Transit Connect '57 plate - spare key

kaggi

My OH recently bought a new (to him) transit connect but it only came with 1 key. I've just been quoted £179+ vat for a spare key. This seems a bit steep but as he's only 1 key we can't send it off anywhere to get another made up. Is there any other way to get a spare for a more reasonable price?

facade

Contacting the previous owner to ask if they still have it is cheapest.

Failing that, Timpsons or a locksmith shop can likely copy the key and clone the security chip inside, for around £30.

You can even get a blank key online, have it cut, and then take the van and keys to an autoelectrician who can program the new key properly into the immobiliser.

=rizla=

Try any old owners you can get in touch with, you may get lucky, I bought an ex company car a few years ago one owner removed with only one key, I got quoted the same kind of money for a new key. I found an RAC card lodged in the glovebox with the name of a local company, I called them and they still had the spare in their tin of spare keys, one tin of roses later and I was £200 better off!!


If its the same key I had (3 button with the key bit removable) then the plan I was going to attempt involved getting the key bit cut (~£10), getting a second hand key/blipper from ebay (cant remember but not very expensive at all), then programming the blipper bit to open doors etc (the procedure was easily available on the internet and only needed one working key to do it) then getting a dealer to program the immobilizer bit, I got a few quotes some dealers wanted 1hrs labour others just 1/2hrs. I seem to remember this would have cost me around £100 in total, so half price.
Good luck

Le_Kirk

Where is the spare key? Hope the seller hasn't kept it as part of his recovery service, i.e. he recovers the van for himself. Surely I am being cynical but I would ask the seller where it is.

forgotmyname

With the Ford certain diagnostic tools will tell you how many keys there are.

If you get a proper key made its expensive but you/they can remove the old keys.

If you get your key cloned it will appear that you only have one key, it will have the same code, erase one key and it erases both.

There have been threads where some of the places that cut keys have said that ebay keys are inferior metal and wont cut them.

Never had that issue myself, maybe they are just moaning that they didnt buy the key from them?