Have you ever been quoted an exorbitant price for a replacement car key fob? Many car owners find themselves in this frustrating situation, facing hefty bills from dealerships for a simple key replacement. I recently experienced this firsthand when I needed a new key for my car. Dealerships and locksmiths quoted me around $160 – $200, which seemed excessive, especially since I was comfortable handling the programming myself. Their reluctance to just cut the key was also a hurdle. This experience led me down a DIY path, and I discovered that replacing your car key fob can be surprisingly affordable and achievable at home.
My journey started with purchasing two complete key fobs from Alibaba for just $9 each. To program them, I invested in an older Vagtacho cable for a mere $20. The real challenge, however, was getting the key blade cut. It’s a straightforward milling process, but local services seemed unwilling to separate the cutting service from their full-service key replacement packages. Calling around, I repeatedly encountered the same response: “We can get you the remote, cut it, and program it for $160.” They were clearly not interested in just cutting a key I already had, as that would undercut their more profitable complete service.
Even Ace Hardware, which offers replacement transponder remotes, quoted a steep $200 for a new remote, including the key, cutting, and programming. They did offer key cutting alone for $25, but with a significant caveat: “we can’t guarantee the key won’t be damaged in the process if you bring the key. If we supply the key, we do guarantee it will be cut properly.” This lack of confidence and the still relatively high price for just cutting pushed me further towards a DIY solution.
Frustrated with the limited and expensive options, I decided to take matters into my own hands and bought my own key copy milling machine for $130 online. It was a Chinese clone, similar to the key fobs and cable I had already purchased, but the excitement of being able to cut my own keys was worth it.
Initially, I was uncertain about the differences between a valet key and a regular key, as I was upgrading from a valet key. I initially thought the main difference was the tip, but I soon realized it was primarily the thickness of the key blade. While my trace and copy method wasn’t as precise as professional laser cutting based on stored profiles, as offered by services like TuneMyEuro.com, I managed to get a functional cut that worked in all locks – the door, ignition, glovebox, and even the hatch! After successfully cutting the key, programming the new fob was straightforward, and everything worked perfectly.
In total, my DIY key replacement cost broke down as follows: $9 for the key fob, $20 for the Vagtacho cable, and $130 for my own key cutter. While the initial investment in the cutter might seem high, it has already paid off as I’ve cut keys for two vehicles and plan to cut more for my other cars and any future purchases. I later discovered that HU66-specific key cutters are available for as little as $45, which could further reduce the cost for similar projects.
To share this cost-saving knowledge and empower others to tackle their car key replacements, I’m planning to create a YouTube video documenting the entire process, from start to finish. If you think there’s a demand for a step-by-step guide on DIY car key replacement, especially focusing on saving money and understanding the process, let me know in the comments!
