£200 for a spare key?

[terry paget]

Downside Motors, my local Vx dealer, for some reason no longer supply spare Vx keys. I went to Saltford Motors, another Vx dealer, to order one, The receptionist said they could supply, would be about £200, outrageous I said. He fetched the service manager, who was of a similar opinion. I bought my last Omega for £190, I observed, and it gave 4 years trouble free service.

There must be a better way. I see Vx key blanks on e-bay for £4. I expect Timpsons would cut them for me. There remains the synchronised chip. I have many old Vx keys from dead Astras and Omegas, would they contain similar chips? That just leaves the synchronisation. Please advise.

[Nick W]

Same advice as always: find an independent locksmith who does cars and use them. You want a key(immobiliser and remote) for a common, mass-market car. I would expect to get all three of those brand new, while I wait, for less than £100. They don't need the car pass either.
Getting a key blank cut, so you can unlock the doors and steering lock is something any high street locksmith will do for a few quid - buy the blank from them, then if it doesn't work it's their problem to fix!

[terry paget]

Thanks.

[neil74]

I still need to get the blank key I bought from Alasdair cut so I have a spare for my car if I need it..

[Andy B]

If its any consolation Mercedes will relieve you of £230 for a new key ..... and I believe you can't programme an old key.

[terry paget]

Some while ago I had an Omega ignition lock fail. Too mean to buy a new lock and keys, I changed the ignition lock for a spare lock with 2 keys. I taped the chip from the original key to the replacement lock, and it worked. Of course I used the original keys in the door locks. I wonder if this would work in a Vectra?

[Nick W]

Some while ago I had an Omega ignition lock fail. Too mean to buy a new lock and keys, I changed the ignition lock for a spare lock with 2 keys. I taped the chip from the original key to the replacement lock, and it worked. Of course I used the original keys in the door locks. I wonder if this would work in a Vectra?

Instead of buying  a new key??

[Andy B]

Some while ago I had an Omega ignition lock fail. Too mean to buy a new lock and keys, I changed the ignition lock for a spare lock with 2 keys. I taped the chip from the original key to the replacement lock, and it worked. Of course I used the original keys in the door locks. I wonder if this would work in a Vectra?

You should have just made a barrel fit the original key .... you must have had enough dead or dying Vauxhalls to swap the tumblers from

[terry paget]

Some while ago I had an Omega ignition lock fail. Too mean to buy a new lock and keys, I changed the ignition lock for a spare lock with 2 keys. I taped the chip from the original key to the replacement lock, and it worked. Of course I used the original keys in the door locks. I wonder if this would work in a Vectra?

Instead of buying  a new key??

Yes. It worked a treat, I reckonned no-one would steal a 15 year old Omega, and no-one did. Only inconvenience was having different keys for door and ignition.

[terry paget]

Some while ago I had an Omega ignition lock fail. Too mean to buy a new lock and keys, I changed the ignition lock for a spare lock with 2 keys. I taped the chip from the original key to the replacement lock, and it worked. Of course I used the original keys in the door locks. I wonder if this would work in a Vectra?

You should have just made a barrel fit the original key .... you must have had enough dead or dying Vauxhalls to swap the tumblers from

Right. That did not occur to me.

[Nick W]

I meant, why would you do this for your Vectra, when all you need is a new key? Keys - and the locks they open -  are wear items after all.

[terry paget]

If its any consolation Mercedes will relieve you of £230 for a new key ..... and I believe you can't programme an old key.

Including car pass £25, parts £111.57, labour £66 and VAT £35.51, my key cost £213.08, so not much less that the Mercedes charge. Ouch!
It makes buying a car with 2 keys more attractive, or making do with just the one supplied and getting a locks only key as backup. Certainly my daughter is forever locking her key in the car.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Why not just get a blank cut and hide it somewhere under the bumper etc, so at least she can then open the car and retrieve the proper keyfob to turn the alarm off. 

Cheap, simple and effective. 

[terry paget]

Why not just get a blank cut and hide it somewhere under the bumper etc, so at least she can then open the car and retrieve the proper keyfob to turn the alarm off. 

Cheap, simple and effective. 

Good tip. I'd forgotten the alarm, but I believe it only honks for 30 seconds even if I do not find the original key.

[TheBoy]

Be aware, most high street key cutters will not cut blanks they don't supply, and often they want £30 for a blank.

My blanks cost me less than a tenner, including transponder, from any dodgy site on the Internet...   ...usually CHina .  Fobs cost me about £30 from a dealer - worth paying the extra for the genuine part.  My dealer charges about £25 by the time VAT goes on it for a carpass, which is steep, and we normally end up in a deeper negotiation.

The prices you are getting quoted TP, almost makes it worth buying a Tech2, given the number of Tech2 capable cars you buy (ie, pre Insignia, Astra J etc)


Be wary of the key cloners that many locksmiths offer, as most of the time it is a cloned fob, which will suffer sync issues quickly if you use both keys.