Neighbor just bought a used 2011 ES 350. She only got one key fob. What is the best option for getting a new one without breaking the bank?

 

ebay or amazon or someone on this board who sold their car with only 1 fob. i.e. me!

Just make sure the fob chip numbers are compatible. If I remember correctly a member bought one off of ebay only to be told the number on his fob couldn't be programmed to work on his car.

 

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a used one off eBay.

You need a brand new, never-before programmed remote, otherwise you will need to re-iniitialize your ECU to accept all your keys again. That is much more complicated than just adding a new key to your ECU's memory..

Your best bet is to buy one from Sewell's (with the ClubLexus discount). I got one from them for about $140,

Then you will need someone (dealer/locksmith) to program the additional key to your ECU. You can also do what I did... get a $25 Mini-VCI cable with Techstream software off eBay, and program it yourself. There are instructions on the web.

 

Guess im wrong in this instance. I stand corrected. Thought the key fob would be easily programmable like tpms.

GCL were you the one with the thread about the ebay fob??

 

It's only easy (really easy) if the key is new and never programmed. Here is a link on how to program a new key addition. Worked great for me.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...-included.html

Not me re: previous eBay thread. But I did do a lot of research before I was willing to shell out $140 for a new key (rather than $40 for a used one)

Btw, if I recall correctly, the ES350 allows you to program up to 9 keys before you need to re-initialize the ECU to add more keys. As you go through the Techstream menu, it will tell you how many slots are remaining.

 

I just checked Sewell. With the ClubLexus discount, the key remote is now only $105 !

You can just buy a blank metal key off eBay for about $7. I never got it cut, since I only use the smart key entry feature. The car will warn you when your key remote battery is running low.