Ridiculous Process to Replace Key Fob

[alevek]

Lost one of the fobs. Here's how it went to replace it:
At Chevy parts:
1 transmitter : $110.00
1 key: $52.00

Not bad so far. Now for the ridiculous part:
1 1/2 hour wait to program and $165.

Total: with taxes etc. : $350.00

On the plus side, they gave me a $50. goodwill discount. However having to wait nearly two hours for the programming is ridiculous.

Chevy need to make it possible for the owner to self program a new transmitter using an existing good one.

 

[oilerlord]

I used to think that European automakers had the exclusive on boning customers in the service department, but apparently that isn't the case anymore. It's now "normal" to pay $300-$400 to replace a key these days. A couple of years ago, a friend of ours lost a key to our Audi. The fob was a little over $200 and programming $100.

I could see a whole can-O-worms being opened if key programming made it into the public domain. Remember, your VIN number is clearly visible through the windshield for others to see. Perhaps they'd need another key to clone, or perhaps they wouldn't. Personally, I think it's a good thing that before keys can be programmed, you need to prove you are the registered owner of the car.

 

[SeanNelson]

On the plus side, they gave me a $50. goodwill discount. However having to wait nearly two hours for the programming is ridiculous.

Chevy need to make it possible for the owner to self program a new transmitter using an existing good one.

My guess is that the reprogramming procedure for the Bolt is similar to the one used for the Volt. And that procedure deliberately involves a half hour of waiting - see this thread on the Volt forum. It's designed that way to reduce the vulnerability of the car to being stolen by someone who knows the "secret" key fob reprogramming procedure - otherwise anyone with any fob could just walk up to your car and reprogram it to use their own fob.

 

[EastWestBrothers]

At least you have yourself to blame for losing the key.

I have been trying to get a replacement key for one the dealer lost. What a pain in the ass...

 

[dandrewk]

Lost one of the fobs. Here's how it went to replace it:
At Chevy parts:
1 transmitter : $110.00
1 key: $52.00

Not bad so far. Now for the ridiculous part:
1 1/2 hour wait to program and $165.

Total: with taxes etc. : $350.00

On the plus side, they gave me a $50. goodwill discount. However having to wait nearly two hours for the programming is ridiculous.

Chevy need to make it possible for the owner to self program a new transmitter using an existing good one.

You can do this by yourself. Look at page 37 of the manual.

 

[Pigwich]

You can do this by yourself. Look at page 37 of the manual.

Yeah I was gonna say :?
Sorry about that.

 

[SparkE]

You can do this by yourself. Look at page 37 of the manual.

Not when there is a lost keyfob :

To program, the vehicle must be off and all of the transmitters, both currently recognized and new, must be with you.

 

[dandrewk]

You can do this by yourself. Look at page 37 of the manual.

Not when there is a lost keyfob :

To program, the vehicle must be off and all of the transmitters, both currently recognized and new, must be with you.

This is not accurate. Read on, to page 37:

If two currently recognized
transmitters are not available, follow
this procedure to program up to
eight transmitters. This feature is
not available in Canada. This
procedure will take approximately
30 minutes to complete. The vehicle
must be off and all of the
transmitters to be programmed must
be with you.

It's an involved procedure, so for some it may be best to take it to a dealership.

 

[alevek]

You can do this by yourself. Look at page 37 of the manual.

Not when there is a lost keyfob :

To program, the vehicle must be off and all of the transmitters, both currently recognized and new, must be with you.

This is not accurate. Read on, to page 37:

If two currently recognized
transmitters are not available, follow
this procedure to program up to
eight transmitters. This feature is
not available in Canada. This
procedure will take approximately
30 minutes to complete. The vehicle
must be off and all of the
transmitters to be programmed must
be with you.

It's an involved procedure, so for some it may be best to take it to a dealership.

You're right. I'll take it as $100 penalty for not reading the User Manual.

 

[SparkE]

Not when there is a lost keyfob :

To program, the vehicle must be off and all of the transmitters, both currently recognized and new, must be with you.

This is not accurate. Read on, to page 37:

If two currently recognized
transmitters are not available, follow
this procedure to program up to
eight transmitters. This feature is
not available in Canada. This
procedure will take approximately
30 minutes to complete. The vehicle
must be off and all of the
transmitters to be programmed must
be with you.

It's an involved procedure, so for some it may be best to take it to a dealership.

You're right. I'll take it as $100 penalty for not reading the User Manual.

Ditto (for not reading to the next page).

 

[portable]

https://www.chevroletonlineparts.com/oem-parts/gm-transmitter-13508767
https://www.chevroletonlineparts.com/oem-parts/gm-key-13590048/?c=aT1DQzE2MTU1NCZyPTU%3D

I laid my spare key fob on top of my car(Dumb Move) while rummaging through my glove box. later i took off driving with my normal key in my pocket. Good by "Key Fob" on the roof. I got a new fob from the attached website and i programed the fobs myself using the instructions in the manual. I think they made it a long enduring process so you don't have car thieves just coming up and re-programming fobs to steal cars. One thing to note is , once you start the process "Don't open the door" . I did and had to start all over . it took me twice as long then normal. I asked the "Parts department" to cut the key portion of the fob when i was in for the infotainment update. They did it for No charge (from my Vin #) since i was a customer.

 

[dandrewk]

I wonder if 3rd party knockoff fobs will work for the Bolt. They tend to be a lot cheaper.

 

[Anonymous]

Do you have to have a key to program the new key following the instructions? Both keys are lost. Chevy says they need a key to program the new one? At Chevy dealership why do you have to wait an hour and pay $500 for a new key to be programmed if you can buy for $85 and program yourself? Not good customer service!

 

[boltage]

Do you have to have a key to program the new key following the instructions? Both keys are lost.

It says that you need two recognized fobs, presumably to prevent a valet or someone borrowing the car from adding another fob too easily.

 

[tomofNV]

So do you need two programmed key fobs to program another or just one? Trying to decide whether to try just one or do the other, longer, procedure that requires no programmed key. Sure missing the days of going to Home Depot and having a spare key cut for $5.00.

 

[tomofNV]

I'll answer my question since no one else did. Yes, you do need two programmed keys unless you use the alternate procedure described in the manual which reprograms the new key plus an existing already programmed key. I used the latter. The new key was $80.00 from an on line supplier, plus another $27 to grind the pattern into the sides of the mechanical key (which you remove from the fob by pushing the button on its side and pulling on the top end). You need it ground so that if you loose the original key you can use the new one to program another new key, since you need to insert the mechanical key into the door lock to do so.

 

[like2bike]

I knew about programming the new fob yourself by reading the manual while waiting for the car to be delivered. One of the fobs for my LEAF is dead and Nissan's new fob cost about the same and there is no programming it yourself. I am living with one working fob and was assured by my dealer's LEAF mechanic that it wouldn't cost any more to get a replacement if the second one was gone.

 

[JSlip]

I just don't get why it won't work in Canada.

Too socialist? Too metric? Too French?

 

[SeanNelson]

I just don't get why it won't work in Canada.

I expect that it's because the government regulator thinks it's a bad idea for someone like a valet to be able to program a key blank that they could then pass off to someone else to steal the car at their convenience.

 

[JSlip]

That makes a lot of sense.