Adding a key

You can program the black fob to work as a standard fob. The instructions are on PC somewhere.

Tom

 

Oh boy! This is a real can of worms. About the only safe recommendation is to purchase a new keyfob and programming from a dealer. The list price for the SKS keyfob is about $182, and programming the car to accept it is another $100. It pays to shop - some people have gotten the programming thrown in for free, while others have paid from $30 to $150.

If you choke on $300 for just a key, then there are several options for less that sometimes, but not always, work.

The way to get a minimal function extra key is to get the cheapest one you can find on eBay. It doesn't matter whether it's black or silver logo. Something in the $30 to $50 range. Then program the car yourself to accept it inserted into the dash. Add a $2 mechanical key from anywhere that makes keys (it's an ordinary non-transponder Toyota key). Then you use the mechanical key to lock/unlock the door, and insert the keyfob into the dash to enable the Power button. Just assume that the remote/SKS functions aren't going to work.

If you want remote/SKS functions, then you'll have to get a keyfob that hasn't been used too many times (probably less than 128 on a black keyfob). Just about any used keyfob is going to violate this limit, and the attempt to program the car for it will fail. The precise technical description of why so many people have problems with used keyfobs is known only to a few people inside Toyota. There are successes, just enough to sucker the rest of us into trying. But generally a used keyfob will only work with the car it was originally paired with.

There are numerous threads about this that you can find with a search for "keyfob". This one has the do-it-yourself programming instructions that work for inserting the keyfob into the dash: http://priuschat.com/forums/knowled...lly-how-program-non-sks-key-fob-detailed.html