FOB Key cracked .. replacement shell please

[Rantanplan]

Hello everyone

I've broken off my key from my FOB, going on-line ebay etc, everyone sells BMW X5 FOB key with blank key, that's not my issue as I have the metal key it's just that it's broken away from the plastic FOB.

Would any of you fine Beemer folk suggest where to buy a replacement FOB shell so I can reinsert & glue ( I guess) my metal key into a new FOB " pretty please"

Warm regards

Mike
Melbourne - Australia

[andrewwynn]

What you need to do is get a blank key get it cut and transfer your guts to the new key. The "shell" is molded onto the metal part they aren't two parts.


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[Rantanplan]

Thanks very much Andrew,

So in essence, the current metal key is all but useless and I have to get a specialist car key locksmith to cut a whole new key from the broken key... ouch that'll be $100+ to get done,,, maybe if I polyfill the broken fob key with my metal key, this FOB never had an electronic hardware in the key, the X5 is a 2003 E53 4.4V8.... again a big thank you Andrew, I still reckon this whole electronic key a) from a manufacturer $700 or b) replacement $350 or such is a massive racket, the FOB itself $10, it'll take a locksmith 15' to cut and code and say give him $50 for the capital he outlays to cut/code all sorts of manufacturers FOBs I reckon $70 is plenty... but hey, we're just the gofers, wear it " take it or leave it".

Thanks again Andrew, much appreciated, hope you had a good Easter matey

Mike ��
A

[andrewwynn]

Car won't start without the electronics. What do to mean fob didn't have?


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[Rantanplan]

That's right Andrew there's nothing in the case except the steel/metal key that goes into lock , it's always worked (manually turning the key to open doors & starts car just fine)... wonder why it works just as a key then without electronic hardware in the fob :|

Thanks for reply Andrew

Mike

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by Rantanplan

That's right Andrew there's nothing in the case except the steel/metal key that goes into lock , it's always worked (manually turning the key to open doors & starts car just fine)... wonder why it works just as a key then without electronic hardware in the fob :|

Thanks for reply Andrew

Mike

That doesn't even seem possible...

I wonder if you use a pair of pliers to hold the metal part - will it still start the car? I'm betting it won't. Perhaps this fob has the immobiliser chip (EWS) buried somewhere in it that you haven't spotted. They can be small - like a grain of rice - although the BMW keys usually have a circuit board containing the remote lock/unlock transmitter as well as the immobiliser chip (EWS).

A regular BMW key has all this... (the EWS parts are G, H and L)



Other makers (like VW for instance) use a small immobiliser chip like this...





The only other possibility is that the entire immobiliser (EWS) system in your car has been disabled somehow. I'm not even sure if this is possible and it's certainly not desirable!

[oldskewel]

I recently had a similar situation with my wife's Honda Odyssey keys. She's pretty rough on them. I bought cheap shell+blank eBay replacements for about a dollar or two each on eBay.

For those (and I know the BMW may be different from the Honda ones), the metal key is molded into the plastic. AND the metal parts are different up top where they interface with the plastic.

So what I had to do was to cut out (Dremel tool with cutoff and fine dental-type attachments) the new uncut metal key blank from the new key case assembly. Then I needed to fit my existing broken, separated, cut metal key into the new key case, requiring a little more cutting away of plastic material before it would fit. Transplanted internals from old to new. Then a little JB Weld and it was good as new. I even used my black Sharpie to turn the JB Weld black to match the rest of the key. Worked great for me. I expect it would work for you too.

[andrewwynn]

The metal key has a hole to grip the molded plastic. You could put a screw through it will be better then JB weld. 7/64 drill bit into plastic is as good as a tap for a 3mm machine screw.

Ask me how I know.



When I crack into a diamond key I will make some counter sink holes for some Allen head screws.

Now i can quite easily open my key for service.

[Qsilver7]

Ditto some of the replies above...if there wasn't an IC board inside your remote key...it may be an aftermarket replacement remote key that has a transponder chip inside of it (to enable EWS).

BTW, the "antenna" found on the IC board is not for EWS...its for transmitting the 315 MHz or 433 Mhz RF signal for FZV & DWA (central locking & anti-theft alarm siren system). The EWS antenna is located around the ignition cylinder...and is called the RING ANTENNA. Depending on build date...a 125 KHz AM signal is sent from either the Transmitter Receiver or the EWS control module to the Ring Antenna..that is how EWS and the keys (remote & non-remote) communicate.

Double check the inside of the remote key...or go back to where it was damaged...and make sure that the EWS transponder chip didn't fall out. You DO NOT want to lose it if there's one inside the remote key. The vehicle WILL NOT start without it. (unless something we don't know has occurred...and EWS has been removed, re-arranged, or disabled)

The original BMW remote key (for your model year) would look like the illustration WPoll posted & the EWS transponder is soldered to the IC board. But an aftermarket (replica) remote key could have the autonomous EWS transponder chip (like the old style remote & non remote keys)...see pic below...the EWS transponder chip is the little black thingy:

{replica/aftermarket BMW new style remote key w/autonomous EWS transponder chip}







{all of the non-remote & old style remote keys have an autonomous EWS chip inside}

[andrewwynn]

Putting all the pieces together:

It would seem the original key may have been the old style with the removable battery and autonomous ews chip, that a knock off diamond key was sourced and the ews chip installed as would be necessary, (or is permanently embedded into the steering column). As suggested, try to start using the metal key and a pliers that will tell you if ews is in the fob: of won't start with key shaft alone bring the fob close and it should.

The real BMW key: the brass part gets wider where it meets the plastic mold for much more strength than the knock off shown.

I would definitely use the through-bolt like I did to re assemble.

I would also use that as my spare and get another real key from BMW.

I'm shortly going to take my own advice as I lost my primary key and have been using my spare since August. They are about USD $200 in the USA. There are no shortcuts to a proper key.

A knock off key won't have ews and can open the doors but not start the car.

–awr–


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