Arosa Keys £150? surely not

[arosadude]

I have a 2002/02 Seat Arosa 1.0 and i only have the 1 key (since i bought it)

this was fine for me, but it has now come to a point when there are multiple people driving the car and (oviously) we all need keys.

Having gone to the VW dealership today he said that they could not order them, and we must go to seat. I Just rang up the seat dealership and was qouted £150 for a SINGLE key? with programming of the key?

I do not see how this can be the case, the car has no remote locking (not even central locking for that matter) although he did mention something about an immobiliser? So can somebody explain to me when this would need to be programmed? as far as i can see the key i have has No chip of any kind and looks pretty simple and standard.

Can anybody tell me if this is 'hopefully' a misqoute and how much a key should cost to have done.

 

[foto2021]

*All* Arosa keys include a security chip for the standard fitment Thatcham Cat.2 immobiliser.

A circuit in the dashboard transmits a radio signal that interrogates the chip when the ignition is turned on. The key passively responds. If the response from the key doesn't match the value stored in the dashboard circuit, the car cannot be started.

It's a very good system that offers high security and helps keep down our insurance premiums.

The price seems very high but I paid £90 for a spare key for my SEAT Toledo back in 2003. However, there may be a cheaper way.

Last year I bought a blank key (on eBay) for a Nissan which has a similar immobiliser. They key cost me £20. I then had it cut at the local branch Timpsons for £12. It would operate the locks but would not start the car.

Then I took it and the car to a local automotive locksmith who charged me £35 to code the new key to the car. It worked perfectly. Total cost was £67.

 

[Silver_Bullet]

*All* Arosa keys include a security chip for the standard fitment Thatcham Cat.2 immobiliser.

A circuit in the dashboard transmits a radio signal that interrogates the chip when the ignition is turned on. The key passively responds. If the response from the key doesn't match the value stored in the dashboard circuit, the car cannot be started.

It's a very good system that offers high security and helps keep down our insurance premiums.

The price seems very high but I paid £90 for a spare key for my SEAT Toledo back in 2003. However, there may be a cheaper way.

Last year I bought a blank key (on eBay) for a Nissan which has a similar immobiliser. They key cost me £20. I then had it cut at the local branch Timpsons for £12. It would operate the locks but would not start the car.

Then I took it and the car to a local automotive locksmith who charged me £35 to code the new key to the car. It worked perfectly. Total cost was £67.

A master locksmith (one who also does car keys) should be able to not only supply and cut a new key but also read the immobiliser ID of the transponder in the original key and clone it to the new key - in which case the car thinks that both keys are the same key and it does not specifically need to have the new one coded into it.

This process worked for me for a FIAT I had a while ago, but I don't know if the same trick is possible with VAG cars and their keys.

 

[foto2021]

A master locksmith (one who also does car keys) should be able to not only supply and cut a new key but also read the immobiliser ID of the transponder in the original key and clone it to the new key - in which case the car thinks that both keys are the same key and it does not specifically need to have the new one coded into it.

The service you describe is what the locksmith did for me, but first I had to find the key!

In the UK, SEAT will only sell the keys via SEAT franchised dealers. But the rules are different in other countries, and this accounts for my being able to buy the key on eBay and have the locksmith code it.

 

[Boo]

I'm pretty sure the keys need to be coded to the ECU as well.

 

[Silver_Bullet]

I'm pretty sure the keys need to be coded to the ECU as well.

Not necessarily Boo, if the transponder in the new (cloned) key is an exact clone of the one in the original key, then it already IS coded into the ECU - as far as the ECU is concerned, the new key IS the old key. It doesn't know the difference between them.

If you bought a new official key from SEAT then it would already have a unique (different) transponder code to the original and the ECU would, as you say, have to be taught to recognise that code in addition to the one for the old key, which it already knows.

 

[arosadude]

Cheers for the help, I will get looking on ebay.

 

[arosa_rory]

I got quoted around that figure by seats for a spare for mine,

I rang several local independant companies up and found somewhere that would supply and program a bog standard key for £50 or it was nearly £80 for one with the central locking remote buttons on, I would look on ebay but the issue is sometimes the chips are funny I was told

 

[neil72]

While trying to source a spare key for a 2001 Y tdi, I have been informed that 2 types of chip were used at that time,one can be cloned,the other type can,t.If we have the cloneable type,the cost will be £35 to supply,clone and cut a normal non remote key,all done at your address too.
Can,t complain with that price.