Chips 'n Keys

[Steve S.]

Hi Everyone, hope you are all ok and enjoying the blistering bank holiday weather!

I notice that keys are a popular topic at the moment so I thought I'd weigh in with a question or two. I've just bought a remote key from e-bay, as a spare. It needs a key blank and I notice there are a few sellers of such on e-bay as well.(It's infra-red by the way) My existing remote was bought new from Fords ,and along with two two new ordinary keys from e-bay was cut and programmed by a local locksmith in Nottingham, and all are working fine Now does anyone know whether

a) the "horse-shoe" type blanks fit all remotes ie radio and i/r as some don't specify 1997 galaxies.

:P will the chip inside the "new" remote be reprogrammable to my car or do I need to buy a new blank with a specific chip for my car's year etc.( The chip seems to be rectangular black thing 1cmx.5cmx.3cm. it has loads of figures/letters on it starting PCF...)

c) could I use the chip from one of my non remote keys in my remote assuming :P is a non starter?( I'm having trouble comparing the actual chips as I can't seem to dislodge the one in the remote or get at the chip inside the ordinary key and I don't want to cause damage. Does anyone know the secret to their removal?)

d) some sellers mention a "glass" chip in their remote key blanks ,are these the same as the black rectangular ones?

I'll be taking all the keys back to the locksmith anyway but I would like to have the correct bits and pieces to start with. So if anyone can help..I'd be grateful.

Cheers for now,

Steve S.

[geoffc]

The Ir and RF horse shoe blades are interchangeable...done that... to remove a chip from a non remote key, use a pen knife....if type numbers match on chips....should be ok....just about to find out for sure....once the timing belt is changed!! BTW electronics engineer....if I foul up I will let you know!! geoffc

[Steve S.]

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for your reply, I just knew somebody somewhere would have had a dabble at this! Anyway, armed with a new found confidence, I've managed to open up one of the ordinary keys and have retrieved the chip. The numbers on this bear no obvious relationship to those on the "new" remote chip. ie the ordinary key just has E4 T5-00 which matches my existing remote chip..well at least the T5-00 does. the new chip has no less than 29 characters not including "Thailand" on it, non of which compare to the other chips! Anyway, at least it will fit physically with a dab of superglue.So I shall go ahead and order a chipless key from e-bay and then visit one's friendly locksmith.

Thanks again...and I hope your own job goes smoothly.

Regards,

Steve.