Thread: Anyone ordered a replacement key from the UK?

If you want to do it the correct way, you will have to visit a Stealer, pay you $$$, and give them your VIN, and proof of ownership. They then send this OS - (to Sweden I think) and they will cut the key and code the new chip. They will then send it back to the dealer where you have to pick it up in person - no posting it out.

OR - get a blank key from Flea Bay for 15 quid, get it cut locally, take the chip out of your original key and glue it under your dash near the ignition, sync the new key to the car (there is a thread about this somewhere on here) and presto, you have a new key for about $50 all up...

BUT - you no longer have an immobiliser that works.... I believe there is a way of programming a new chip without going through the stealers, but I don't know all the details on that one...

I'm still tossing up which way I go with mine as I need a new one too...

Yeah, they're easy enough to order locally, AU dealer can order them in from Europe in ~3 weeks - downside is they want $650 for the privilege (08 flip style key).

From a UK dealer they are 165 pounds, so a bit of a difference.

You can code a new key with the T4/Autologic etc so pretty much any specialist can do it - only issue is it needs to be an absolutely brand spanking new key, a 2nd hand one from another car won't allow the transponder to be re-coded. I know, I bought one from ebay, replaced the blade and synced the remote to the car, works fine to unlock it but the Autologic gave a "programming failed" error trying to code the transponder so it can't start it.

Alas the transponder glued under the ignition wouldn't be as easy on the 08 either since the key has moved up on to the dash, don't think I'd want to go that route anyway as the potential insurance grief if it ever got stolen would likely be considerable.

Will phone round a few more and see how I go, sure one of them will be prepared to do international shipping.

Cheers,

Al

Ah - I see - you wanted to know if a UK Stealer would send you one - tried that too - no.

I've got an '03 so if I hid the transponder and someone ever knocked it off, I would claim it was like that when I got it.... Probably wouln't do it on an '08....

So - do you know where you can get 'brand new' keys from that you could get programmed locally - that would still be cheaper than a stealer I would think?

Cheers - Gav

Yeah, may see if they would release the key to a family member in the UK with suitable approval in writing/photo ID etc and then get them to post it out but don't hold much hope of them doing that either.

Not actually sure the transponder thing would work anyway, just given it a try keeping the good registered working key close enough in to hear the column unlock and holding it there. As soon as the non-registered key goes in the ignition it overrules it and locks the column back up again. As the transponder is on the same board as the rest of the remote I think I don't see there being an easy way to just remove that part of it. Unsoldering it maybe, but then don't know if that would knock the rest of it out too depending how the circuit routes.

Alas I think the only place to get a brand new key is the dealer, haven't been able to find anyone selling true fresh blanks with the internals included unfortunately.

I have been thinking about this as I got 3 keys with my car, and only one has a transponder chip in it. So I have 3 which will unlock the car, and only one which will start the car.

The transponder chip is a small black thingo in the back of the key, careful it will fall out if your not careful when replacing the battery, I would say thats why I have non working keys.

I don't see why the transponder stuck near the ignition coil wouldnt work, but I havent been keen enough to lock my one good key in the car yet to test.

As far as I am aware, simply buying a new key won't work, as the transponder chip has to be made and coded for your cars BCM, which has a total of 10 pre coded transponder codes. Every time a key is reported lost, the dealer is meant to program the bcm and disable that code, leaving one less, so effectively you can only ever have 10 keys for a car, and then the bcm needs replacing. Also as far as I know, the transponder codes are hard coded to the bcm when its initially configured, so you can't code new random keys to it.

It is possible to clone the transponder chip with a hitag2 unit, but there lies another issue with the transponder having some memory, which has a random code written to it by the bcm every time the car is stopped, and then the bcm looks for that code next time you start the car. So both the transponders fixed id code, and its learnt rolling code must match whats in the bcm. So if you cloned a transponder chip they would get out of whack.

Now I believe it is possible to code a new transponder chip from scratch without intervention of landrover or a dealer, but its an involved process I dont think would be worth the hassle

I am not sure what version of EWS the RR uses but its used in a few cars.

I don't know if later models work differently, I have only researched the system used on the 02-05 cars.

Just opened up and had a nosey at one of the keys from our 03 (which thankfully came with 3 fully working) and they are very different inside, the 03 is a Siemens remote board with what looks like a Phillips transponder (logo is tiny). The later one is made by Visteon and has no separate transponder.

So yeah, sticking the transponder near the coil on an 03-06 would likely work as you could always just remove the transponders from the other keys but anything after 07 it wouldn't.

Just as an update to this, ended up buying a key from Britcar (UK) Ltd shipped directly out from the UK with no issues and no VAT.

Came with the key blade cut based on our vin and then just needed the transponder programmed to the car.

Worked out about 1/2 the price of buying the key in Australia.

Originally Posted by ariddell

Yeah, may see if they would release the key to a family member in the UK with suitable approval in writing/photo ID etc and then get them to post it out but don't hold much hope of them doing that either.

I had a key ordered and collect by a friend in the UK for my P38. I scanned my rego document and e-mailed it over. My mate took it to the dealer , paid and collected a couple of days after. No dramas at all, it worked straight of after syncing.
Dealer was in Canterbury, Kent