Broken Plastics on Ignition Key

dtp · January 23, 2012, 09:01

My ignition key fell apart the other day - the plastics broke around the area that secures the base of the key blade - not uncommon with Mr T keys apparently!
After some research I found the correct replacement blank on E-Bay - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180689379012 for £4.95 and had it cut at my local locksmiths £3.50.
All I had to do was to remove the electronics unit (complete with buttons) from the broken key and locate in the new blank - dead easy, it's completely transferable without any difficulty - and for £8.45 I have a new key!- Compare that with Mr T's pricing.........

Key supplier says that unfortunately the MR2 key blank does not yet come in a "folding" format but suggests checking again in a couple of months, which will do because such a solution will alleviate much of the aggravation that comes with a full length rigid key.

Anonymous · January 23, 2012, 22:44

Useful info. Ive done this myself and it saves a packet on Mr T prices.

dcod · January 24, 2012, 08:59

Mine has broken right around the screw and held together with celotape. Looks like I shall be making an imminent purchase ...

I've seen these before, thanks for reminding me and giving me a kick up the @ss to get it sorted.

onion86 · January 24, 2012, 09:47

I need to find somewhere to do it a bit cheaper because Timpsons said it would cost £12 to cut the key, that was a s:o

s:o "no thanks"; I think I'll go to my local Motorspares place, I'm sure they'll do it for under a fiver.
My new car came with the broken key (around the screw that holds the blade in, looks like a weak point)... the eBay keys are moulded so shouldn't have the same problem. I already had a spare one at home that I'd bought trying to figure out some way I could ingeniously fit the MR-S fob into it so I didn't mind when the dealer told me one was snapped s;)

s;)

StuC · January 24, 2012, 10:00

Quote from: "onion86"I need to find somewhere to do it a bit cheaper because Timpsons said it would cost £12 to cut the key, that was a s:o s:o "no thanks"

My Timpsons wouldn't even touch it! s:-( :-( s:-(

dtp · January 25, 2012, 13:14

I just asked at the local shoe mending/ key cutting/ engraving shop on Poole (Dorset) High Street - called "Shoe Repairs Plus"- he looked at it, said it was a couple of minutes job, but would have to be at my risk, because I supplied the blank and he "couldn't get them" - 2 minutes later he charged me £3.50 and job is a good un!
So looks like it's worth looking for an independent rather than a Timpsons!

dcod · February 1, 2012, 11:59

Just got to find someone to cut it now. s:D

s:D

onion86 · February 1, 2012, 12:21

I've got my spare in my pocket as I actually remembered to pick it up this morning so getting it done this evening hopefully. I've been past the place I was going to try and get it done about 4 times and keep forgetting to grab it!

Mike_V · February 1, 2012, 13:02

Great tip. I got 2 myself and my local Timpsons cut them for 4 quid each.

dcod · February 1, 2012, 14:37

Quote from: "Mike_V"Great tip. I got 2 myself and my local Timpsons cut them for 4 quid each.

I know of a place near me that cuts keys but looked up Timpsons ... it's the same place! Result! s:D

s:D

dcod · February 2, 2012, 13:26

All done, works perfectly. Just need to swap the guts over now.

WARNING 1: Timpson refused to cut the key. Due to Timpson policy, introduced in the last few months, if a key blank isn't supplkied by themselves then they can't guarentee the key and so won't cut it.

WARNING 2: The guy at Timpson suggested that you wear rubber gloves when swapping the guts over. Apparently, static can screw the electronics up.

onion86 · February 2, 2012, 14:19

Quote from: "dcod"WARNING 1: Timpson refused to cut the key. Due to Timpson policy, introduced in the last few months, if a key blank isn't supplkied by themselves then they can't guarentee the key and so won't cut it.

That's what I got told by the guy that cut my key at the local motorparts place yesterday but Timpsoms told me last week they would do it for £12.
The guy yesterday charged me £10 to do it so mine's all done, I asked why it was so expensive and he said "because we're the only place locally that will do it and we can't guarantee the cheap eBay keys as they're not made of normal key steel". I'm not really sure why not being able to guarantee the cheap eBay keys matter to how much it costs, surely he wasn't going to give me a replacement if it broke. So I paid it but s:crazyeyes: :crazyeyes: s:crazyeyes: £10 for 2 minutes work!

dtp · February 7, 2012, 08:29

Wearing rubber gloves to change over the electronics is a load of "old huey"! The electronics unit is completely self contained and therefore protected from any possible static shock. And by the way, is dead easy to swop out.
Spoke with my "key cutter" and he said that all is needed to cut these keys is a machine that has a 180 degree spin spindle because the blank needs to be cut on both edges - a lot of shops don't have these apparently, hence the higher than normal cutting prices quoted. As to key steel quality, he says that there is not any real variation across the whole range - key steel is key steel! The story about cheap EBay keys having inferior steel is most likely to protect their higher pricing. My guy also said that he only does cutting of blanks not supplied by him, simply because he can't replace them if anything goes wrong - and it's not worth him keeping a myriad selection of car key blanks to make a few sales per week!

neil c · February 7, 2012, 12:21

I worked for Timpsons as a branch manager 10 years ago , I left because they are robbing gits

Essex_Nick · May 8, 2012, 22:42

I bought a blank key as my key was exactly the same as above. I took it to the key cutters on the food court level in Lakeside shopping centre and they cut it no problem. They even swapped the electronics over for me and only charged me £2.