed at some point, I elected to just get a blank from Mitsu, and have it copied from my existing key. I took it to WG Pollards in Chesterfield, who tested the cut on a cheap blank first to check it worked in my car (it opens all the doors, but obviously won't start it) before cutting the Mitsu blank, all for £6! And they gave me the cheap blank for free :)

[ANTHONY]

i have an import with a button on the key but this just locks the doors and a fob for the alarm. so on an import car you can just get a spare key cut. on a uk car you will need the transponder to start the car.

[elnevio]

Seems like my key is a standard one with the Mitsubishi logo on it. Though thinking of it I have 3 keys... two normal black ones and one gray one which is the servicing key...

Maybe it has a transponder - looks like a regular key. Technolgy is so tiny these days!

The transponder is AFAIK in the key itself, just a tiny electronic circuit, that the car recognises when it is put in the ignition barrel.

As for the grey key, not sure what you mean by servicing key, but these are very popular on Jap cars, and is known as the valet key - because it operates the ignition and door, but won't open the glove box or boot (although the boot is fairly irrelevant if you have an estate or internal boot release). So you give the parking valet at your posh hotel the grey key, so he can't nick your stuff out of the glove box. I find this comes in handy all the time...

[jayjay99]

These are what keys I have, the buttons on the key have never worked.... although I've just realised that I don't think I've ever tried replacing the battery?!? Does anyone else have this key with working buttons?


uploaded/2685/1201129165.jpg

[Davezj]

the transponders in the keys, are so small that they look exactly the same as none transponder keys. the only way you will know if you have a transponder key is to take it to a key cutters an they will have a box that they plug the key in to and read the code off it.
if you have a key cut, then plug the new cut key in and programs the new one.
you never know you are using the transponder keyas the immobiliser is situated just behind the lock barrel on a multiplug (little black box). the key desables the immobiliser by being in close proximity to the immobiliser.

[HMG1K]

As for the grey key, not sure what you mean by servicing key, but these are very popular on Jap cars, and is known as the valet key.

That's the baby! Valet key!

[HMG1K]

These are what keys I have, the buttons on the key have never worked.... although I've just realised that I don't think I've ever tried replacing the battery?!? Does anyone else have this key with working buttons?


uploaded/2685/1201129165.jpg

Mine is similar to the top key in the photos - no buttons - but the top key is also the same type and variety I had on my 1990 6g Galant!

[Nick Mann]

jayjay - I think that your buttons on the key will work to lock/unlock, but they won't operate the alarm. Not much point in buying new batteries, if I am right.

[Eurospec]

Some cars, and i'm not saying which or how because anyone can read it here, are very easy to get into.

You would be shocked at how many cars can be got into within seconds without propper tools with no damage at all.

All i would say is that the galant has an obvious feature that makes it a lot harder. Its worth getting a spare key if you dont already have one.

Cheers,

Ben.

[unclepete]

Gowf,

Give me a shout if you need someone to cut keys for you - got a mate, who's in Stirling and the best locksmith you'll meet. He often travels down to Kirkintilloch and is all over the place. If he's in your area, it might be worth meeting up with him - tell him you know Pedro and he's even more generous than normal.