I searched the threads and there seemed to be agreement that I'd have to tow the car to the dealer and be ready for a vacuum cleaner into my pocket. In the San Francisco Bay Area:

Jaguar Stevens Creek: Tow the car in. Estimate: two keys around $2000 US; includes replace module (?)
Jaguar of Livermore: Tow the car in. Estimate for two keys 1050. When I asked about the module they say no module.

While researching on the web, first Google hit read "We can have your Jaguar key replacement done on site whenever you lost all your working keys or in need of a transponder high security key duplicated." Weary of a scam I called and they quoted $350 for the key. I repeated I lost the original and the car was locked. They said "yup". Even more weary of a scam, I waited for the locksmith.

Locksmith (a young man in his 20s) arrives; 10PM on Saturday. He inserts the device in this picture:


He spends about 20 minutes fiddling with the dials. Then he inserts the needle (the pin thingy with the loop; I assume it locks all the dials), he turns the thing and CLACK, the door unlocks. He writes down the numbers in the dials. His van looks a bit like from Mission Impossible. He punches the numbers on a computer, inserts a blank, and a machine cuts the key while we chat. That key opens the door, but not yet good for the ignition. He inserts what looks like a small glass capsule inside the key. He takes an electronic gizmo into the car which he plugs in the OBD-II for power. He inserts the key in the ignition, and here I am lost; don't know exactly what he does with his electronic gizmo, but at the end of his doing the key turns on the ignition. One key: $350. Service trip: $45.

Not a scam. The kid, his name is Ori, and is not an employee of the place I called. He just subcontracts the job; when it is a Jaguar, or an Audi, or one of the tough ones, they call him.

Obviously he won't go to your place unless you are local (though his area is huge, from Marin County to San Jose), but may be able to give advise and possibly route you to somebody in your area.
email: ori.zagury10 at gmail.com

Cheers,

 

The key will need to be programmed to the vehicle.

 

The guy who made the keys at my local dealer could make a replacement with one look at the original -- The security is the ability to cut they key. Who is going to have a Jaguar key cutting machine. There are not that many possibilities on the key. Years ago -- the key was cheap and as easy to cut as any other with the key cutter .. the transponder was about $150.

Crazy the prices you were quoted ----

 

The locksmith programmed it himself. I insert the key in the ignition, turn the key, the engine starts. When you insert the key before it is programmed, the red light next-to/under the windshield (the one next to the red dome that I think is for the headlights auto) tuns on. Once the key is programmed the red light is happy.

 

You can tell the code by simply looking at the key; it's a six digit code (notice the tool has six barrels) , each digit 1 through 4 (my key is 214221, now safely stored). And this locksmith, who was not a dealership, did have a key cutting machine (I think it's a generic sort of numeric control machine, not necessarily exclusively for Jaguar). So, if you have one key, it's not as complicated. But in this case there was no key to copy from, and the car was locked. That was what made this deed the remarkable.

Aside from the high price, you give two dealers the exact same crisp description (lost key/car locked) and the variance in their estimate is 100%

 

Did you get a 2nd key cut? I would have...

The cool thing is Ari's cloning OBD tool. I'm glad you didn't panic and go with a Dealer, in the UK Jaguar look after the owners by subsidizing part costs, but I don't think the brotherhood extends across the Atlantic. The more I see of the sums quoted by the US dealers, the more I'm outraged!

 

Anyone with the key cutter can make them -- it's just not something that most are going to have ... especially in the USA. As I said ... the actual number of possibilities are not that great w/ the design ... it's all about the odd key.

glad you got it figured out.

 

I think the point here is that the guy didn't have an original to look at.
This is the first time I've heard of this gadget to identify the key cut code.

 

Yes -- I understood. What makes the story even more annoying is the dealers can get the code and make the key.


I also remember that some the positions were static -- so you only had to figure out a few.

 

Here in the UK Jaguar Dealers don't need blanks or key cutting equipment any longer. Order before 2:00pm at my local Stratstone Jaguar and the ready cut key arrives from Jaguar by 11:00 the following morning.

Graham

 

I am in need of a key for my 2000 XJ8, is it possible for you to forward me contact information of a dealer that would help me?

Thank you,

MarkcoXJ8

 

Call local locksmiths until you find the Las Vegas equivalent to the guy up in Santa Clara County.

 

In Europe this is a thief’s weapon of choice. Any amateur can open up a Transit and get away with thousands in a matter of minutes.