2010 Yaris... Keys, Starting And Locking Issues

[grafitti]

Hi everyone.

I've recently purchased a 2010 Yaris TR 1.33 with start/stop(not smart entry) and while it's been great overall there are a few issues I'd like to get sorted, but no idea where to start, so advice welcome.

Key: It only has 1 key, though it is a master with remote locking. Toyota dealer has quoted £180 to make another. If I can provide a precut key and all they have to do is program it, it will cost me £30 - this is a lot more palatable, but where could I get a key cut that has the remote features as well? The plain keys with transponder are easy enough to come by, but I'd prefer a proper one, as their cost to replace the system if I lose this last key is £1200.

Locking: Driver door has stopped locking, the actuator works but the button just wiggles and is stuck in the lock position while the door remains unlocked. Suspect it's a simple mechanical piece come apart inside the door, does this seem a likely diagnosis?

Starting: Car has always started instantly, except today the dashboard fully lights up, aircon works and lights are fine, but turning the key has zero response. No click, no grinding, just silence. Tried it several times, pushed the lock/unlock buttons, after a minute tried again and the engine started up right away. Drove into town to do some shopping and its booked MOT test, the next 3 times I tried to start the car the exact same thing happened. Next stop MOT, car starts the first time and the rest of the day it's been fine. No idea what this could be. Would a weak Battery in the key be a possible culprit?

[FROSTYBALLS]

As far as I'm aware, Toyota stopped providing master and valet keys some time ago. Both my Auris (a 2009 model and a 2012 model) came with two 2-button keys.

You could try an auto locksmith to see whether they can provide a cut key.

As regards the starting problems, I'd be inclined to change the key Battery and see whether that improves things.

[Awebb180]

Sounds daft but you do have your foot fully depressed on the clutch when starting?

You will only have 2 remote keys for your vehicle, no grey key anymore

Alex

[grafitti]

The car only has one key as the other was stolen about a year after the initial owner purchased it. And I haven't got the metal tag either, but the dealer said as long as I had one of those two button keys it wouldn't be a problem to make a 2nd master key from it.

I was looking on carkeyhelp.co.uk to see about getting a cheaper one but it doesn't seem that they have the two button version. Perhaps I would use them for a regular key with transponder but no buttons, but at £20 for a cut key doesn't sting quite as bad.

Re: the starting, out of habit I always depress the clutch, in this case I tried both with and without and it didn't seem to make any difference.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Like the Auris, the second generation Yaris has a safety feature where the car will not start unless the clutch is fully depressed.

This prevents the car jumping either forwards or backwards should the car be started when left in gear.

[grafitti]

Thanks for the suggestions. I really have no idea. I find it odd that for half a day I'll forget to use the clutch every time and then drop back into the habit in the afternoon and every day since, but who knows, maybe I should do some tests for amnesia :)

It hasn't manifested the issue again since that day.

Still on the hunt for a transponder key with remote. I've seen used original keys going cheaply on eBay. Thinking maybe to buy a Shell key and having it cut, then put the used transponder from eBay in there and try reprogramming it. If it works I'm looking at an outlay of £40 tops vs the £180

[Cyker]

TBH, it may be better just to pay the £180 as DIY can be a lot of faff.

You basically need two things:

1) A blank key case (Easy enough to find on eBay; Tricky part is getting one with the right keyblade!)
2) A remote/transponder module (Hopefully yours isn't one with a separate transponder and remote module!)

2) is the hard one - Getting a brand new blank one from anyone other than Toyota is very difficult; At least I wasn't able to! Getting a second hand one is easy but there is a good chance the transponder won't connect to the car, although it is possible Toyota can hack it to make it work.

I went down this road with my Yaris a few years ago, to make a flip key.

The transponder module I bought was the right one for my car, and I was able to program the remote central locking but wasn't able to program the immobilizer transponder into the ECU. Apparently there is a counter on both and if the ECU count is lower than the count reported by the chip in the key, it won't accept it.

In the end I got a random auto-locksmith to remove the RFID chip from one of their blanks and clone off my working key, then taped it inside the flip key case so it can disarm the immobilizer instead

I think after all the faffing about I saved maybe £50 (Flip case+keyblade - £10, 2nd hand remote module - £70, programming of RFID chip - £50) but wasted over a month trying to get everything sorted

BTW, if you get all the bits, you could probably program it yourself like I did and save the £30, assuming the instructions are the same for the newer Yaris as they are on the older ones!

A forum search should yield the instructions in here somewhere!

[MikeSh]

I've just been through a similar exercise with a US Ford import that only had one key (separate remote lock fob).

The remote wasn't a problem as I had two and they are easily programmed with just one available.

However, the key/immobiliser chip is trickier and this may well apply to Toyota (industry standard possibly). Basically (as a user) you can only add another key/chip to the car if you have TWO keys. This is probably so hire car users can't easily make a spare.

If you get a lock-person to clone your key the chip will have the same code as the other key and the car will see it as the same key. So it gives you a spare but you still can't self program.

I actually rang around and found a good local auto-locks company who got two blank keys, cut them and then he plugged his computer thingy into the OBD port on the car and was able to access the immobiliser system and add the new keys (not clones). He also removed the 'lost' key. £90 (but he had to visit twice because it's not a key blank he held).

Later I ordered a suitable flip-key/fob combo from the US via eBay (£20), got it cut at a local locksmith (£5) and then programmed the chip and remote to the car myself.

So I'd suggest ringing round the auto-lock specialists to find one who can do the job and isn't a rip off ... £180 ????.

[grafitti]

Well! things are looking up. I had a bit of a ring around and spoke to a very helpful bloke at Beadles Toyota.

Said as long as I have ID, service and warranty booklet and reg papers, no problems making a spare master key. Cost is only £90.

Couldn't explain why Reading Toyota is asking £180+ other than that a keyless entry yaris cost that much, and that the dealership may have gone for a flat high rate to make extra cash.

After a recent spate of vandalism in our neighborhood also looking into their retrofitting an alarm system, £120 parts and 4 hrs labor £180, but as the car is still under toyota warranty will probably have them do it rather than get a local garage to install.

[Cyker]

Be VERY CAREFUL there; I had a similar quote and thought it a bit fishy; On further enquiry it turned out the £90 was for a non-remote key!

@MikeSh - Yeah, I found the same thing (i.e. needing two keys to make a new one on Fords) but the Ford ECU is much easier to hack than the Toyota one so most autolock smiths can create new keys from scratch.

Toyotas only need one master key to program the ECU through normal methods, which is good as the ECU is much harder to hack!

[grafitti]

Yes of course I'll get it spelled out once again before actually going there. But they matched the registration of the car to the key before they would tell me the price, and specifically stated that it was NOT a plain key with transponder but would be a master key with remote buttons.

When I do get the key made will post back with whether it was as stated or if they tried to pull a fast one. They did tell me though to go back to the dealership here and have them redo the quote after putting the reg into the system and said I should get the same price, so I'll be trying that approach first.

[MikeSh]

£90 .... +VAT ?

[Raistlin]

"Programming New Keys"

STEPS:

1. Begin by sitting in the driver seat with all the doors shut.

2. Insert your working master (black) key in the ignition.

3. Very Quickly, turn the key from "LOCK" to "ON" 5 times. (You will end with the key in the "LOCK" position) [the 5 on-offs just need to be < 1 second each (you can hear something switching in the engine bay after 1 second switched to on - you've probably just got to beat that).

4. Immediately, open and close the driver door 6 times very quickly. (End with the door closed)

5. Immediately, remove your working Master Key and insert your new Master Key

6. Turn the key to the "ON" position and leave it there while you wait for 1 minute.

7. After the minute, if you want to program another key, just remove the first one and insert the next one, turning it to "ON" and leaving it in position for 1 minute.

8. When you are through programming keys, just take the last one out, open and then close the driver door to lock in the programming, and your done.

[grafitti]

Ok prices confirmed. There is definitely a difference between dealerships. Key cost for a master is 96 at maidstone Toyota, 110 at Basingstoke and 115 at Reading. Inclusive of vat and coding. Still considering getting the key from them for 70 and having a go myself at coding.

The alarm installation is the same 95+tax for the parts, but 3 hrs labor varies between the 3 dealerships from 235 to 400 including tax.