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Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: terry paget on 24 April 2019, 16:31:47

Title: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: terry paget on 24 April 2019, 16:31:47
Recent Astra purchase came with only one key. I have the Car Pass. Is there another way of getting a spare key?
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Shackeng on 24 April 2019, 16:54:29
https://www.lockserv.co.uk/auto-locksmith-swindon.html

Probably somewhere like this? :-\
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Nick W on 24 April 2019, 17:38:17
A good locksmith will supply a new key, remote and immobiliser chip while you wait for less than half what a dealer will charge. Nor will they won't insist on the car pass, although it's cheaper with one.
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: terry paget on 25 April 2019, 09:36:00
First enquiry to a local locksmith came back with £150, so clearly not a good locksmith. Will persevere.
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Nick W on 25 April 2019, 12:08:05
First enquiry to a local locksmith came back with £150, so clearly not a good locksmith. Will persevere.


make sure you're sitting down when you ask a dealer! They don't do it while you wait either.


Is that £150  for all three parts? It doesn't seem unreasonable to me
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: STEMO on 25 April 2019, 12:24:42
First enquiry to a local locksmith came back with £150, so clearly not a good locksmith. Will persevere.


make sure you're sitting down when you ask a dealer! They don't do it while you wait either.


Is that £150  for all three parts? It doesn't seem unreasonable to me
If that £150 is all in, i.e. programming as well, then it is very reasonable. I paid Timpsons £114 about four years ago (for my orlando) and I remember that being well cheaper than the dealer.
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: terry paget on 25 April 2019, 12:26:26
I bought one from a dealer last December. N/stock key £64.63, car pass £17.91, w/shop diagnostic £33.33, plus VAT, £116.17 the lot. That's dear enough, but  less than £150!
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 25 April 2019, 13:54:30
And you have the car pass, so it's already cheaper... ::)
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: TheBoy on 25 April 2019, 17:58:45
I need to raise my prices ;D
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: terry paget on 26 April 2019, 11:32:35
I need to raise my prices ;D
What would you need to create a spare key? I can buy a blank key on e-bay, presumably Timpsons would cut the blade to match exisiting, I have a spare Astra key in my donor car, and of course I have the car. Is that all you need?
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 26 April 2019, 11:45:05
I need to raise my prices ;D
What would you need to create a spare key? I can buy a blank key on e-bay, presumably Timpsons would cut the blade to match exisiting, I have a spare Astra key in my donor car, and of course I have the car. Is that all you need?
Plus the car pass and formal ID. Oh, and cash. It's all detailed in the link on TBs profile :y
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Nick W on 26 April 2019, 17:04:45
I need to raise my prices ;D
What would you need to create a spare key? I can buy a blank key on e-bay, presumably Timpsons would cut the blade to match exisiting, I have a spare Astra key in my donor car, and of course I have the car. Is that all you need?


you do have a talent for making simple jobs complicated.
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: terry paget on 27 April 2019, 11:25:46
I need to raise my prices ;D
What would you need to create a spare key? I can buy a blank key on e-bay, presumably Timpsons would cut the blade to match exisiting, I have a spare Astra key in my donor car, and of course I have the car. Is that all you need?


you do have a talent for making simple jobs complicated.
I suppose I do. When I was young, car keys had numbers on them and I could buy a spare in any accessory shop for £1 or so. To make it more secure I could remove the rotor arm, but never did. Since then cars have got more electronic, and security has got more expensive, but cars seem no more secure.

Senator keys were simple and were cheap. Omega keys are complicated and expensive. You have found a local 'good locksmith'. I still seek one.
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Nick W on 27 April 2019, 16:08:47
I need to raise my prices ;D
What would you need to create a spare key? I can buy a blank key on e-bay, presumably Timpsons would cut the blade to match exisiting, I have a spare Astra key in my donor car, and of course I have the car. Is that all you need?


you do have a talent for making simple jobs complicated.
I suppose I do. When I was young, car keys had numbers on them and I could buy a spare in any accessory shop for £1 or so. To make it more secure I could remove the rotor arm, but never did. Since then cars have got more electronic, and security has got more expensive, but cars seem no more secure.

Senator keys were simple and were cheap. Omega keys are complicated and expensive. You have found a local 'good locksmith'. I still seek one.


For instance: why would you buy a blank from Ebay, then get Timpsons(or whoever) to cut it instead of just walking in and getting them to supply and cut a key? Who do you blame if it doesn't work? We often had customers complain they couldn't get a working copy of a door key; the problem was always solved by having the new key cut on a blank from the lock manufacturer. Modern car keys are best cut to the code, rather than copying an existing one, so that's another reason to use a specialist locksmith. Dealers don't cut keys, but order them to the code which means waiting. This is the minimum that anyone who only has one key for their car should do, as it means you can open the doors and release the steering lock. Next step is sorting the immobiliser out, which is a bit more expensive but shouldn't be any more difficult than making a couple of phonecalls from the Yellow pages. Supplying and programming an alarm remote is a bit more niche, but you're looking for a Vauxhall part not a McClaren!
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Andy B on 27 April 2019, 20:13:23
....  ..... This is the minimum that anyone who only has one key for their car should do, as it means you can open the doors and release the steering lock.  ....

This is what I kept telling my daughter as her Siecento only had a single working key. Another key would have meant getting one from Fiat at a cost of around £200 & it wasn't worth spending that kind of money on a Fiat Shed. However when she locked her keys in the boot .....  ::)
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: dave the builder on 27 April 2019, 20:38:20
....  ..... This is the minimum that anyone who only has one key for their car should do, as it means you can open the doors and release the steering lock.  ....

This is what I kept telling my daughter as her Siecento only had a single working key. Another key would have meant getting one from Fiat at a cost of around £200 & it wasn't worth spending that kind of money on a Fiat Shed. However when she locked her keys in the boot .....  ::)
you used a brick, some polythene and gaffer tape  :-\
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Andy B on 27 April 2019, 21:05:01
....  ..... This is the minimum that anyone who only has one key for their car should do, as it means you can open the doors and release the steering lock.  ....

This is what I kept telling my daughter as her Siecento only had a single working key. Another key would have meant getting one from Fiat at a cost of around £200 & it wasn't worth spending that kind of money on a Fiat Shed. However when she locked her keys in the boot .....  ::)
you used a brick, some polythene and gaffer tape  :-\
the first time .... a bloke from Green Flag spent an hour or so failing to pry the top of the door until he realised that the back windows hinged and then unscrewed the fastener to get in the car.
the second time .....  ::) a very short time later, I got into the car in about 60 seconds via the Webasto type full sun roof. Ironically the keys were NOT in the boot this time, she'd actually left them in the gym, so she sat in the car park for an hour waiting for me to come from work for nothing.  ;D
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Nick W on 27 April 2019, 22:58:39
Most lockouts are caused by stupidity on the part of the keyholder. Most of them. It was depressingly common to discover that the spare key to the car was on the same keyring as the one in use. As was every other key the idiot had ever owned. That made fishing them back out through a small gap next to impossible. Which was my fault apparently ???


So, in order:


Get a spare key, even if it won't reset the alarm/immobiliser
Keep it somewhere accessible, even if that means phoning someone to bring it to you.
Always lock the car using the key in your hand!!!!
Then put it in your pocket - a bag can be lost or stolen. If you lose your trousers then you shouldn't be allowed out on your own.
When the bloke turns up to help, and goes through the list of the best options, don't get upset when he refuses to touch the car until you've signed a damage disclaimer. And a lot of cars are very difficult to break into - we insisted that manufacturers make them so


And for the sake of your lock barrel, ditch all the unnecessary junk on your key ring
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: dave the builder on 28 April 2019, 08:47:27
Very good advice Nick  :)


Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Andy B on 28 April 2019, 10:38:52
Most lockouts are caused by stupidity on the part of the keyholder. ....

That would be me. Locking myself out of my car isn't something I've done very often, but the last time was locking myself out of my Smart Roadster. I was trying to sort its water tight integrity and popped the hatch to look for water .... in doing so I'd put my keys down & then just shut the tailgate  ???
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: TheBoy on 28 April 2019, 10:48:11
Keys? Keys are so yesterday.

I mean, what could possibly go wrong with keyless entry? ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: TheBoy on 28 April 2019, 10:49:34
Most lockouts are caused by stupidity on the part of the keyholder. ....

That would be me. Locking myself out of my car isn't something I've done very often, but the last time was locking myself out of my Smart Roadster. I was trying to sort its water tight integrity and popped the hatch to look for water .... in doing so I'd put my keys down & then just shut the tailgate  ???
I did that shortly after getting the Jag (though was at home, and do have a 2nd set).  To my complete surprise, as soon as the boot closed, it immediately re-opened, as it was able to detect the keys were in the boot :o
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Nick W on 28 April 2019, 11:20:20
Most lockouts are caused by stupidity on the part of the keyholder. ....

That would be me. Locking myself out of my car isn't something I've done very often, but the last time was locking myself out of my Smart Roadster. I was trying to sort its water tight integrity and popped the hatch to look for water .... in doing so I'd put my keys down & then just shut the tailgate  ???
I did that shortly after getting the Jag (though was at home, and do have a 2nd set).  To my complete surprise, as soon as the boot closed, it immediately re-opened, as it was able to detect the keys were in the boot :o


If you make something idiotproof, someone will find a better idiot.......


All that extra engineering to prevent a don't be so stupid as to leave your keys in the car conversation.
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: TheBoy on 28 April 2019, 11:26:00
If you make something idiotproof, someone will find a better idiot.......
A motto of any old skool software engineer. Sadly ignored since Agile was invented :(
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: aaronjb on 29 April 2019, 08:56:31
If you make something idiotproof, someone will find a better idiot.......
A motto of any old skool software engineer. Sadly ignored since Agile ship-whatever-compiles-and-fix-it-later was invented :(

Fixed that for you.
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: TheBoy on 29 April 2019, 09:19:17
If you make something idiotproof, someone will find a better idiot.......
A motto of any old skool software engineer. Sadly ignored since Agile ship-whatever-compiles-and-fix-it-later was invented :(

Fixed that for you.
I thought that was what Agile stood for :P ;D
Title: Re: Is there any way of obtaining a spare key other than via Vx dealer?
Post by: Andy B on 29 April 2019, 09:50:31
....
If you make something idiotproof, someone will find a better idiot.......

 ....

That's so true of almost any operator in almost any factory.  :y