c5_wagon_work

I have just tried to trade my wifes Bravo HGT 155 to a FIAT dealer who said "Do you have the "Red Key"? I was not given the red key when I bought the car 10 months ago from The Great Trade Centre in London. This means the dealer will not touch the car as its £1000 to replace this as it has something to do with the imobiliser.

I spoke to The great Trade Centre and they gave me bollox about a box on the invoice being ticked "Sol without Security Key". Not "car not re saleable due to Red Key" !!!!!!

I will check this when I get home on the invoice but they are such a big organisation I cannot get any sense out of the muppets.

Any idea's or similar experiences?

Help!

DrEvil

I'm afraid the Fiat dealer is right, its £1000 to replace the alarm system, as the red key is the master key that you reprogram any additional keys from, without it the cars alarm system needs to be replaced if you loose your key.

Had this with a fiat coupe I wrote off, they asked for the red key and I couldn't find it at the time - what really annoyed me was they gave out my number to the salvage company who then harassed me for weeks for the damn red key!

TonyG

It's probably the same as on the Alfa I had before the Scoob. The red key is the really important one. It's the master key, and is used to reprogram any new keys for the car immobiliser. You should have got three keys when you bought the car - two normal ones, and the red one. And IIRC, the £1000 figure to replace it is about right.

MattyB

Yeah, same experience on Punto, same sh&t. It's apparently the "Master" key and the only one that any others can be cut, i.e. if you lose your one, they can't make another.

Tried trading it in and they said that, offering me £700 for the car, "The managing director knows everything" and all this sh&t, really being arsy, so I told them to shove the £700.

2 hours later got a call saying that they only had that one the one particular year and mine wasn't that would I like to come back in and we could negotiate.

f**k you I said. twits.

Anyway, what can you do.............sell it privatly? Find out from the Fiat helpline if it is really that year, and thirdly never buy a fiat again........to change the headlight bulb on a new one you have to take the whole lighting unit out!!! Well done muppet Fiat.

Monkeh

I bought a Alfa and was not told about the master key. when my immobaliser died, alfa wanted about £900 to change the ecu and immobaliser. (the master key is used to re-program the ecu)


I towed the car to a bosch dealer who managed to reset the immobaliser & if they couldnt fix it he could have removed it...

Coupe20VT

This has been a real problem with Fiat Coupes as well. The 'Red Key' is linked to the 'CODE' immobiliser and I have heard that if you lose the key (or aren't supplied with one!) that you basically have to replace a large chunk of the wiring loom. If you want to know more about the problems in detail (and possible solutions) I suggest you ask a question on the Fiat Coupe forum.

Cheers,

Ash

GREEN SCOOBY

you can get another key cut from fiat without the red key (it was 20 quid).me and the girlfriend went through the same things as above or you can go to a specialist key cutter and get it done. i would not shell out the 1000 quid for the new ecu thing.

c5_wagon_work

Thanks lads, but what do you think of the dealers discaimer/small print? "Security key not with car" I though it was an alarm issue therefore I could sort it. To the layman it does not really express the extent of the issue.

Funny thing I sold here Alpha Spider without the red key (not aware it was an issue) but now its come back to haunt me!!!!!

civicturbo

Get another one cut from fiat, spray it red and then go back to them and say that you found it!

Davie

This worries me.

I have a mark 2 punto. I have 2 keys, but the are both blue. the only difference is that one has a button to unlock the standard central locking system and disable the immob.

However, i have a cat 1 cobra alarm which has its own fob and does away with the need for the fiat keys altogether for central locking and immob.

Where do i stand if i trade it in? I was not advised of any red key

THE DEVIANT

Davie. There are companies that can cut & code blue fiat keys without the red master key. There are two I know of. 1 in Glasgow and 1 in Fife. So when Fiat tell people it's £1000 to replace immobilisers etc they can p!ss off. There must be more in England. Garages use the red key crap to give you a rotten trade-in value.

c5_wagon_work

Davie, it should worry you I have exactly the same keys.

JoeyDeacon

The red key is only applicable to MK1 Punto's, Fiat realisied what a crap idea it was and didn't use it on the MK2 Punto's.

As far as I am aware the red key is only needed if you ever need to get more keys cut. The normal blue keys have a chip inside them which means if you get a new key cut you have to get the key programmed by using the red key.

Scoobybits

echo above..not an issue unless you need another key cutting and coding without the master,since the dealers charge a fortune a few companies now deal in this and this only.. have used a couple of these specialists before for all different makes of car and "chip" keys up,its just another dealer rip off trick..don't be fooled..use a specialist if you need keys,or source a second hand full set of keys/transponder etc and fit those..where there is a will.....

c5_wagon_work

I wish I only needed another Key!

I just want to sell the car. Its a great deal for 12/99 HGT 155 20v £4000 Very clean car (but its a fiat) with no red bloody key!


(*&^%$

ZKX

The red key thing is only issue on older Fiats, if in doubt take a look at your blue key - if it has got a '2' stamped onto the metal part of it, it is the phase 2 system i.e. no red key needed. As said above fiat realised the red key system was too much hassle

c5_wagon_work

has anyone got a spare fiat red key kicking about from an old purchase?

Davie

Phew! Yeh mine has a 2 stamped on it.

Getting rid soon anyway! i will *never* my a fiat again.

Ayde

iTrader: (6)

As above - red key only for mk1 Puntos not on mk2's.

Abdabz

Used to have a bravo myself - bought from a fiat dealer - and was provided with the red key.
Was warned at time of purchase that selling on without it would mean losing x hundred quid from the deal (even privately if the buyer knows what theyre doing). I put it at the back of a wardrobe for 2 years and then sold on with it.
My sympathy goes out to all of you who have not got the red key - may the force be with you.
P

slimtim

there are ways around the red key, you can have a new one made for £200. It requires either sending your ecu off and keys or taking it to a company that can do it. This is because the codes are reverse enginereed from the ecu.

These are one of the companies i believe can do it: http://www.lostcarkeys.co.uk/

slimtim

or if you dont mind feeling guilty, buy a blank red key from fiat. take it to a place that can clone the blue key for about 20 quid. It will work just like the other keys. So knowing fiat dealers will be enough to con them.