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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    A Pleasant Peninsula
    Posts
    25

    Default The $150 Key.....

    So I checked today about getting an extra key for the new-to-me '01 XC70. The dealer says a spare key is $150. It involves a chip, software, programming, and a group blessing by the dealership employees (OK, I made up that last part). While I wasn't expecting to get a $1.99 blank ground at the local hardware store I am hoping to find a cheaper source for a key that will probably never be used.

    Are there any tricks to getting these things that I might be missing?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    CA
    Posts
    762

    Default

    The key are expensive. I got a discount on mine back in the days. You can either order the key from a independent volvo shop, if they can program it from VADIS then you all set. If not, you might have to bring it to the dealer.
    [2002 V70 XC] Venetian Red Metallic/Blk Leather*33k+ miles
    -Hands-Free Phone Set, all packages except Nav.
    Turbocharger replaced April/2005 under warranty.


    [1991 245] Metallic Blue/Blue Leather*175k+ miles my daily beater.
    [1994 854 GLT] *141K+ miles


    Member of Volvo High Mileage Club and the miles keeps ROLLING!!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Birmingham, AL, USA
    Posts
    154

    Default The gift of schadenfreude

    Dear sundaypunch,

    Welcome to the family. Glad to have you among us.

    Sorry about the reality check regarding the price of Volvo keys, but hopefully this will improve your mood.

    I recently lost one of those uber-cool spring loaded flip-out key remotes for our '05 S60R. It had the fancy little steel R on the back and everything. It deserted me when the stupidly designed metal attachment ring worked its way open. Volvo no longer makes them with this egregious design flaw.

    For now I'm getting by with the valet key, which pi$$es me off every time I use it. If and when I bite the bullet and have a replacement made, it's going to set me back around $230 for the part and the programming.

    There, feeling a little better now? $150 keys sound like a real bargin to me.

    -Todd
    Last edited by dr.tb.xc; 09-12-2006 at 08:18 PM.

    '06 XC70, Black/Graphite: Prem/Conv/Clim Packages, Bi-Xenon, Privat Sekt 18", 235/50 Goodrich G-Force, Hidden Hitch, Thule Evo
    '05 S60R , Black Sapphire metallic/Atacama: 6 speed manual, 20% vlt tint, 17" Pegs, iPod
    '03 BMW K1200GT, Metallic Silver-Green: Z-Technic exhaust & chip, 141+ bhp, bling, bling, bling--too much to list
    "Lose the pants!" Utilikilt.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Nashville, TN, U.S.A.
    Posts
    568

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by dr.tb.xc View Post
    For now I'm getting by with the valet key, which pi$$es me off every time I use it. If and when I bite the bullet and have a replacement made, it's going to set me back around $230 for the part and the programming.

    There, feeling a little better now? $150 keys sound like a real bargin to me.

    -Todd
    Todd:

    Spoken like a true physician: "Sir, you need to have heart transplant but you should not worry because the guy next to you has a lung cancer" Volvo should be embarrased for charging so much money for bloody keys. I bet you that the key itself costs them $5 and programming another $5, and they want to charge you $230. As much as I love these cars, I do think that Volvo dealers take us for idiots. I had to buy brand new remotes on ebay because my Volvo dealer wanted a silly amount of money for them; the ironic thing is that I bought brand new remotes for $16 from another dealer.

    Hope you are doing well.
    Ta-ta, j.
    Second gen., Nautical Blue XC70Volvo: "Anything else just isn't up to it" and Wife's Volvo S70: "In manual Transmission She Trusts"

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Rural Maryland
    Posts
    254

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by philosophicaldreamer View Post
    Volvo should be embarrased for charging so much money for bloody keys. I bet you that the key itself costs them $5 and programming another $5, and they want to charge you $230.
    Two points I wanna make concerning electromechanical keys before the thread goes dead (my post have a way of doing this for some odd reason).

    1) Research and Development is expensive. The cost to Volvo over time should bring the price of todays keys down, but what about the next generation of keys? Research and Development is not cheap, nor are our cars. A $1.99 ACE Hardware Store key to my Ford is nice on the wallet, but in reality the locking mechanism for my Ford is by far inferior to the Volvo's. Simply you get what you pay for...I expect inferior locks from Ford.

    2) Every year thousands of young and old 'hobbiest' attend conferences and practice/fiddle hundreds of thousands of hours picking locks. One of the most successful 'hobbiests' from Denmark loves a challenge and was presented with 30 mechanical locks from vendors around the world...12 minutes. This included the famously hard to pick German and Swiss vendors. Then he was presented with an electromechanical lock from German...he's still working on it. [Note: Question of legality and ethics are welcomed, but remember this is a global village we are all in today where information (how-to) and toolz (eBay.ru) flow freely.]

    Multi-factor security works. The combination of mechanical and electronic access controls works not to STOP the bad guys, but to slow them down. Sure, a hammer solves the 'access into the car' problem, but they'll not turn over the car without the key. Sure, a JarrDan lift solves that problem, but if your advasary is willing to buy a $30k lift (or borrow or SocialEngineer one to tow 'his car') you've successed in slowing the atacker down.

    We have three keys; two switchblade type and one valet. One of the switch blades sucks...its battery dies after 2 days. On the next run to Volvo we'll get it fixed, so I am using the vale key...and yes it sucks too. But it works; my only saving grace.

    R/
    MDD

    Some Links:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmtorrone/tags/locks/ From DefCon in Vega
    http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/24/t...secure-part-i/ BumpKeys
    http://www.worldwidewardrive.org/dclp/DCLP.html 'Rules' to a years past Contest
    '06 XC90 ORE #770, OSD, Convenience & Climate Packages
    '04 XC70, Ruby Red, Premium and Touring Packages (stock OSD) *with* Spoiler, Winged Cross bars and only room for two car seats! 36k miles and rolling
    '99 Ford Taurus, Blue/Gray, 160k

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Belgium
    Posts
    2,404

    Default

    Hello,
    Yes, the keys are expensive, but I do agree with MD-Daddy, the keys
    used in current day cars are one (if not the) reason that far less cars are stolen.
    unfortunately, car-jacking is the result, but this at least proves the success
    of the keys, (or perhaps better: the key-system).
    Does anyone know if it just Volvo charging such high prices, or are these
    keys/immobilizers/coded remote controls expensive for other cars as well?
    Willy
    144 GL (1974)--->244 GL (1982)--->940 GLE 2.3i (1992)--->XC70 2.5T (2004)--->XC90 T5 (2018)

  7. #7
    Art's Avatar
    Art is offline Senior Member & VolvoXC.com Supporter
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Red Deer, AB., Canada
    Posts
    4,120

    Default

    After reading this article, the cost of acquiring a replacement key on this side of the pond doesn’t seem too bad.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Princeton NJ
    Posts
    102

    Default

    For what its worth with the 2004 Saab 9-3 that I just sold if you lost both keys you would end up having to have the computer main brain changed out and you would have to buy 2 new keys/remotebuilt in. From what I had heard it was to the tune of $1000 plus.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Canada: Calgary Alberta - Panorama Mountain BC - Pender Island BC
    Posts
    836

    Default

    A key and fob for my '99 Maxima was $250 plus taxes last year. I'm more than happy to pay that price given the additional theft-deterrent factor.

    John
    '04 XC70 Canadian Premium and Sport packages, Black (425,000 kms)
    '06 XC70 Ocean Race Model, IPD to 240 hp, 18" rims, Deep Blue
    Other rigs: '06 Toyota Avalon, '15 Jeep Grand Cherokee, '23 BMW330e (Plug-In-Hybrid)

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Rural Maryland
    Posts
    254

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Willy View Post
    Hello,
    Yes, the keys are expensive, but I do agree with MD-Daddy, the keys
    used in current day cars are one (if not the) reason that far less cars are stolen.
    unfortunately, car-jacking is the result, but this at least proves the success
    of the keys, (or perhaps better: the key-system).
    Does anyone know if it just Volvo charging such high prices, or are these
    keys/immobilizers/coded remote controls expensive for other cars as well?
    Willy
    Car Jacking is harder too with a Volvo...so long as you keep the doors locked and the windows up while driving. The safety glass is designed to shatter in a very unique fashion: from the inside you can shatter the glass and push it out, however an attacker that shatters that glass from the outside cannot (easily) push it inward. Just keep those doors locked and windows up... sounds like I am encouraging anti-social (bubble like Living) behavior. Life is full of Risks. *sigh*

    MDD
    Last edited by MD-Daddy; 09-13-2006 at 07:56 PM.
    '06 XC90 ORE #770, OSD, Convenience & Climate Packages
    '04 XC70, Ruby Red, Premium and Touring Packages (stock OSD) *with* Spoiler, Winged Cross bars and only room for two car seats! 36k miles and rolling
    '99 Ford Taurus, Blue/Gray, 160k

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