there should be 3 keys. when we bought the car,sailsman,obviously ignorant gave us only 2. then he told us to come for the "beep beep" key.when we came,the key wasn*t done.then few weeks later we found out that he can*t "fix" the "beep beep" key, so he told us to made it ourselves. now the guy who makes keys can*t do it. we gave up. apparently the problem is with decoding it. and the 3rd guy told us that there is some kind of alarm inside the car, that we don*t know about. everybody are ignorant and i*m on the top.
any similar experiences? or advices?
p.s. can*t remember the word for the "beep beep" key.the one that opens the door from far. :))
I know that on my car I didn't have the remote "beep beep " key but I was given 3 door/ ignition keys and told that the "red" key was the master key , which can be used to sort out any electronics if there was a problem, i.e the engine immobiliser goes funny. The key has the chip which can be used to identify the car, and the others are "clones" of this key. I was also told that the master key cost about £600 Gbp to replace it.
that would be the key for the remote central locking. If i remember correctly there should be a little red light and a button where the interior light is. The operation for coding in new remote keys is something like holding in the button for a few seconds, and then operating the key. new remote keys come with a sticker on them which has its own code on it so you can code it manualy if necessary. these remotes can be quite troublesome. my advice, take it too a main dealer.
Actually, you can't replace the key, at all. All you can do is replace the whole box of electronics that the engine immobiliser is in with a new one with its own new red key (electronically speaking, that is. You'd cut it to fit the existing locks), and that's why it's so expensive: you're not just buying that key.
Basically, these Fiats can have conceivably 4 different kinds of keys:
- a cheapo copy, which will operate the locks mechanically but has no electronics at all. Cannot be used to open the car remotely, cannot be used to start the car. Useful as a spare for people who never drive it, though, so they can at least take stuff or themselves in and out, and is comparatively extremely cheap.
- the 'blue key'. This key will do everything the above key does (ie, operate the locks mechanically), and also contains a little bit of electronics that can communicate with the engine immobiliser and tell it it's okay to start the car.
- the 'red key'. Does everything as listed above for the blue key, plus it can be used (with suitably arcane handwaving by the dealer) to let the engine immobiliser know that a new blue key is authorised to start the car as well.
- a key with a remote control (a beep-beep key). This would be equivalent to a blue key, but with an additional bit of electronics that can send a signal to the central locking system to lock or unlock all the doors.
I don't know if the last one actually exists. Some cars have remotes for central locking that are a separate bit of electronics rather than integrated in the key, so you'd end up with a keyring containing a key and a separate 'fob' with a couple of buttons on. Don't know wich Fiat uses.
I think Fiats with this system are supposed to come with one red key and two blue keys.
The remote for central locking is a separate option from the central locking itself, so it's possible you have central locking but not a remote-operated one. If that's the case you'd have to operate the central locking by turning the key on the driver or passenger door.
My Marea WE 2.0/20 came with 2 blue RC keys and the red key. The remote control is of radio type with a button on the side of the key rather than on the face of it as most other RC keys are. The annoying thing about it is that it can get pressed accidentally quite easily just by putting the bunch of keys in your trouser pocket and squatting down to pick up something from the ground. The keys get squashed, button pressed and hey presto, the car's unlocked. And if you don't hear the double beep you wont realise that you left it unlocked. It happened to me several times. Now I'm very weary of how I handle the keys. Also there's supposed to be a function to shut all the windows and sun roof automatically when RC locking the car. I can't get it to work so I presume that it was an option that was never fitted to my car.
yes... i also have three keys at the moment and even though -the guy who makes keys is unable to make the "beep beep" key. i was told that its really difficult to "cut" the new key and that there is a big chance that eventually it won*t work.
Well, a "beep beep" key needs to do three separate things. 1, it needs to fit the locks so they'll turn. That's the easy bit which any locksmith can make if he's got appropriate blank keys. 2, it needs to talk to the engine immobiliser so that you can start the car with it. For that you need it to be a Fiat blue key, and the dealer/you need to let the car know, using the red key, that the new blue one is 'one of us, mates'. 3, it needs to be able to send a signal from a distance to the receiver for the remote central locking, and the central locking system needs to be told that
*that* remote is OK for it. I think the second and third use need to be programmed into the car separately.
I think you should go ahead and visit the fiat dealer, or at least call him. He will know what exactly to do much better than anyone on this newsgroup or any car shop which doesn't sell Fiats.
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