Dqban
Well-Known Member
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- #1
Lost my key on the MTB trails the other day. I ordered a replacement through ACE hardware. $212 total with programming included. They did have to order but said they sometime have more common keys on hand. Would have been like $275 at the dealer.
The experience....they cut the new key. Guy walks out to my car with a little pelican case and inside, there is a device about the size of an old school brick phone with a dongle that connects to OBD port. There is also a small, oldish samsung tablet that connects wirelessly (bluetooth?) to the OBD device. He spends about 1 minute typing some generic car data in the tablet....Car year, make and model. He then sits in my car, turns on hazards, plugs in the OBD device. This is the interesting part.....About 5 seconds later (no exaggeration) he chuckles out loud and says "Thats it?" He tells me thats the fastest and easiest key copy he has ever made. He admitted it was his first Jeep but said he's done dozens of other cars, including other Mopar vehicles. This was, by far, the fastest, stating that it usually takes at least 5-10 minutes on the low side.
I asked him about programming keys and he said as far as he could tell, there is nothing in the software or device that would prevent him from programming or reprograming an used key. He told me the contract with the device comes with all sorts of rules stating they are only supposed to use keys ordered through official channels ect., but he admitted they have played with it.
Makes me wonder what happens if someone steals this case from ACE.
The experience....they cut the new key. Guy walks out to my car with a little pelican case and inside, there is a device about the size of an old school brick phone with a dongle that connects to OBD port. There is also a small, oldish samsung tablet that connects wirelessly (bluetooth?) to the OBD device. He spends about 1 minute typing some generic car data in the tablet....Car year, make and model. He then sits in my car, turns on hazards, plugs in the OBD device. This is the interesting part.....About 5 seconds later (no exaggeration) he chuckles out loud and says "Thats it?" He tells me thats the fastest and easiest key copy he has ever made. He admitted it was his first Jeep but said he's done dozens of other cars, including other Mopar vehicles. This was, by far, the fastest, stating that it usually takes at least 5-10 minutes on the low side.
I asked him about programming keys and he said as far as he could tell, there is nothing in the software or device that would prevent him from programming or reprograming an used key. He told me the contract with the device comes with all sorts of rules stating they are only supposed to use keys ordered through official channels ect., but he admitted they have played with it.
Makes me wonder what happens if someone steals this case from ACE.
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