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Having just read this thread, I went out to pick up my girls from school. As I locked the front door, the key fell from my key ring, with the blade part still attached to the keys in the front door. This has never happened before in the 2 years I have had the car. My car is a Toyota. I live in Lincolnshire.
Looks like their are people who can help
@Murray London based though so miles from here. I have a couple of people looking to get back to me tomorrow so may be lucky...
It's not trivial this but a friend of mine got himself a full set of keys, locks, ECU etc from a dead car and swapped them into his, to beat the same problem. Some cars might have protections against that though
@Thisisnotaspoon - thanks - I cant see the actual immobiliser bit in your pics, nor in my key (mine is a square fob, not key shaped). Have looked through all the grass clippings and not found anything, and have tried the casing just in case it is buried in there, with no luck
Where who i used for Vauxhall when I worked there
I'd be surprised that a new ECU is needed...
Normally you just need the manufacturer key and imob code which most dealers charge 50 to 100 quid for.
This let's you then "unlock" the ECU delete the old key serial numbers and add the new keys.
Try another Toyota dealer and ask for parts or workshop. Try n get past the service advisors.
It's not actually a Toyota key, just giving an idea of the size of the bit you need to locate.
It's the 3mm X 8mm rectangular bit of plastic clipped into the bottom right corner.
A metal detector would find the immobiliser module? a lawn mower can fire stuff a fair distance.
I cannot offer any help but did want to say the thread title did make me laugh and conjure up all sorts of images
Nothing helpful to add, aside well meaning neighbours can be a pain.
If I want to be nice to mine, which I do, rather than leave my works van on the street I have to reverse park into the small space next to my car.
It's that tight the reversing sensors trigger constantly and I have to flip the mirrors in often to get past the gatepost at the same time, whilst not catching the back tyre on the doorstep (2cm margin). Particularly tricky if a car is parked opposite.
One evening after the bins have been collected, I did the tricky parking and noticed some resistance.
Oops, squashed the bin.
My elderly neighbor had kindly bought my bin in and put it where I park, rather than next to the recycling bin, where I've kept it for the last 14 years.
Actually I do have something useful to add. A friend had a key cloned for his 2001 Ford ranger. It upset the ECU and randomly wouldn't start even with the original key, the key guy wouldn't answer his calls, he ended up paying for the immobilizer to be bypassed by an auto sparky. Much older vehicle though.
The last time I had to do anything like this, which granted was years ago, you either needed a special red master key (so the regular key would've been useless) or to some sort of Vulcan Nerve Pinch manoeuvre with ignition positions to put the car into programming mode.
Does that sort of thing not apply any more?
That would be too easy 🙂 Car only came with one – not been an issue for the past 7 years. Hindsight is great!
Reminds me of a work colleague from years ago who I noticed was using the 'red' key for his car (Ford).
I asked why, as I'd been reading a story about Honda motorbikes where the key was linked to the ECU, and the reason he was using the red key was that he'd lost the other two previously...
Check your breakdown cover, my rac membership covers lost keys, not sure if it covers damage but you lost them didn't you...
what does it cover you for though - probably recovery back to your house or a garage of your choosing, maybe even loan of a car while yours is fixed, but I don't think they stump up for the actual cost of a new key / ECU any more than they pay for the engine to be rebuilt when your cambelt goes.
I lost keys on a trip to Newcastle one year, they put it on a low loader and started driving me south while the control room tried to find a locksmith that was open, eventually dropping me off in Leeds but they didn't buy the new key for me.
Yeah breakdown cover will recover the car (or take it from home to a garage etc) but not pay for new keys
Even if you have key cover check what it actually covers. Lost the key to my car and garage wanted £300 to supply new key and code it to the car. No probs, I thought, I'll just claim off my insurance. Turns out they wanted all the locks changed in case some ne'er do well found the old key and tried to steal the car which put the price north of £1k and invoked the voluntary excess of £500. Didn't bother and found the lost key a couple of week's later in my Dad's car, it must have slipped out my pocket
Still doesn't help the OP though.....
This is part of the cover on my RAC membership:
Cover for new keys and locks up to £1,500 including reprogramming from £3 per month or £36 per year
Why add Key Replace?
Avoid the unexpected cost of replacement keys if yours are lost, stolen or accidentally broken. To keep you mobile we will even arrange for a hire car if you are unable to use your car
We'll provide...
The cost of replacing lost, stolen or broken house/car keys (the breakage must be sudden, unforeseen and an unexpected event)
Covers up to £1500 per membership year
A hire car up to £80 to keep you mobile
Re-programming of the electrics so your locks, alarm and immobiliser still work
New locks of the same standard if we assess there is a security risk
Call 0330 159 0925 to add Key Replace
Key Exclusions
Vehicles used for business use or covered under a motor trade insurance policy.
Keys broken due to wear and ageing.
Loss, theft or breakage reported more than 30 days after the event
Any claim made within the first 14 days of the start of your Key Replace cover.
Claims where you are unable to provide evidence that you own the keys.
Costs, other than replacement costs where there are duplicate keys available.
Replacement of an insured key within the first 3 days of the date of the loss, unless we agree.
Wow. How much extra do you pay for that? I wonder if you can buy that aftermarket? Iz interest, having seen the price the OP is in for.....
Cover for new keys and locks up to £1,500 including reprogramming from £3 per month or £36 per year
I know this sounds silly, but we bought a car from a dealership about 10-15 years back that only came with the one key. We got it copied just in case, and everything was dandy.
We'd had it for a good few years until we finally went to trade it in for a new model. On the day we were handing it back to the dealer, I went through all the pockets, nooks and crannies in the car. I pulled open a drawer...it might have been an ashtray as we don't smoke, so didn't use it... and there was the original spare key, still with the dealers tag on it.
You never know.....
No help to the OP my folks brought a car cheap from friends that had lost the keys they changed the locks, new keys programmed etc. Next MOT there was an original set of keys found zip tied behind the front suspension strut! No one knows why.
Everybody loves an update.
Called loads of places that do this work. Most said that Toyota are too hard and couldn't help, one came out and tried for 2 hours and failed, but did recommend someone else who came out today and sorted it with some electronic gizmo in about 10 minutes.
Total cost £627 (almost half of that was the key itself), but cheaper than Toyota.
Lesson learned. I'm never mowing a lawn again....
Glad there’s a good (if pricey!) resolution.
Also, kudos for getting the Lessons Identified right too!
someone else who came out today and sorted it with some electronic gizmo in about 10 minutes.
Total cost £627 (almost half of that was the key itself), but cheaper than Toyota.
Lesson learned. I’m never mowing a lawn again….
Name? Link?
I’m never mowing a lawn again….
Big cheer from the undergrowth, hedgehog is a hero after dragging keys onto grass.
£627 Wow.
Good stuff
Got the heebie jeebies reading this about Toyotas so got Timpsons to do a copy: £25!