If You Need New Keys...

[stickball]

I bought a 2005 ES330 last year and the dealer only supplied one key. Period. A Master transponder key. Rather than push my luck any further, recently I thought I'd buy a spare key. So I call the dealer. All in, it would cost north of $400 for a new key. I went online and found a reputable seller of keys on Ebay. Here are their details:

Remotez4Less, LLC

Oakhurst, NJ 07755

Toll Free: 1-866-644-2190

Local Tel: 732-660-7100

I spoke with a guy named Sean. Bought a new Transponder key, CUT, for $150. Before they would cut the key they needed the keycode. I didn't have it, and so Sean told me to get it from the dealer. Apparently the dealer is required to give the keycode to the owner when requested. I contacted the Parts Dep't at the dealership and was asked to supply a copy of my Driver's License and Registration via FAX, and was told that the dealer would phone me back with the keycode. Believe it or not, they did indeed call back with the code, which I passed on to Sean at the Remotez4Less shop. They took my order over the phone and a week later I received the key, along with a set on bizarre instructions for programming the key to open doors and such. After two attempts I got the key programmed. Now I needed the key programmed to start the ignition, and I found a locksmith in Arlington VA with the proper computer box-thingy. Cost $55 for that service. So for just over $200 I now have a second Master key. Here are the programming instructions for the doors:

Driver's door open, all other doors closed, key removed from ignition

switch.

Within 5 seconds:

Insert and remove the key from the ignition switch twice.

Within 40 seconds:

Close and open driver's door twice.

Insert and remove the key from the ignition switch.

Within 40 seconds:

Close and open driver's door twice.

Insert the key into the ignition switch and close the driver's door.

Switch ignition ON and OFF:

Once to program a key remote transmitter code whilst retaining the original codes.

Twice to program a key remote transmitter code whilst erasing the original codes.

Three times to check how many key remote transmitters are currently registered.

Five times to erase all registered codes.

Remove key from ignition switch.

System should now lock and unlock vehicle once, twice or five times

depending which mode has been selected. One to four times, slowly, to

indicate number of key remote transmitters registered.

Within 40 seconds:

Press and hold LOCK and UNLOCK buttons simultaneously for 1.5 seconds.

Within 3 seconds:

Press any key remote transmitter button.

System should now lock and unlock vehicle once to confirm registration or

twice to indicate registration has failed.

Within 40 seconds:

Repeat button procedure to program remaining key remote transmitters.

NOTE: To exit programming mode: Open driver's door or insert ignition key.

NOTE: A maximum of 4 key remote transmitters can be programmed.

Hope this helps someone...

[stickball]

Oops... here's the locksmith details:

Arlington Lock

6201 Leesburg Pike

Falls Church, VA 22044

703 553 5555

Ask for Chase

[cduluk]

Yeah, same procedure for my old Rx300, pretty cool how it works.

When a car is delivered, it has 2 master keys. If the owner wanted to, they could program two additional keys, for a total of 4 keys programmed at one time. If the owner then decided to program a 5th key, the first key to ever be programmed will suddenly lose all of its functionality! And if the owner programs a 6th key, the second key to ever be programmed will also lose functionality. The same applies if they were to program a 7th, and 8th, and any nth number of new keys. Only 4 keys will remain programmed at one time.

This feature is useful if you lose a key and think someone else might have it. If you only ever had 3 keys programmed, just program 2 more and that first, no matter where in the world it is, will lose its functionality and won't be able to start your car. Each Lexus key fob ever made, all 1,546,935,769,523 of them, produces its own frequency. When you perform that fancy procedure to program a key, you're getting your CAR to understand the set frequency of that new key. So even if you don't have the lost key in your possession, by programming a 5th key, the car would then understand to ignore the frequency of the lost key if it were to ever hear it again. <_<

The technology involved in the cars of today is mind boggling!