Life of an audi key

[B6ayfour]

Hey guys so long story short i lost my key to my 2002 a4 and i was wondering what the best plan of action is. Should i buy a key blank online and then go to the dealer or a locksmith. Will a locksmith be able to program it aswell? I called the parts depo but i forgot theyre closed on sundays so no help from the idiots that work the dealership floor. Any info would be great, looking for the cheapest way to do it.

[alpinestar180]

Locksmiths cant program the immobilizer chip. Usually has to be dont at the dealership $$$

[B6ayfour]

so the way to go would be to buy a blank fob online and have a locksmith cut it then take that key to the dealership to program it? anyone gone through this and know how much im looking at spending?

[xhackerekx]

make sure u locksmith have experience with cut type key like audi have.

[imnuts]

If you don't have any key to cut/copy it from, even if it won't start the car and can only unlock the doors, your only option is going to be the dealership. Once you get one key though, you have more options available to get spares. Some Indy locksmiths can program keys, but not many.

Sent from my Nexus 6

[B6ayfour]

yeah i was just thinking about this as i do not have anything to copy.

[imnuts]

Yeah, only the dealer can cut it from your VIN. I believe each key pattern has its own code associated with it, so even if you had a picture of your key you could potentially get a copy from a 3rd party, but I don't know anyone that has done that yet.

Sent from my Nexus 6

[monkeykongfu]

Hey b6ayfour If you got a good key i can program it.

[B6ayfour]

Anyone else know? Its kind of a pressing matter since the car is sitting in a supermarket parking lot lol

[Menyahs]

Sounds like visiting the stealership is your only option since that was your only key. My car came with only the Valet key originally and I had to call the dealer with my VIN to get a new key and fob sent from Audi. It came from Germany already cut for my car. Then of course they had to program it to the Immobilizer so ended up being out the door about $300 total.

I recently broke the transponder chip when replacing the plastic case and am having a hard time trying to get the SKC pulled to match the new chip. My car is an 04 with Immo3 and I haven't yet been able to get it to work even with having one functional key; although I've read that some have done it successfully. I believe 2002 is Immo2 so matching should be easier but still comes back to the problem of not having anything to cut a new key blank off of.

[crazyquik22023]

You can buy a blank key and any locksmith should be able to cut it so it fits in your ignition and turns the power on, but since you don't have any key to copy from the cheaper way is buying the key from the dealer. You give them your VIN and proof that you own the car and they will have the cut for your car in their database and will be able to order you a new key. It should be somewhere around $200 depending on dealer. A locksmith could remove the lock cylinder and get the cut that way but by the time they do that it will probably be more expensive than going to the dealer for the key. Like you said you obviously have an immobilizer as well. There are some locksmiths who can program the immobilizer. If you are looking for the cheapest way I would call a few locksmiths and ask them if they can program audi keys with immobilizers and see if there price is better than the dealer pricing. I do not believe that ordering a new key from audi will already have the immobilizer programmed so you will need to get that done either by dealership or by a locksmith.

[B6ayfour]

Called the parts depo and the guy said it would be around $200 and my b6 is immo3. Shortly after getting off the phone with the stealership my girl's roommate called and said she foud my key. Life is good

[customa4]

Called the parts depo and the guy said it would be around $200 and my b6 is immo3. Shortly after getting off the phone with the stealership my girl's roommate called and said she foud my key. Life is good

Haha! Nice! Now, what part of the car will that designated $200 go to?


Also, get a damn copy made so this doesn't happen again.

[crazyquik22023]

You can buy a blank key and any locksmith should be able to cut it so it fits in your ignition and turns the power on, but since you don't have any key to copy from the cheaper way is buying the key from the dealer. You give them your VIN and proof that you own the car and they will have the cut for your car in their database and will be able to order you a new key. It should be somewhere around $200 depending on dealer. A locksmith could remove the lock cylinder and get the cut that way but by the time they do that it will probably be more expensive than going to the dealer for the key. Like you said you obviously have an immobilizer as well. There are some locksmiths who can program the immobilizer. If you are looking for the cheapest way I would call a few locksmiths and ask them if they can program audi keys with immobilizers and see if there price is better than the dealer pricing. I do not believe that ordering a new key from audi will already have the immobilizer programmed so you will need to get that done either by dealership or by a locksmith.

Called the parts depo and the guy said it would be around $200 and my b6 is immo3. Shortly after getting off the phone with the stealership my girl's roommate called and said she foud my key. Life is good

Called that one.

[B6ayfour]

haha that designated 200 is gonna go towards brakes just because ive been seriously neglecting them and yeah this fiasco definitely taught me a lesson. also on a side note its not my fault, my car only came with one key and the metal bar that you use to attatch the key to a key ring was broken

[customa4]

Yea, I've lasted about 6 years with my B6 and one key. Risky business...

[monkeykongfu]

if your in the queens area or nassau --- will program keys just get the correct keys ( no used key they won't work ).

[WB650]

Question, somewhat related. I only have one key as well and want a spare. Will a dealership only give me a B6 fob or will they give me a B7 fob if I ask?

[customa4]

I'm sure they'd sell you whatever you wanted to pay for. If you ask for a spare key for your car they are going to give you a B6 fob.

[B6ayfour]

if your in the queens area or nassau --- will program keys just get the correct keys ( no used key they won't work ).

good to know for sure

[B6ayfour]

if your in the queens area or nassau --- will program keys just get the correct keys ( no used key they won't work ).

good to know for sure

[imnuts]

If you order from the dealer, you will get a B6 key fob, unless you would know someone in the parts department.

[WB650]

Ok. Figured that. I really want a B7 Fob but want a spare key too. They sell B7 fobs with virginized immob in them on eBay correct?

[walky_talky20]

I just recently got a bunch of spare Audi keys made for all the Audi's in our family. My brother had just bought a B6 A4 and it only came with 1 key fob. Dealer of course wants 1.2 million dollars to do anything, so he called every last locksmith in town to see who could copy "VW Sidewinder keys". (HINT: Don't say Audi - they see dollar signs.) Tons of places turned him down and said they couldn't do the German keys. For the ones that could, the prices were all over the place from $40 to $90 (just for cutting a key, not including the blank or any programming). Many of these places didn't even have the machine to do it and were actually sending it out somewhere else (maybe even getting the keys from the dealer) and would take a few days.

Finally he found one locksmith in town who said he could cut them for "five or ten bucks". The next day we showed up at his shop with 4 original Audi keys and 7 blanks. He apologized that it would take 10 minutes per key and would be expensive: an entire $10 each. We begrudgingly accepted these exorbitant fees (lol, so cheap). The locksmith was quite concerned that they keys wouldn't work without programming, and didn't really seem to believe me when I told them that I program the IMMO myself. ;) But he did cut our 7 blanks for about $60-something out the door. Blanks were obtained from ebay for around $5 each (flat keys, not fobs). IMMO Programming with VAG-TACHO (also from ebay). Locksmith did not have any trouble with the ebay keys. Said they cut just fine, although he has heard of trouble with some.

He is now our "Audi key guy".

[Bumpo411]

I just recently got a bunch of spare Audi keys made for all the Audi's in our family. My brother had just bought a B6 A4 and it only came with 1 key fob. Dealer of course wants 1.2 million dollars to do anything, so he called every last locksmith in town to see who could copy "VW Sidewinder keys". (HINT: Don't say Audi - they see dollar signs.) Tons of places turned him down and said they couldn't do the German keys. For the ones that could, the prices were all over the place from $40 to $90 (just for cutting a key, not including the blank or any programming). Many of these places didn't even have the machine to do it and were actually sending it out somewhere else (maybe even getting the keys from the dealer) and would take a few days.

Finally he found one locksmith in town who said he could cut them for "five or ten bucks". The next day we showed up at his shop with 4 original Audi keys and 7 blanks. He apologized that it would take 10 minutes per key and would be expensive: an entire $10 each. We begrudgingly accepted these exorbitant fees (lol, so cheap). The locksmith was quite concerned that they keys wouldn't work without programming, and didn't really seem to believe me when I told them that I program the IMMO myself. ;) But he did cut our 7 blanks for about $60-something out the door. Blanks were obtained from ebay for around $7 each (flat keys, not fobs). IMMO Programming with VAG-TACHO (also from ebay). Locksmith did not have any trouble with the ebay keys. Said they cut just fine, although he has heard of trouble with some.

He is now our "Audi key guy".

What eBay seller did you buy your blank Audi keys from?

[walky_talky20]

The last order I bought from "yourkeylessremote". They have the flat keys for $5 each, and the remotes around $20 each.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Transponde...MAAOxy~g5RwIXD

Another nifty option is "FixMyVW.com". They can apparently cut a copy from a picture of your existing key. Prices on the remotes and such are pretty decent, too:
http://www.fixmyvw.com/audi-fob-4do-837-231-p/

[linust]

Glad you found your key...now get a spare! With one key, you can do it independent of the dealer...lose it and the dealership is your only option (unless you have a photo of your key).

Twice now, I've bought a B6 with only one key. You'd think I'd learn. If the cars were for me, I'd probably chance it. But since the cars were for family members...BTW, I used this as a $200 negotiating factor on the second car.

For reference...(somewhat summarizing the posts above)
* Almost any of the eBay key blanks will work once you find a locksmith with the proper milling machine--they exist, but you'll have to hunt around. You'll see these keys referred to as "laser" keys or "laser cut" or "sidewinder" I paid about $30 from one locksmith, $20 from another.
* Before you buy the blank key, confirm with the seller that it has a virgin immobilizer chip. One of the keys I bought did NOT have a virgin chip, and worse, the seller glued the keyhead together so I could't easily pop out the old chip to replace it.
* Some locksmiths can program the immobilizer. There are tools for this, ranging from cloned VAG-Tacho to K+Commander, and you can use acquire and use these tools yourself to read your ECU's PIN code. research nefmoto.com for more on this.
* Once you have the PIN code, write it down somewhere and keep it for future reference. Now you can use Ross-Tech's VCDS to match the key to the immobilizer. The one local locksmith I found who claimed capability to do this wanted $75 to match the key to immobilizer.
* The details you need are in www.nefmoto.com in the immobilizer section, and ross-tech.com in the procedures. If you've built any electronics or a computer and installed the OS, you should be able to do this.

* Completely independent of the above is syncronizing the door lock/unlock remote fob. There have been a number of different key fobs used with something a bit different (often based on year and model)...despite what the eBay ads claim, make sure you match your part number down to the suffix letter. Used factory fobs will be more successful than new clones...buy replacement button panels if you want to make them look better. Once you have the right fob, refer to ross-tech again for the matching/synchronizing process.

[customa4]

The last order I bought from "yourkeylessremote". They have the flat keys for $5 each, and the remotes around $20 each.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Transponde...MAAOxy~g5RwIXD

Another nifty option is "FixMyVW.com". They can apparently cut a copy from a picture of your existing key. Prices on the remotes and such are pretty decent, too:
http://www.fixmyvw.com/audi-fob-4do-837-231-p/

Now that everyone knows this is an option, if you don't have a spare, take a picture of your key!

[mprivi]

The last order I bought from "yourkeylessremote". They have the flat keys for $5 each, and the remotes around $20 each.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Transponde...MAAOxy~g5RwIXD

Another nifty option is "FixMyVW.com". They can apparently cut a copy from a picture of your existing key. Prices on the remotes and such are pretty decent, too:
http://www.fixmyvw.com/audi-fob-4do-837-231-p/

So I will still need someone to program the IMMO and then program the lock/unlock correct?

[WB650]

So the keys are $60 but no immo chip inside right?

Then I still need Vag-Tacho cable ($25) to read the ECU pin, then VCDS match the immob

[walky_talky20]

Depends on what you want. I bought a flat key for $5. Got it cut (copied from an original) for $10. Then program with VAG-TACHO (either extract pin and program IMMO with VCDS or just do it all in VAG-TACHO. Personal preference here). Including the tacho cable, that's 40 bucks total.

If I wanted a remote fob, just substitute the $5 key for $20 key, the rest of the steps are the same. Then program the remote when done. I believe you can do this with a manual "2 key" method or VCDS.

The remote keys from FixMyVW would be $60 total (cut from a picture), and do include virgin immobilizer chips just like the ebay keys. They are ready to program.

[B6ayfour]

Then program the remote when done. I believe you can do this with a manual "2 key" method or VCDS.

Holy shit does that 2 key method actually work? Can anyone attest?

[walky_talky20]

I know it works on the B5. I can't say that I've tried it on the B6, but it would make sense that they kept the procedure the same. Looks like a B6 S4 owner has confirmed it works:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...i-flip-key-fob

The *real* trick would be programming one new remote fob, having only that 1 key for the car, and without VCDS. I actually tried this on my B5. I figured the lock module wanted to the see power from the ignition switch AND see the door lock switch moving about. Generally that would require 2 physical keys: one in the ignition, one in the door. So I pulled the fuse the for lock module stuffed a wire in the fuse box and hooked the other end to the "30" post under the dash (constant power). It did change the behavior, but it didn't work. I figured the lock module ALSO wants to the "key-in" switch closed to prove that a key is physically present in the ignition. Another method would be to use the real key in the ignition, then fake the door switch by removing the door panel and jumping the correct pins that correspond to lock/unlock, etc. This was getting a little involved, and I needed another key anyway so I stopped messing around. But it would be neat to do a proof of concept anyway. Used car dealers would probably be the main group interested in that information, lol.

[mprivi]

Where do I find my Key part number looks like they have 2 different fobs on fixmyvw.com? Also will these work instead Ebay Key Fob

[walky_talky20]

There are 2 part numbers listed: 4D0837231E and 4D0837231P. Running the "E" number on ECS seems to supersede to the "P" part number. So they interchange. The "P" part number fob on FixMyVW is cheaper and does not have Audi Rings on it. I know these numbers are correct for B5's, but they may only work for the early B6's as there is a vin split in 2003:

https://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B6_A4...erior/Key_Fob/

I'm not positive on the details for B6 fob part numbers. Perhaps somebody more enlightened than myself can confirm.