honeydear

-- I locked my 2004 Lexus RX330 but lost my key somewhere on the way to my doctor's office. Everyone has looked, but no one can find it!
-- My dealer says it has to be towed to the dealership, where it will cost around $450 for a new keyless entry fob (approx $350 for the key & $100 to program).
-- Can locksmith's open my car + cut a new Valet Key or keyless fob without this huge expense?
Have any of you had this experience and been able to resolve it for less than $450.
-- My husband had a similar situation with his Toyota Prius and got a similar sky-high quote, but he was a able to get a local locksmith to get into the car + program a new keyless fob for less than half the price, but I was told this wasn't possible for a Lexus.
-- Have any of you had a similar experience and had any "lessons learned" that would help me?

Rainbird

You don't need the dealership to do this. Check out the following thread:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ut-dealer.html

kickin8

iTrader: (1)

you only have 1 key ???

aachowhan

Does anyone know where you can get the wireless transmitter inside the key? I can't find any on amazon and online sites seem to be shady.

speedkar9

There is a way to do it yourself, but on the RX its quite involved.

First, I assume you can get a key cut at your dealer by the VIN if you show proof of ownership. This will allow you to unlock the doors and turn the ignition.

Then, you'll need to remove your dashboard to access the transponder ECU. Here's what that looks like:



Inside there's an EEPROM that stores the key codes. You need to delete these codes to "virginize" the chip. I did this on my Toyota here:


Here's the DIY writeup:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es-...apped-ecu.html

Once the chip has been "virginized" you have to perform a handshaking procedure between the ECU and transponder unit for 30 mins before you can program new keys and start the vehicle.

Good luck.