ignition key help please

[Uncle Fester]

As i only have 1x key for our 9n3 polo ( normal blade key ) i want to get a spare
ive seen i can get one off e,bay cheap cut or uncut but confused as to weather i need a transponder or not ( if i do how do i program it ) my bmw has a self learning sequence
car is a 2005 9n3 1.4s 16v 3 door

Thanks Tim

[gerinemo]

To the best of my knowledge
Yes you will need a key with a transponder or the immobilizer will kick in on this model the immo is in the instrument cluster
and depending on which version you have VDO or Magnetti Marelli Clocks
The Magnetti Marelli being a bit of a pig as the chip needs to be removed from the board reprogrammed and then soldered back on
This is my understanding and of course open to correction

Lester did give it a go
https://uk-polos.net/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=71831

but i don't think it worked out

I did think some of the key cutting places had a ring for copying the immo chip

[RUM4MO]

It is certainly a very very good plan to get a second key!

If you buy a newish but used key via ebay, it will normally come with a new steel key blade which lots of key cutters moan about as that is harder than the original key blade material and will possibly hurt their cutting machine. The other thing about buying a newish but used key is that it has been said that you can't reprogram the transponder in the key, so you would need to buy a new transponder pellet, which I think is cheap and easy to swop over as they tend to be held in place by some softish glue, certainly that is the case with the remote fobs where you can easily open the key up to reveal the transponder pellet.

As said, some key cutting places can clone the new key from the old key, but how this pans out in reality I don't know as VWs sold into the UK market tend to have rolling code for imob security and can only support 2 or 3 keys. Now if you clone a key, how does that type of system operate when you then use the next key which it thinks is the same key? If anyone has done this maybe they could confirm that cloning a key is okay is real world use.

I did buy replacement (newish but used) keys for both my cars that I bought new, but never bought and swopped the transponders - so I can not help there at all, I was just preparing for the worst situation and buying these genuine VW remote fob switch blade keys while they were available cheaply.

Have you checked the cost of a key cutter selling you one of their aftermarket keys coded - it should always end up being a cloned key as they would need to connect to your car to remove all previous keys, then add back in the one you have and the new one?

I'd think that in your case maybe you should talk to your local VW dealer for a price, then look online for someone local to you that can provide exactly that same service but being a mobile operator, a lot cheaper. There are VW retro fitters out there that can also sort you out with a new key that will function like the one that has been lost.

[Uncle Fester]

thanks for replys guys
ive been making enquiries and think that maybe TIMPSON,S can provide and code a new key ( i will update on progress next week end as this may help others so get spare keys )

[Lester]

Getting the blank key cut and programming the remote is easy. The challenge is the RFID or immobilizer chip. Because your 9n3 is 2005 model, you have better chances than I have. Goodluck.