Dealing with car key fobs can be surprisingly frustrating and expensive. Like many car owners, I discovered this firsthand when facing the need for a new key fob. Initially, the thought of a simple key fob battery replacement seemed straightforward, but the deeper I delved, the more complex and costly the situation appeared to be. My journey started with a simple desire to get a spare key, but quickly turned into an exploration of DIY solutions and the surprising resistance from service providers to offer just a part of the service, like key cutting.
My quest began online, where I found complete key fobs on Alibaba for just $9 each. To program them, I invested in an older Vagtacho cable for $20. The real challenge, however, was getting the key blade cut. It sounds like a simple task, a basic milling process, but contacting local services revealed a different reality. Calling around, I encountered responses like, “We can get you the remote, cut it, and program it for $160.” This was a common refrain, even when I explained I already had the fob and knew how to program it myself. Asking just for the key cutting service was often met with the same bundled offer, repeated verbatim: “We can get you the remote, cut it, and program it for $160.” It became clear that standalone key cutting was not a service they were eager to provide, likely because it was the least profitable part of the entire process.
Local hardware stores, like Ace Hardware, offered some hope, as they do provide replacement transponder remotes. Their quote for a complete new remote, key cut, and programmed, was around $200 for my car. Interestingly, they did offer key cutting as a standalone service for $25. However, this came 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”. The implication was clear – bringing in your own key was a gamble, and any damage would be on you. While the $25 was tempting, the risk of damaging my new fob before even using it was a deterrent.
Frustrated with the limited options and unwilling to risk damaging my new key or pay exorbitant prices for a simple key cut, I decided to take a more radical approach: buying my own key copy milling machine. For $130, I acquired a Chinese clone machine online. It was a bit of an investment, but the idea of taking control and doing it myself was appealing. Like the key fobs and programming cable, it was a budget-friendly, albeit not top-of-the-line, solution. The excitement of learning a new skill and having the ability to cut keys myself added to the appeal.
The specific issue I faced was transitioning from a valet key to a regular key, and I was initially unsure of the exact differences. My first thought was the flare at the key tip, but I soon realized the main difference was in the thickness of the key blade itself. My physical trace and copy method wasn’t perfect, especially when compared to vendors like TuneMyEuro.com who claim perfect cuts using stored profile databases. Despite this, I managed to get the key to work in all locks – door, ignition, glovebox, and hatch! Programming the fob was the final step, and thankfully, it worked flawlessly.
Reflecting on the costs, my DIY key replacement broke down as follows: $9 for the key fob, $20 for the programming cable, and $130 for my key cutting machine. While the initial outlay for the cutter seems high, it’s a one-time investment. I’ve already cut two keys and plan to cut more for my other vehicles, significantly reducing the per-key cost. Discovering HU66-specific key cutters available for around $45 later on was a bit of a sting, knowing I could have potentially saved more, but the versatility of my machine is a plus.
Looking ahead, I’m considering documenting the entire process in a YouTube video, from start to finish, to guide others through the replacement key process. If there’s interest in seeing a step-by-step guide to DIY key fob and key replacement, it’s definitely something I’m motivated to create. For those primarily concerned with key fob battery replacement, services like Batteries Plus offer convenient solutions for battery changes. However, for more comprehensive key solutions, especially when facing scenarios beyond just a battery swap, exploring DIY or understanding the nuances of key cutting and programming can be incredibly valuable and cost-effective.
