Copy Keys

[Ayrton5]

Hi,

Just bought a 2006 XT4, loving it! So much nicer to drive than the X-Trail it replaced (am I allowed to say the word X-Trail here?  Oh well).

Whilst it came with 2 keys, one was in a right state, so I bought a blank off eBay and got it copied. I put the electronic bit inside from the manky key. The cutting is fine and it opens the door, turns in the ignition, etc. but the engine just turns over without starting. Using an original key it starts first time.

What's going on here?

[firemac]

Hi Glynn,

Did the mankey key work before you replaced it? If not, the transponder in the "electronic bit" may have been faulty to begin with; the car will only start when it gets a signal from the transponder after the key has been entered in the ignition. Does the remote locking work on the new key? If not, it may just be a flat Battery in the unit so try replacing that first.

Good luck.

[Ayrton5]

Thanks for the reply, the transponder is lifted out of the old key and inserted into the new former-blank. It was and is fine. I can unlock the car using the new key with the blade, or by pressing the button. But that key only turns the engine over rather than starting it. The blade from the old key is needed to get the engine started.

Does this mean the key cutting is not quite right? I find that hard to believe, it goes in and turns the barrel happily. Can the key cut be good enough to turn the barrel but not start the car? What other explanation is there? With the transponder moved, surely all that is left is a blade?

[firemac]

That really is odd. I've renewed RAV keys quite a few times and never came across this sort of problem. It sounds like the original blade is significant (almost sounds like the blade has a transponder chip in it but that can't be right....) but I can't understand why since once the electronics are swapped over, the new key should work. I have heard of cases where a new or second-hand electronics module has had to be programmed to the car's ECU but that shouldn't be the case here. Have you tried swapping the two push-button modules between the keys to see what happens?

[Will E Reckit]

I had this problem when I bought a replacement key. If the plastic body of the key is not identical to the original, it can mean that the transponder chip is too far away from the pickup loop which surrounds the ignition lock barrel.

I had to take the transponder chip out of the electronic module and place it in a slot in the new key body, nearer to the blade of the key. A centimeter is like a country mile where these transponders are concerned.

John

[Ayrton5]

Thanks Wiil E, I think you've led me to the answer. The key is the same shape, and the buttons seem to be in the same place in relation to the blade, but the plastic is of a different sort, and the buttons are actual buttons rather than a soft plastic panel. If anything I would say the new key is sturdier and nicer, but it seems as though the pay-off for that is that sturdiness = insulating, and the signal is diminished on the way to the car. I guess I'll have to bin it. It was only a couple of quid but I am a little more mournful of the £20 I spent having it cut