Quote:
Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby
I need to remind myself to get a spare but its 150 bucks I feel like I'm living on the edge for lol!
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If all you need is a spare...there's no need to pay $150 for one. If the key will be sitting in a drawer until needed...just get the spare key (not another very expensive 3 button remote key).
Key #3 in the diagram below is somewhere around
$50 (depending on which dealer you order it from):
FYI to others reading this thread:
Also, remember that the remote keys have 3 independent features EWS/DWA/FZV incorporated into it...they work in conjunction but have different functions/systems...and some descriptions in the posts I was reading seem to be jumbling some of them together.
EWS is the immobilizing feature of the key and is specific to each vehicle. The forum member that purchased 3 keys off of CL and had some guy in a van cut and program them...that is not something that is readily available all over the country. That person has specialized equipment that very few people have. The EWS transponder (EEPROM) inside the key is a once write chip...so that "guy in the van" has equipment that can read the existing data on your eeprom, and has new chips he's burning and installing into those CL keys. There's a lot of info missing in that post that will mislead people to think they can do that and get just any old locksmith/keysmith to do the same thing.
FZV (central locking) and DWA (anti-theft alarm siren system are the other features of the remote key. These features are powered by the battery inside the key, and can be programmed to other BMWs that use the same frequency (315 MHz in North America & 433 MHz in Europe & other BMW markets).
Also, anyone can program FZV/DWA right in your own driveway/garage...it take no special knowledge or equipment. In fact, you can take a friends key, or buy a used key and program it to lock/unlock & arm/disarm the car...it just won't be able to start the car...that falls under EWS:
FZV & DWA programming instructions
EWS programming from the factory...and why/how there are only 10 keys that can be programmed to the EWS control module...the 11th key requires a new control module (or you can continue to use the key codes that were originally programmed if you can find the "guy in the van" (or someone who has that equipment) that was previously mentioned.
