2004 ES330 Key replacement story
11-15-11, 01:39 PM
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2004 ES330 Key replacement story
Thought I would share this for the benefit of anyone else who has to get new master keys for their ES330. It's a bit complicated if you don't want to spend the dough to get the keys from the dealer and have them do everything for you.
Problem: Both of our master keys started falling apart recently due to cracked cases. One was used daily but the other was only used occasionally so that gives you an idea of their lifespan. In addition, we lost the remote module from one of them so I decided to buy two new, complete keys with remote modules included. That way we'd have a total of three.
Purchase: Bought two master keys on eBay for $79 each from mykeyless-1 here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/150626147468...ht_1758wt_1139. They were easy to deal with and along with the keys they included a pretty thorough instruction sheet on how to program them.
Programming: There are three steps in the overall process. Program the remote, cut the keys, and then add the keys to the computer. You want to program the remote before cutting the keys because if the remote is faulty, or you ordered the wrong keys, it's better to find that out before shelling out money on key cutting. The instructions for programming the remotes worked perfectly. Next step: get the keys cut.
Cutting the keys: My dealer doesn't cut keys but referred me to a local locksmith who did it for $30/key. He did a great job and both keys worked in the locks and the ignition. Note that the new master keys won't start the car yet. Next step: enroll the keys in the ECM.
Enrolling the keys: I followed the seller's instructions on enrolling the keys and they didn't work. Hmm...ok. Off to Google... looked up a few other Lexus programming sequences and none of them worked. Then after doing a bit more research I discovered that unlike other Lexus models, on the ES330 you can't enroll new master keys on your own. You have to go to the dealer. So off to the dealer, wait an hour and pay $80 (1/2 hour of labor) to have the new keys enrolled.
Now everything works perfectly. Total cost:
$158 - two master keys with chips ($79 each)
$60 - locksmith charges to cut the keys ($30 each)
$80 - dealer charges to program the keys
--------
$298 - Total or about $150 per key.
Problem: Both of our master keys started falling apart recently due to cracked cases. One was used daily but the other was only used occasionally so that gives you an idea of their lifespan. In addition, we lost the remote module from one of them so I decided to buy two new, complete keys with remote modules included. That way we'd have a total of three.
Purchase: Bought two master keys on eBay for $79 each from mykeyless-1 here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/150626147468...ht_1758wt_1139. They were easy to deal with and along with the keys they included a pretty thorough instruction sheet on how to program them.
Programming: There are three steps in the overall process. Program the remote, cut the keys, and then add the keys to the computer. You want to program the remote before cutting the keys because if the remote is faulty, or you ordered the wrong keys, it's better to find that out before shelling out money on key cutting. The instructions for programming the remotes worked perfectly. Next step: get the keys cut.
Cutting the keys: My dealer doesn't cut keys but referred me to a local locksmith who did it for $30/key. He did a great job and both keys worked in the locks and the ignition. Note that the new master keys won't start the car yet. Next step: enroll the keys in the ECM.
Enrolling the keys: I followed the seller's instructions on enrolling the keys and they didn't work. Hmm...ok. Off to Google... looked up a few other Lexus programming sequences and none of them worked. Then after doing a bit more research I discovered that unlike other Lexus models, on the ES330 you can't enroll new master keys on your own. You have to go to the dealer. So off to the dealer, wait an hour and pay $80 (1/2 hour of labor) to have the new keys enrolled.
Now everything works perfectly. Total cost:
$158 - two master keys with chips ($79 each)
$60 - locksmith charges to cut the keys ($30 each)
$80 - dealer charges to program the keys
--------
$298 - Total or about $150 per key.
11-15-11, 05:02 PM
#2
Glad it worked out for you -- I used a place called sparecarkeys.com.
They only do Lexus keys -- its a locksmith in WV. They were particularly nice especially since I screwed up and set them the wrong code.
In my case one of my keys started to come apart ....... and then I lost the good key!! So I just needed the one key without the remote and one complete key. They cut the keys and I programed them when they showed up.
They only do Lexus keys -- its a locksmith in WV. They were particularly nice especially since I screwed up and set them the wrong code.
In my case one of my keys started to come apart ....... and then I lost the good key!! So I just needed the one key without the remote and one complete key. They cut the keys and I programed them when they showed up.
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