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Cost of Key Replacement and programming Fee


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No.

 

I have never understood why people refuse to buckle their seat belts. They've been proven to save lives, they don't interfere with you while driving, and they aren't uncomfortable. Is it just a macho thing?

 

Maybe you should try it. A family member may thank you some day, or wish you had worn it if you didn't.

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Depending on how "Smart" the Smart Key Replacement is (Push Button Start) Key Fob Remote or Simple a Regular Key with Lock-Unlock, Trunk an Panic Buttons, I`d suggest searching for a Second Hand one on Ebay. Replaced a few that way. Just the "Key" portion alone needs to be obtained from the Dealer since they are usually Laser Cut. It can then be inserted into the holder or Push-Button Flip Device. Of course the finished replacement still needs to be "Mated" with the Vehicle at the Dealership. Despite the fact that it can be accomplished in minutes using a Lap Top Computer plugging into the Vehicles Smart Junction Box an onboard Computer function control. That could cost you a 6 Pac of Beer or a couple hundred dollars itself depending on the Dealership an the Mechanic you get.

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DO NOT BYPASS THE BELT MINDER BY LATCHING THE BELT OR USING THE TOUNGUE FROM ANOTHER.

The airbag system takes into account wether the belt is buckled or not to determine deployment level. If you 'fool' it, it may not deploy correctly for your particular accident.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Au contraire. I just purchased a 2018 F-250 and being diligent I set out to make a spare from the two originals I got with the vehicle. I have gone through 4 new OE IKT keyfobs, from different vendors, and have not been able to get a single one to work with the programming sequence printed in the user manual. Dealer wants $$$ to connect the truck to a computer even though it is brand new. Of course you can hook the vehicle up to the computer, blow off all the keys and reprogram everything from scratch but then that was what we were supposed to be able to avoid. Locksmith in SC says he hasn't been able to program spares on 2018 F-250s either and now just starts by blowing everything off and using the computer. Has anybody else had problems with 2018s? Or has anybody had success with a 2018 F-250 programming a spare key? Very frustrating.

I bought one off of Amazon for my f350 2018 and was able to program it using the manual and other fobs. its a push button start.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Airbags hmm. Most of the ones being replaced are having to be replaced again. I'm not too worried as live in a low humidity, doesn't get that hot state (reason for the change). Much to be said with keyless entry/ignition, fairly difficult to lose or misplace (so far).

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  • 1 year later...

I am a locksmith, in case anyone is wondering, it cost about 40k to start a small locksmith business with the ability to cut car keys that people complain cost to much. That said - duplicates can often be had for ~150$, depending if you want remote capability or not. We can often times make a key with no remote for 90-120$ and Remote head keys can be 150-200$. Our trade takes years to master, with ten's of thosands of dollars in equipment folks. Next time you want to buy your own super cheap key from who knows where on ebay and expect a locksmith to program it for nothing, keep that in mind. Most people don't know that ford and dealers are NOT our friend. There are no "Official" diagnostic tools available for locksmiths, and manufacturer's literally fight us at every turn, the whole industry is reverse engineered. They want you to pay for a TOW at Midnight, on Chrismas Eve, to a dealer and wait a week for your keys. Hey Ford - that's not a tenable situation for most of my customers. 

Edited by MikeW
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2 hours ago, MikeW said:

I am a locksmith, in case anyone is wondering, it cost about 40k to start a small locksmith business with the ability to cut car keys that people complain cost to much. That said - duplicates can often be had for ~150$, depending if you want remote capability or not. We can often times make a key with no remote for 90-120$ and Remote head keys can be 150-200$. Our trade takes years to master, with ten's of thosands of dollars in equipment folks. Next time you want to buy your own super cheap key from who knows where on ebay and expect a locksmith to program it for nothing, keep that in mind. Most people don't know that ford and dealers are NOT our friend. There are no "Official" diagnostic tools available for locksmiths, and manufacturer's literally fight us at every turn, the whole industry is reverse engineered. They want you to pay for a TOW at Midnight, on Chrismas Eve, to a dealer and wait a week for your keys. Hey Ford - that's not a tenable situation for most of my customers. 

I hear ya. We have a lot of money wrapped up in just a simple key cutter. We send lots of folks to our local 'smiths. Sometimes due to costs, but lost keys on vehicles older than 10 years is a necessity. The only problem I have with them is the whole 'cloned' key/ aftermarket cheapo keys. Creates a whole world of sheet sometimes.   

 

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cloneable transponder chips are actually more expensive then fixed type. Usually clones are done in a retail enviroment, it's much easier to train an employee in a shop setting to use a cloner then how to use expensive diagnostic tools (that are likely already on a service truck in the field). It also eliminates a whole lot of variables for the person doing it, as they don't have to worry about damaged OBD ports, blown fuses, low batteries, etc. 

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On 12/4/2019 at 8:18 PM, MikeW said:

cloneable transponder chips are actually more expensive then fixed type. Usually clones are done in a retail enviroment, it's much easier to train an employee in a shop setting to use a cloner then how to use expensive diagnostic tools (that are likely already on a service truck in the field). It also eliminates a whole lot of variables for the person doing it, as they don't have to worry about damaged OBD ports, blown fuses, low batteries, etc. 

 

I realize you gotta make money and I am in no way gonna stand in your way. It can be difficult and expensive work and I respect that. However, diagnostic issues created by aftermarket keys/clones/bypass devices take serious money out of the pocket of the repairing tech, the service writers and thus the dealership. And 90% of the time, the person who bought cheapo FleaBay key or has an issue with a key that didn't come with the car will blame the person trying to fix it. 

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