Peugeot car key extortion!

AdrianC

Saffie1984 wrote: »

Bought a little Peugeot 108 from a dealer.

How long ago?

No second key.

So you got one on order sharpish, right?

This month lost the key

Ooops... Silly you.

and now quoted over £2,500 for replacement!

Yep. Since you don't have any key at all, the entire security system of the car may well need replacing. This is to protect against people nicking the car, then simply fronting it out to get a new key.

Surely these cars shouldn’t be sold unless there is a second key?

I don't think that's your problem here, do you...?

PasturesNew

To be honest - if you've never come across such a thing before you just think "a car key's a car key". My car has a fat key that opens the doors remotely - no alarm fitted - and a smaller/thinner key.... and I've absolutely no idea if this is the sort of (fat) key that the OP has lost, or if mine's an entirely different/safe/easy sort.

You don't know what you don't know - until it's pointed out to you that you should know it... which you can't, if you don't know.

AdrianC

Every car built in the last ~20 years has a transponder chip in the key for the immobiliser.

PasturesNew

AdrianC wrote: »

Every car built in the last ~20 years has a transponder chip in the key for the immobiliser.

Every car? So my car has an immobiliser? Didn't know that... does it? It's a 2006, so according to your "20 year" thing, it must have... I never knew that!

I'll ask about my "fat key" next time I'm passing the dealer's ... it sounds kind of important

AdrianC

Yes, it has. And I'd be astonished if it didn't have an alarm, too. I can't remember quite when they became a legal requirement, but they've certainly been an almost universal fitment since the 90s.


Edit: Immobilisers and alarms a legal requirement on all new cars after October 1998.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A31995L0056

PasturesNew

AdrianC wrote: »

Yes, it has. And I'd be astonished if it didn't have an alarm, too. I can't remember quite when they became a legal requirement, but they've certainly been an almost universal fitment since the 90s.

There's no alarm I've ever been aware of.... I'll Google it. EDIT: Googled it, Thatcham 2 immobiliser, no alarm.

You never know what you don't know.

£2,500 sounds ridiculously expensive/unaffordable for the OP's problem! Crazy world!

Bearing in mind how many people these days seem to get so drunk so often .... I'm sure a lot must lose their keys while out .... how come I've only ever seen such a sum as £2,500 for the first time today? I thought they were about £70 (and still steep!)

NCC-1707

I lost my spare key and a local mobile auto locksmith did a programmed replacement for £70 using the key number and a laptop connected to the car via the OBD port.

AdrianC

NCC-1707 wrote: »

I lost my spare key and a local mobile auto locksmith did a programmed replacement for £70 using the key number and a laptop connected to the car via the OBD port.

The difference is that you had one key, so could use that to put the car into "add a key" mode. The OP now has no key.

NCC-1707

AdrianC wrote: »

The difference is that you had one key, so could use that to put the car into "add a key" mode. The OP now has no key.

The locksmith didn't ask for my key. It wasn't and isn't needed to supply another as you can see from:-

http://www.theautolocksmith.co.uk/car-key-prices/

'Our spare car keys start from as little as £70 and a fully lost key situation can be as low as £90.'

AdrianC

Ah, they're just cloning the existing key, not adding an additional key to the alarm/immobiliser.

It's a shortcut, because it means you can't remove that additional key if you lose it.


Normally, you have two keys with the car, A and B.
You lose B, and get it removed from the security. B no longer works.



Add another, properly, and the car recognises A and C.
You lose A. The car now recognises C, and somebody with A cannot start the car.

But if you simply cloned A, then the car still only recognises A (but you have 2x A). Lose one of A, and you cannot remove that key from the security.


Many car security systems will only allow a lifetime total of ten keys to be added.