Spare key

:welcome:
Greetings and Welcome!!!!

Yup.
That sounds about right.
A competent (or at least very well equipped) locksmith can program a used fob for use in your Prius, and since you live in La Crescenta (LA area) there's probably one near by. Make sure that the used fob on ebay has an uncut metal ketlet (or whatever they call it) so that you can get that cut for your Prius as well. I've seen them on eBay for around $50 There's a post out there in the ether somewhere that gives details on this very topic. Good luck finding it, because the search feature on this forum is pretty weak.
I just tried to find it for you using "advanced search" under the G3 only section and I just got:
Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms.

But then....I'm not all that bright. I've actually lost keys before.

So Yes....it can be done.

Somebody smarter than me will either yell at you for not using the search feature and spend time posting an obnoxious graphic with a large red arrow pointing to the aforementioned nearly useless search button (without giving you the answer that you're looking for)
.....or they'll ask you why the heck you would want a 'spare' key in the first place.
Oh...did I go over the forum word limit in that sentence? I lost count.
I mean, if the Aichi Iron Works had thought you needed another key----they would have given you one----right?

OK.... Maybe not.


Good Luck!!!
If you're living right, you'll get a spare for less than the $200.

 

This is not true.
1. The only people that can program the Prius to a new/extra smartkey are people with the Toyota TIS software, combined with the Mongoose adapter ($10K?) - I doubt your going to find a 'competent' locksmith who put out this $$ to reprogram a few cars.
2. If you do find someone that can reprogram (have software and adapter) - they will not be able to program a used FOB. There is an extra security step that is Toyota specific - the dealer is likely to charge *more* because you have a used FOB, which adds time (and is a headache) to the process.
3. If you buy a new FOB, then you can try to find one of these locksmiths.

I would get a quote from the dealer on programming your 'used' FOB first. Some may not know about the hassle involoved, and give you a good quote. I negotiated the programming when I bought the car. Little did they know at the time that it would take hours - and in my case I had to bring the car back days later - when they figured it out...

Key blanks are $10 on EBay etc - most locksmiths can cut these ( <$20 )...

 

If you're saying that a used fob cannot be programmed for use in another (G3) Prius by anyone but a Geeeniiine Toyota Dealership...then I'd have to say that I disagree---but I don't have anything to bring to the argument, since I haven't had this done myself.
My fecal detector seldom fails me...and it's currently indicating that this is just something that a dealer will tell you to get you to buy a factory fresh hundred dollar key fob...but hey....like I said....I can't prove anything here, so I'll add that to the list of things that I love to hate about Toyota's SKS.

If this is true, then I would insist that a dealer includes an additional spare key fobby thingy with the purchase of a new Prius.

Standing By:

 

There are locksmiths that can reprogram a Prius to accept used keys. There aren't many of them, and it requires some fancy new equipment. One of them posts on here from time to time. I think he is in the NY area.

Tom

 

There's 2 threads going on in here:

Replacing a 3rd Gen Prius key, when you still have one, is as simple as using the factory scanner and having all keys present. You shouldn't have to be a dealership or a locksmith to achieve this.

Replacing 2nd or 3rd gen Prius key using an EBAY key will never be simple. This is because the key fob has already got a VID stored, and this value cannot be easily manipulated. I try to tell people that the VID is like the teeth on a metal key, you can't "un cut" the key to make it fit in another lock.

We have not yet had to replace or program 3rd generation Prius keys from eBay, so I reserve comment on that

For 2nd generation keys, the guys above are onto something. It requires a locksmithing license, TIS security professionals, a seed reset fee $40, the techstream scanner (mastertech might still work), and the knowledge about how to supplant the VID, because you cannot delete it.

I recommend to everyone to avoid eBay keys that have been paired to other vehicles because it will NOT BE EASY to program, whether 2nd or 3rd generation. Some independents (like us) have the ability to make a smart key from an ebay key, but most shops will fall short and only be able to make dumb keys from ebay keys

check out our smart key articles on our website [artsautomotive (dot) com].

Thanks

Christian
Systems Administrator
Parts Manager
Art's Automotive

 

I bought mine online and took them to a local locksmith. He cut all 3 key blanks and programmed the fobs for $100 (I bought 3 extras since I only had 1 original and it doesn't take much more time to cut or program extras).

The local guy actually had his own stock of fobs that I could have bought. His main concern was that you couldn't go "backwards" on manufacture date of the fob. I don't know why; YMMV.

You may want to check your local guy to see if he has fobs as well and get a package deal from him.

 

You only get one fob when you take delivery of your car? When I bought my 2004 Prius, it came with two programmed fobs.

IMO - you should always get a spare key (fob). Can't understand why Toyota has changed their policy.

 

Still comes with two. Some people like to have more than two.