Flh Den

As some of you may know by my thread earlier I recently purchased a 2008 vert and I am still on cloud 9 with this car. When purchased, the car only came with 1 key fob (#2). When I picked it up they had just detailed it then drove it out front and the lot boy left the lights on,so by the time we did the paper work and noticed the lights were on the battery was dead. They put the car on a charger and it started just fine. I had it on a battery tender this weekend and took it out yesterday to advanced auto to have the battery checked and it measured perfect. Got in the car and it only clicked, dead as a doornail. Went back in and they checked it again and it showed a bad battery. Disconnected it and checked again to make sure it was the battery and it was bad. During this ordeal I got locked out of the car when the battery was still connected but dead. Went to the trunk but the release button over the plate does not work and the rubber cap is missing. Luckily the hood was open so after installing the new battery I was able to get into the car. Made me realize I better get a second fob. Ok here is the deal. The dealer has one is stock and it is 335.00 programmed. I found brand new ones on ebay (oem) for 100.00. If I go the ebay route I take it the new key will have to be cut before it is programmed. Being 2 sided can it be cut at a hardware store or will I have to take it to a locksmith? Is the new key on the new fob the one you have to put in the trunk and turn 5 times before programming? Should it be programmed as key 3 or redone as 1 and 2 as there is another fob out there somewhere, or should I just go to a gm dealer and spend the 335.00?
Thank you Dennis

SamHouseIII

Read the owners manual, tells how to do the procedure. Mine says up to 4 keys an be programmed.

Flame Red

Dennis,

Search is your friend.

As far as a new Fob, I would check if with Kevin at PartsTaxi.com first. Sometimes the FleaBay fobs do not include a blank key. $335 for a FOB and program - Stealership. Run away.

A lock smith or Stealership can cut the key. Not all hardware store have the machine that can handle the GM blank.

I would program them both from scratch. A bit of a pain, but them all the memory functions will work with the door buttons 1 & 2. If you add it as #3, then the door button for the memory settings will not work.

EVRose

You can use the key you have to program the new fob. All that key does is put the car in program mode. It's not linked to the fob or the car.

MelAnn

I also just purchased a 2008 roadster. It came with only #2 FOB.
Local dealer ordered me a new #1 FOB for $156.
Used "erase" method and programmed new FOB as #1 and old #2. Works perfectly.

johnodrake

I would pressure the dealer for 2 programmed fobs. The car came with two, the dealer should have provided two. Dealer should also replace the boot pad - the rubber pad is there for a reason! He should also replace the battery with a new one. Once a battery dies it more often than not will die again - soon.

Flh Den

[QUOTE=Flame Red;1581556279]Dennis,

Search is your friend.

I always try to search the forum before I post but I have much better luck finding posts on this forum searching through google than the search box above. I tried "key fob" "Program key fob" and I can't remember how many other queries and it returns posts with the word program, fob, key,anywhere in the post. Not as user friendly as Google imho.

Flh Den

I agree but it was not a gm dealer. I know the owner and I bought at almost 1000.00 less than he paid for it at auction. He has 7 or 8 vettes, mostly classics. I will mention the battery when I go back next week to pick up the registration, but the fob and the switch, I will buy. Thank you all.

CO Lightfoot

Some folks report difficulty using the fob programming instructions in the owners manual.

Instead, use these instructions: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...tructions.html

Also, make sure your metal key will manually open the trunk (some reports of disconnected lock mechanisms).

Then if you're locked out, you can open the trunk and use the handy pull-tab to manually open the driver's door.

And for less than $10/each, keep an extra metal key in a handy place. Available at most places that specialize in car keys. Tell 'em to use key blank B-106 (same as for a Saturn).

Flh Den

Thank you very much my friend...

BackInBlack05

Mine's an '05 so different FOB, but the dealer got me for $90 ea and 1/2 hour to reprogram 3 fobs. Metal keys were like $10, but again vary from the '08. $335 for one programmed fob sounds really high

K9KUZ

I recently "lost" my #1 FOB and the key. Found OEM FOB new for $89 upon searching the net, and the Corvette key for $10. Saturn key also works. I would not trust a hardware store for any auto key cutting... my locksmith charges $2.
---Then found my lost one moments before ordering the new stuff.

Knob Jockey

The numbers embossed on the fobs are only there so you can tell them apart.

How they are programmed to the car determines if they are a #1, #2, #3 or #4. This is often an area of some confusion.

As stated above only #1 and #2 are associated with the car's memory (seat, tele-steering wheel, mirrors, radio presets, DIC personalization, etc., etc.).

Since you don't have the original #1 you should definitely start over and reprogram the fobs/car.

And just like a 'normal' car, hiding a metal key somewhere on the outside of the car is always a good idea.

Flh Den

As a follow up to my OP regarding programming a new key fob for my 08. Picked one up yesterday from another chevy dealer at half the cost of the first dealer, and they cut the key for nothing, but I decided to program it myself to save the $50 fee they charge. I was concerned that somewhere out there is my #1 fob but I was a little afraid to program the long method so for now I programmed it as fob-3 to see how I made out. Very easy to program thanks to those of you who directed me to the proper directions. I know it was stated that only fob 1 and 2 retain memory settings, but after programming I tried the lock unlock and trunk functions and all worked perfectly. Then with the original fob wrapped in foil and out of distance I started the car and hit #2 on the memory button and my personalized name came up and the seat and mirrors went to my #2 settings. I did not think this would happen. Believe I will leave well enough alone and keep the fobs programmed the way they are and if someone does have fob-1 and steals the car I might use the insurance money to get a Z06. I do have mixed feelings as I had a 65 vert years ago and it was stolen out of our driveway. Never found the car but did discover later that the original owner kept a key and stole the car back again and parted it out.
Thanks again for all your help.

Vette_DD

The door unlock and trunk unlock are not part of the memory functions. That tells you nothing about whether the newly programmed fob has memory functions.

When you hit the no. 2 button, all you did was to tell the car's memory functions to go to the no. 2 settings. It did not go to those functions because you were using a #2 fob. The programming procedure told you what number the new fob was being programmed as when you programmed it. If it told you "Ready for #3," that's what it programmed it as, and it has no memory functions.

If you don't believe me, leave the old fob in the house. Take the new fob and get in the car. Start the car and turn the radio on. Reset one of your presets on the radio (press and hold the preset button until it tells you it saved it). Radio presets are part of the memory options and do not require you to push the button on the door. They are saved automatically based on what fob number is in the car. Turn off the radio and get out of the car.

Now, get back in the car and start the engine again. Turn on the radio. Push the button for the preset that you saved. What station does it go to? The old preset channel or the new preset channel? If it went to the old preset channel, that means you programmed the new fob as #3 or #4 and it has no memory option. If you have different #1 and #2 seat, mirror, radio, steering wheel, etc. presets, you will need to ALWAYS use the button on the door to switch between them.

Flh Den

Well that explains that. Thank you. So basically if I am the only driver and all my settings are programmed to fob 2 and memory button 2 and I drive the car with fob-3 and hit memory button 2 everything will be as I want anyway. Did I miss something here?