When I got my car, there was just one key fob. The other one was screwed up. No key, battery dead and someone had messed it trying to replace the battery. I wondered if anyone knew what it cost to get a replacement? I assume the Jaguar dealer is the only option.

 

Do you still have the messed up key fob?

IF you do it may be possible to buy a used key fob and simply swap parts and reprogram.

If you mean by "no key" the metal key that inserts into the ignition then my suggestion would not work.

You would have to buy a key fob with an uncut key and get it cut to match your working key and then reprogram both keys which should be easy enough to do yourself.

 

I assume others will chime in who have had this experience. It is not a simple thing to do and based on what I understand the new fob needs to be mated to the car. A used one won't work . I think if you buy a used one and take the PC board out of yours that it should work provided the board is not damaged. As for the metal key you can order a blank from Jaguar and have it cut using your good key.

 

I had a key fob die just recently. I bought a used key fob that was working and simply replaced my broken board with the working board I purchased.

Of course the used board will not work with your car you then have to reprogrammed BOTH key fobs and then you will have two working key fobs.

It is not difficult and there is plenty of information in this forum about it.

However if you do NOT have the actual key itself then you will have to buy a blank and get it cut to match your original. Many people have done this and NOT used a Jaguar dealer. The issue is that not all key cutters are able to do this job. Some however are.

Once you have the key cut you then have to get the fob to work and that means the board inside has to work. Buying a new board could be expensive. Buying a good used board not so much.

When you have a good board you then have to reprogram both working key fobs and you do that by following a procedure while sitting in your car.

 

Ordinarily, when an X150 Smartkey is separated from its "parent" car it becomes an "orphan" and can't be reprogrammed. Jaguar engineers designed it that way for security, to prevent one Smartkey from being reprogrammed to start another car. To reprogram an existing Smartkey requires both car and matching key to be present for the dealer software to work. I'm pretty sure, but am not certain, that in the absence of the "parent" car, a Smartkey can't be cleared in order for it to become reprogrammable.

Some reputable eBay vendors guarantee that their used Smartkeys have been cleared and are reprogrammable. I bought one several years ago and it works perfectly. As I recall, dealer reprogramming cost was around $100 and the cost to laser cut the blank emergency blade was $35

 

I had no problem reprogramming the used key fob that I purchased on Ebay. It had not been "cleared".

I say no problem however I had to go thru the process about a dozen times to get it to work. That was for my 2005 XJR.

 

Re: Posts ##2, 4 and 5, above.

John has a 2005 XJR, and his key uses old school technology that was easy for car thieves to copy. That's why Jaguar engineers improved the X150 Smartkey design. You can't reprogram the X150 Smartkey yourself, unless you have the Jaguar SDD software. His advice does not apply to our cars.

 

So, I buy a "smart key", get it reprogrammed at the dealer?

 

Another question, I bought the car and have been driving it daily this week. Now, I have to fly out on a trip for 4 days. I am assuming, its not necessary to put the Battery maintainer on for now, correct? I am assuming I should put one on when I do not plan on using the car for more than what? A week, couple of weeks or longer?

 

Correct, but make sure that the seller guarantees that it is programmable and will refund your money in full. Pay with a credit card so you can dispute the charge if necessary.

A brand new X150 Smartkey from a Jaguar dealer is expensive.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...b-cost-191848/

 

The answer depends on the condition of the battery, but better to be safe than sorry.

If you have AAA or other roadside assistance, they'll jumpstart your car if you have a dead battery.

Or you can buy an emergency jump start battery to keep in your car just in case you need it.

 

If your battery is in good condition and you use the car reasonably regularly then you shouldn't need to ever use a maintainer. I don't on my '10 XKR and although I drive it most days the trips are usually 5 miles or less.

The only thing I would recommend is locking the car when you aren't using it otherwise it will stay in convenience mode for up to 30 minutes. I suspect that is the biggest cause of power issues on the XK because there are quite a few power zapping modules in them.

 

If buying a 2nd hand unit and attempting to reprogram please:

Ensure that the seller changes the battery
Sends the unit out in a clear sealed bag (a 'if this seal is broken it invalidates any returns' type)

I bought a 2nd hand one, when my indy tried to program it wasn't putting out any RF signal (indy showed me two other keys he had that were.

Seal wasn't broken so Ebay seller took back and refunded.

When changing our keyfob batteries go for these, as will last longer:

Energizer® Ultimate Lithium Performance Button Cell CR 2032 3v

 

A few points on key fobs and CTeks.

1. You can buy the aluminum blank inserts on Ebay for between $5 and $15
2. A with a grinder can properly grind the blank insert as long as they have a grinder that can handle soft aluminum. If you follow this route; make sure the insert works by opening the boot with the insert. Cost $35-$50.
3. It should take no more than 20-30 minutes to install the Ctek in your cat.
4. Once you get the Ctek properly installed plugging and unplugging takes less than a minute. A small price to pay to ensure that your battery is properly maintained.

 

As a caveat, none of the smithies around me will cut an aluminum blank as they gum up their machines. They aren't 'normal' aluminum (1100?), they are one tough alloy (7075???).
What I did was to buy a 1" x 1/8" bar of brass and cut a few blanks of my own out if it and had those cut by a locksmith. It worked out much better.

 

 

I had my first XK totalled and kept the 2nd key, which worked perfectly and had no scratches, etc. Was told by two dealers that the key was definitely "mated" to the totalled car and there was nothing they could do. So, I'm keeping it for the little silver plastic parts that seem to get scuffed if the car's your daily driver, as mine is.

And count me as another 2010 owner who drives daily and hasn't had a battery problem (yet...). Never used a tender.

 

You can take most keys and get them copied at Home Depot as long as someone there knows how to operate the key machine.Programming or reprogramming of your chip keys can be done in just minutes from your vehicle using just the key itself. Insert your chip key into the ignition of your vehicle and turn the key to the "On" position.

 

Read the earlier posts on this as it is not a simple operation to reprogram the FOB. As for the aluminum internal key cut I don't think HD has that capability.

 

Yeah, just FINDING a blank Key Blade is a PITA most times, and has to be ordered from weird places. PLUS, they usually come in an aluminum alloy that gums up most key cutting machinery.

Now my F150, I can program new keys all day just using existing keys and the truck, but certainly NOT for my XKR.
Well, NOW I can, since I have SDD to use, but most people don't.