So I only got 1 key when I bought my car. It was cracked at the top which meant the key ring could slide out of the key without having to open the ring. I just dealt with it - until yesterday.

Had to leave the key at Discount Tire separate from the remote so I could get back into my car (wouldn't be able to get it until after hours). I went to put the key back onto the ring last night and the top of the key broke off completely.

So now I need to get a new key. I figure I might as well go ahead and get 2 to have a programmed back-up. Where is the best place to buy blank keys? I've thought about getting the 20th Anniversary key since I like the looks of that one better. Links/info to either key would be nice.

I tried searching for the info, but the Search feature seems to not be working right now.

 

https://www.ikeyless.com/vehicles/ni...FRxJagod7xJL-w
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.a...700fc55b?pli=1

What is wrong with Google?

 

ebay has blank keys, but you still have to pay the stealership to have them programmed

 

Call your local dealership and a few locksmiths in your area. Sometimes you get good deals by purchasing the blank keys online and having your dealership cut and program them. We tend to assume that the dealership is the priciest of them all, but I've heard of people who claim otherwise (it was not my case when I needed mine, though). Some locksmiths would do that for you too but some others will not touch your blanks and prefer that you buy the key from them. Another source are some Walmart and Home Depot stores. Prices vary depending on where you live. The option that worked best for me was to get them from a local locksmith ($50 +tax for the key, cut and programmed)

 

courtesyparts.com

 

http://www.courtesyparts.com/80600na...3-p-49188.html

 

courtesy nissan 103 plus tax and shippping! plus programming!

ebay 12 dollars plus shipping and programming...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2000-...ltDomainQ5f100

 

I bought from this guy recently.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/00-01...item439c07d966

Great price, free shipping, plus you get two keys...an extra ignition key and then a dead spare just in case you lock your keys in the car. I had my keys cut for free at my local Nissan dealer and it was the best cut I've ever had out of a set of keys. I've not had it the chip programmed, but I can hold off on that, I just wanted to ensure I could get into the car if I left the keys inside. I keep the dead key inside my wallet.

 

I got a local locksmith to cut me a key and program it for $50.

 

Local locksmith's have the ability to program a chip? Please, tell me more...$50 > than $80 from the dealer ANYDAY!

 

What is there to tell? Call a few in your area and see what they charge.

 

Got the transponder key from ebay, $12.00, Wallyworld cut it for me for $2 and took it to the dealership and got programmed for $50. Total $64.00.

 

I suppose I'm just amazed locksmiths have the equipment to do this....(mind my ignorance about what is involved to program the chip in these keys!). Until I know the process, I'm simply left wondering why "we" can't then do this ourselves.

 

We can, as long as we have the equipment and software required to do so, which is rather expensive if we are not involved in the locksmith trade. Places like some Walmart stores have some kind of equipment that allows them to "clone" your working key without the need of going to your car. I wish there was a way to program keys the way some Ford models do; it involves having a working key, along with the blank one already cut, and going through a series of insertions and turns of the keys in the ignition switch.

 

I always wanted to investigate programming keys. These keys are basically RFID tags. I haven't done much research but with RFID, cloning would work assuming that the tagID or some other user-programmable info is what is used as the authentication token. This also assumes you already have a working key. If you can clone an existing key's RFID tag, you should have no problem using the cloned key with the same ignition/ECU EEPROM settings. So in short, if you can clone the key, you may not need "Nissan" equipment.

However, if you've lost the keys, I think this would require a trip to the dealership as they would have to program into the ECU the "ID" of the RFID tag of the new key. Not sure if they use an RFID programmer to initialize the tag or if the tags (keys) come blank.

But like I said, I haven't done any sort of true researching to verify if it would work like this - that is, to avoid a trip to the dealership, buy a blank key & clone your existing key's RFID tag. Equipment & software to clone RFID tags is readily available and not that expensive.

 

In a sense, this is true...but thanks to the Internet you can find what you need if you look hard enough...

 

You can program the remotes yourself. You can not program the actual keys yourself.

 

I know the difference. I was saying with some research, I wanted to see if cloning the RFID tag (the transponder chip in the key) was possible with consumer-grade/non-Nissan equipment. I have the ability to program certain RFID tags already, just not sure about the specific (ISO?) protocols & data formats in use.

Keep in mind this is all speculation; I'm not stating, as fact, that it's possible.