All members... hello. Out here in California. I just bought (last Monday).. a 2018 Rex with 35000 original miles... but ONLY ONE KEY! I desperately need to know, where best to buy a used key and about how much (if) dealers charge to code it? Any info much appreciated
Hello.. back into the i3 club! Sold my 2015REX 1 year ago.. n just bought 2018 REx.
- Thread starter alpine788
- Start date
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I don't know specifically about California, but as I understand it the general rule is that a BMW main dealer will not code a secondhand key to work on your car. They will only code a new one.
There has been a fair bit of speculation on the various forums about whether it is even possible to code a used key on another vehicle. It's not entirely clear whether there is a technical reason, or whether it's simply down to company policy. I can't recall ever hearing from someone saying that they had successfully made a secondhand key work on their car. The only people that I have seen allege that it is possible are people who sell secondhand keys!
There has been a fair bit of speculation on the various forums about whether it is even possible to code a used key on another vehicle. It's not entirely clear whether there is a technical reason, or whether it's simply down to company policy. I can't recall ever hearing from someone saying that they had successfully made a secondhand key work on their car. The only people that I have seen allege that it is possible are people who sell secondhand keys!
alohart
Well-known member
I have no experience buying a fob. However, my understanding is that only BMW USA, not any dealer, can program a new fob to an i3's VIN. Apparently, there are a limited number of fobs (12?) that could be programmed to each VIN, but that number seemed more than sufficient. There's apparently no need to pay a dealer to pair a fob with an i3 because any owner could do it.
The best fob price is typically from an on-line dealer who would send the programmed fob directly to the fob buyer after verifying that the buyer is the actual i3 owner. Search the Internet for fob sellers but ignore eBay or any other sellers of used fobs.
The best fob price is typically from an on-line dealer who would send the programmed fob directly to the fob buyer after verifying that the buyer is the actual i3 owner. Search the Internet for fob sellers but ignore eBay or any other sellers of used fobs.
websterize
Well-known member
https://www.bmwusa.com/contact-us/key-replacement.html. There's even a 24-hour help line for California residents. Good luck!
