Hi all,
I am new to your forum so forgive me if I have made this post in an incorrect way or form.
I am looking to purchase an Vectra 2.5 V6 from a London Local Authority who have confiscated the car from someone for whatever reason. They have a key for the vehicle, but not a chipped one, hence they cannot start the car.
Is it possible to get a new key cut which will work with the immobiliser? If so would that be a main dealer job?
Any info appreciated.
Many Thanks
|
A full key assembly including the mechanical key, the imobiliser chip and rf clicker costs around £70 from vauxhall, they can get it made up from the cars reg number and vin plate providing you can prove you are the owner. Are you proposing to buy the car, then organise a new key?? I would not consider buying a car without at least hearing it run... especially a V6.
Teaching the ECU the new key is not a dealer job, you put new key in ignition, turn to on and press rf clicker button, indicators flash and off you go...
|
|
|
stormrider
I find it odd they have a key for the vehicle which doesn't have a chip. Any key for this car will come as a chipped unit, although to be fair it's sometimes possible to prise the key apart and remove the chip.
Any new key purchased needs coding to the vehicle and that is a dealer job. The car must be plugged into a computer, and the ECU instructed to recognise the chip in the key as valid. To do this you need the ECU code for the car. Comes with all new Vauxhalls on the 'car pass' and if it's missing any Vx dealer can get the information, based on the VIN number. Costs about £10 for a new car pass.
I believe some specialist locksmiths can now do the coding, although they possibly do this by cloning an existing (working) key, so this may not help in your case.
The process vern describes allows the remote locking unit to be recoded to the car - very easy on Vauxhalls, and very necessary as I've always found they lose the code no matter how quickly you change the battery. Unfortunately this is completely separate from the ECU and the chip in the key, so won't help in this situation.
Regards
John S
|
I find it odd they have a key for the vehicle which doesn't have a chip. Any key for this car will come as a chipped unit, although to be fair it's sometimes possible to prise the key apart and remove the chip.
Maybe the owner who had it confiscated removed the chip beforehand as an act of revenge.
A friend of mine who had his Corsa diesel reposessed by the finance company for non payment of his HP loan did something similar beforehand. Not quite sure what he did, but before they arrived he made sure he had the engine running, but when they turned it off after loading it on the low loader it wouldn't start again.
It made him feel better that he had inconvenienced someone with his tampering.
|
|
Somewhat antisocial, though. It wasn't the finance company's fault that your friend had got himself into a financial mess. The people who pay for the sabotage are other poor people who buy cars on loans - as the interest rate factors in the risk. As a part of the risk is that some yob will return a car to them that has been deliberately damaged, this rate is increased. We all pay in the end for such selfishness.
|
|
|
DD
Relatively easy. The system only needs the chip near the ignition when it's switched on, and once it's running, for safety reasons, it doesn't have to be there. So prise open key and remove chip. Close key, hold chip near key and switch on. Start car. Bingo, it runs. Take chip away, and it continues to run.
Turn it off though, and it won't start again until it 'sees' a chip it recognises.
Regards
John S
|
|
|
|
"I find it odd they have a key for the vehicle which doesn't have a chip. Any key for this car will come as a chipped unit, although to be fair it's sometimes possible to prise the key apart and remove the chip."
I have been told the vehicles this company sells are sold on bailiffs orders in conjunction with the DVLA and the Police as well as the local councils. After a certain period of time, the vehicle if not having been reclaimed, is auctioned off. (can get some real cool deals this way).
They told me that they never had a key fro the car, they had one cut, which opens the car but doesnt start it. I am assuming that is because of the immobiliser.
|
Exactly right, stormrider. Even a key supplied by Vauxhall which is cut for the car won't allow it to start. It needs the ECU programmed to recognise the chip in the new key before the ignition etc will operate. It would allow them to open the car, undo the steering lock and get it towed away, but that's it. Programming the new key to the car takes about 5 minutes at the dealer.
Regards
John S
|
|
|
|
|
