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Thread: Need a local locksmith that can cut and flash an e39/e46 ebay key

  1. #1
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    Need a local locksmith that can cut and flash an e39/e46 ebay key

    i know there are a couple indie bmw shops as well as some bmw dealers that can flash an ebay key's ignition chip to match your car...
    and i know its easy to pair the keyfob functions to the car..

    ...but what about getting the key itself cut?

    i already have a functional key, i would basically just need to get the blade cloned

    are there and shops around central MA that can do this?

    $180 for a brand new key from the dealer and waiting lord knows how long for it to come from germany....that's silly
    Looking for an e39 Touring black carpet set, including the rear cargo cubbies and side sections!
    ALSO looking for 540i 6speed manual transmission sets (2001+ pedals with switches, driveshaft, gearbox), for the 6speed swap! Probably not for a while....

    GN92489
    540i msport touring; jet black on grey
    Progress Thread (general)
    Progress thread (touring specific)


  2. #2
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    New keys from the dealer usually take 2 days. Rarely 3. Never seen it take 4

  3. #3
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    I got my new key from the dealer next day. If your car is modded as in not the orginal dme due something like a key swap due to bad ingintion then dont bother. Most cut the key based on the VIN so it wont match. GL

  4. #4
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    Let us know what you find out. There do not seem to be common options other than the dealer. But I am sure it could be done more cheaply.

  5. #5
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    one possibility i just realized;
    bmw sells "valet keys" which can operate the physical door lock and start the engine, but has no remote functionality. they have transponders in them and the blade is cut correctly, but the real cool bit is they're only $56 from the dealer

    i tried looking around to see if anyone has ever transplanted the blade+transponder from a valet key into an ebay remote keyfob but no dice
    Looking for an e39 Touring black carpet set, including the rear cargo cubbies and side sections!
    ALSO looking for 540i 6speed manual transmission sets (2001+ pedals with switches, driveshaft, gearbox), for the 6speed swap! Probably not for a while....

    GN92489
    540i msport touring; jet black on grey
    Progress Thread (general)
    Progress thread (touring specific)


  6. #6
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    Transponder replacement is easy. I can program a chip in 3 minutes and it will be a perfect match for your e36 or e46. I can probably do more I'm just not sure which ones. Ews 2 and ews 3. The blade is the part that gets a little tricky. On the e36 the valet key is identical to a master key but it doesn't have the groove that runs the length of the key. I assume e46 is the same. Their keys are cut the same as e36. Also bmw has a 10 key limit on each car. It can be bypassed if you have the right equipment but dealers can't bypass it.......I can
    Last edited by flyfishvt; 07-26-2015 at 10:11 AM.

  7. #7
    geargrinder's Avatar
    geargrinder is offline Having No Trouble Here BMW CCA Member
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    Joe: For the EWS 3.3 at least, key has to be matched to the EWS w a unique secret code pre stored in the EWS. I could be wrong about this but AFAIU if you clone your one master key and then try to use 2 the rolling codes can get desync'd and screw you up nicely. Not easy. Zero point zero dealers will code a key you provide. They order the key premade because they have the codes all on the database.

    And w Indy's. Many may claim all kinds of things about their coding capabilities. IME the majority dont have half the abilities or tools that a clever hobbyist does (they often poo poo guys like me w INPA & MCSExpert but really they have no idea what those tools are about or how to use them, and cant really do half the things they claim). I have coded a couple manual and SMG conversions where the shop doing the mechanics pretended they could do it all but in the end was clueless. Now thats not all shops but the other element is what Lee said - some might have the older EWS capabilities which apparently are a lot more straightforward.

    Cutting the physical key for an ebay blank is the easy part - any high tech locksmith with all the computerized gear can do that and in fact usually end up w a key that is better than your oem used one.

    Anyway. Give up on local Indy's I suggest. More constructively - unless Lee can do the 3.3 keys, PM RocketSturgeon here cuz he 's sorted out the tech and will make keys to match your EWS perfectly like a dealer key would. I believe he reads the EWS EEPROM and pulls the codes so he has what BMW has...
    Last edited by geargrinder; 07-26-2015 at 06:14 AM. Reason: Specify this is all re: EWS 3.3
    2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
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  8. #8
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    What about deleting EWS? I usually run EWS delete tunes.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder View Post
    Joe: For the EWS 3.3 at least, key has to be matched to the EWS w a unique secret code pre stored in the EWS. I could be wrong about this but AFAIU if you clone your one master key and then try to use 2 the rolling codes can get desync'd and screw you up nicely. Not easy. Zero point zero dealers will code a key you provide. They order the key premade because they have the codes all on the database.

    hmm, good to know, although jut buying an emergency plastic key from the dealer ($56) solves this problem because it has the transponder chip sitting inside it ready to go, matched to your vin, then as you say, get the key blade cloned at a decent shop.


    Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder View Post
    Anyway. Give up on local Indy's I suggest. More constructively - unless Lee can do the 3.3 keys, PM RocketSturgeon here cuz he 's sorted out the tech and will make keys to match your EWS perfectly like a dealer key would. I believe he reads the EWS EEPROM and pulls the codes so he has what BMW has...
    i'll give em a PM but it sounds all the world like he'll need to be physically present to hook up to my car, or i'll need to rip out the whole EWS jazz and mail it to him..
    Looking for an e39 Touring black carpet set, including the rear cargo cubbies and side sections!
    ALSO looking for 540i 6speed manual transmission sets (2001+ pedals with switches, driveshaft, gearbox), for the 6speed swap! Probably not for a while....

    GN92489
    540i msport touring; jet black on grey
    Progress Thread (general)
    Progress thread (touring specific)


  10. #10
    geargrinder's Avatar
    geargrinder is offline Having No Trouble Here BMW CCA Member
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    For a dude who's been all "IMA DO THIS AND THAT AND REPLACING SEATS AND REFNISHIN EM IS AL SUPER EASY AND GONNA DO WINDOW SHADE RETROFIT AND AND AND" before he even sat in the car once yer pretty intimidated by merely unbolting one little electrical module ;^} , but yeah you'd have to ship him your EWS. Easily done when the car is down for other maintenance for a few days.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
    What about deleting EWS? I usually run EWS delete tunes.
    pbon prob is the ME7.2 code tricks aren't that public domain at the moment. Kinda a rare weirdo Ecu vs some others. I am not aware that anybody had an EWS delete for it, and even if so I think the checksumming is tricky. Terra might know, he's poked inti these a bit lately I think and has the WinOLS to checksum.
    2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
    2002 540iT Sport Vortech S/C 6MT LSD TiAg
    2008 Audi A3 2.0T DSG (the daily beater)
    2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i (wifemobile)

    Former:

    1985 MB Euro graymarket 300SL
    1995.5 Audi S6 Avant (utility/winter billetturbobattlewagen)


  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder View Post
    For a dude who's been all "IMA DO THIS AND THAT AND REPLACING SEATS AND REFNISHIN EM IS AL SUPER EASY AND GONNA DO WINDOW SHADE RETROFIT AND AND AND" before he even sat in the car once yer pretty intimidated by merely unbolting one little electrical module ;^} , but yeah you'd have to ship him your EWS. Easily done when the car is down for other maintenance for a few days.
    looks like rocketsurgeon wrote up a nice EWS removal diy over here which was nice of him. and i didn't realize the door gong was that accessible....that's giving me bad ideas about using an arduino to play a totally different door gong, something like the rolls royce chime...

    in any case it might end up being similar cost depending on how much the fellow charges to code the key, could also take much longer than just getting the dealer emergency key or $56 and tearing it apart for the transponder chip.
    although with this method he could code multiple cheap ebay keys at once, which is nice.
    i'll shoot him an email about it.

    buuuuut at least with seat refinishing i stand to save several hundred bucks or more just for some time, and finding ones that don't require some refinishing from the getgo is borderline impossible or ludicrously (1 grand plus) expensive.
    also, key transplanting seemingly hasn't been done before and getting data is always better than not
    Last edited by joekitch; 07-26-2015 at 01:14 PM.
    Looking for an e39 Touring black carpet set, including the rear cargo cubbies and side sections!
    ALSO looking for 540i 6speed manual transmission sets (2001+ pedals with switches, driveshaft, gearbox), for the 6speed swap! Probably not for a while....

    GN92489
    540i msport touring; jet black on grey
    Progress Thread (general)
    Progress thread (touring specific)


  12. #12
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    Keys from the dealer are of great quality but auto locksmiths can also make BMW keys if they have contacts with dealerships.

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