Hi, I recently bought a 2008 Z06. It came with only one fob and no key so I am trying to get a new set. I was wondering if it is possible to get the key code from the actual lock itself if I remove the lock or if there is any other way to get the key code without going to the dealership? Chevrolet here in Dubai want $550 + programming and cutting charge? They also said I need to leave the car for 3 days so that they can download the ECU data and send it to GM in America before they will release the key code!

I'm planning to get a fob and an uncut key from eBay, have the key cut at a locksmiths then program the new fob myself. Is there any way to get the rear hatch release key code or is the only way to take it to Chevrolet?

Thanks Matt

 

Total *****,

Dealer can do a key code number look up on line from GM in less than a min. From there, they use that key code number to key a new key.
The only glitch to this system is if the rear cylinder has been replaced by Non GM, and the new cylinder key code is not retained.
To add, if you have a new C6, then the key should be inside the fob.

So really, just pick any dealer that will work with you, and they will just want a copy of your license and the registration to prove it your car, and they can cut a key and mail it to you. Normal price for this service is around $45 dollars in the states at a dealer, so throw some mark up and shipping to this price isntead..

Now on the New Fob, and that your car is an export module, you can not use the rear cylinder to put the car into fob relearn mode. So will need a tech II to get the RCDLR into relearn mode. On the positive note, and since you really should have a tech II of your own, you can get a VX GM Nano for around $120, and you can program the new fobs in yourself.
Also to note, even with a tech II on a export module, you still have the 10 min wait period before it will accept a new fob.

But back to your pricing, which is about right dealer cost for your location. You have the key look up code and cut that will be about $55 to cut two keys (one for the new fob as well) , the new fob that will be about $150, then RCDLR programming that will run around $200 (state side prices for these prices) since they have the 10 min wait to clear the RCDLR and program the two fobs (at a time with 10 min wait each fob) into the RCDLR #1 and #2 slots.

 

Thanks for the info,

Yeah I told the guy at the dealership that it was BS that they needed to download the ECU data. I have shown them the VIN and they have taken copies of my I.D, licence and vehicle registration in my name but they are still insisting I need to leave the car with them which is not convenient for me at all. The customer service is so bad even the simplest request it is like banging your head against a wall.

The car was privately imported from the US so I am hoping that I will be able to code a new fob without a Tech II. I have had a look at the lock and it has been removed at some point because the rivets that hold it in place have been replaced with bolts so now I am leaning toward trying to source a second hand lock with key and do it that way unless a locksmith can cut me a key from the barrel itself but I doubt there will be anywhere that has that skill set in this part of the world.

 

Make life simple, and get a cylinder for both the rear and glove box so the key matches both.
Hence bolts (instead of the rivet) on the rear is screaming the the cylinder has been replaced non GM, and the key code for the Vin is not going to match the cylinder in the car.

As for if the car will go into fob programming via the key, and if the car needs the export fob as well, helps with a Tech II since you can go into BCM programming and see what country the car is programmed in with.
IF still USA, then should be non export fob needed.

 

Just out of curiousity, do you know that there is a key "inside" of the fob on 2008 fob's? It's not a loose key like the earlier models.

 

Yeah there is definitely no key with the fob I currently have, the fob falls apart regularly hence my urgency to get a new one.

I was initially concerned that if my battery went dead I wouldn't be able to get into the car but I have read some posts about jumping the starter terminal or getting access via the rear light so now I am not so concerned about getting locked out, my main concern now is that I loose or damage the one fob that I have. So a spare fob is now my first priority.

Can I program a spare fob without replacing the rear lock using a Tech II? Or is a rear lock still required to do the programming?

Thanks

 

Considering that any 2008-2013 Vette or Caddy uses the same fob case, your current fob PC board will fit it correctly. Although the remote start button on the Caddy fob won't work because the Vette has no remote start feature. That'd resolve one problem.

If you have an underlying fear of locking yourself out by leaving the fob in the car before you get a spare key made (and you should get a spare) tie a cord around the door release cable in the hatch and pass it through a drilled hole behind the left taillight as the emergency method to access the car interior. Problem two done.

Since you currently can access the hatch, you can remove the lock cylinder and get it rekeyed to match the key that will come with the fob you're about to buy. Problem three done, which also resolves the reprogramming issue.

A default method to reprogram a fob without a key, is to access the wiring going to the lock switch and short across them five times, just like turning the key does.

One thing that I suspect may be a problem in your search for an extra fob, is if your car is an export model, it'd require a 433 MHz signal fob vs the 315 MHz for domestic cars. Get a VIS report from any GM dealer for more info about your car. You can never have too much information.

 

You can program in a fob with tech II no problem, even without a rear cylinder in play.
If the car is still set as USA in the BCM, then only take about a min to do.
If the car is set up as any export country in the BCM, then will be stuck with the 10 min per fob programming instead.

And just a note, but if you use the rear cylinder in a USA to put it into the long programming Fob mode to reprogram the fobs back in (including adding a new one), there is a 30 min clock down/wait before it will allow you to start.

And just a FYI on a USA BCM car, really don't even need the key to get you into programming mode. Hence turning the key just connects two wires together on the Cylinder assembly, and you can get to the wires at the rear cylinder assembly to jump them manually instead. On a export model (non USA car), this does not work, since the BCM will not accept the key type method to put the car into Fob mode, and can only be put into fob relearn mode with a Tech II alone.

 

So I think i'm sorted now with this. What I did was order a fob from amazon for $40. The wires that go to the hatch barrel were already loose and had come detached so I just shorted them out 5 times. On the second attempt it allowed me to program the new fob. The whole thing took me 5 minutes I was expecting a real headache so was pleasantly surprised. I now have two working fobs. I also drilled out a rivet behind the driver side taillight and tied some fishing line to the hatch release lever so now I can get access in case of a flat battery etc. I plan to buy a new barrel with keys at some point but the main thing is that I am not worried about getting locked out.

Thanks to all who gave advice it has saved me wasting a lot of money and time at the stealership.

 

Just a FYI, but with cylinder assembly is hand, any locksmith can figure out the pinning on it without out the need of the key code, and cut a new key for the cylinder. Better yet since it seems that therear cylinder is a replacement that GM may not have noted in the vin notes for the car, take the glove box latch with you, and the lock smith should be able to re-pin the latch cylinder to match the key for the re-cylinder as well.

This way you don't need one key for the rear cylinder, and different one for the glove box as well.

 

Check with some Lock Smiths. I locked my fob in the hatch while on vacation. I called a Lock Smith, gave him my VIN so he could get the code from GM, then he came and cut a key for me at my location.