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My 2005 XK8 came with two keys and fobs, but no green-headed 'valet key'. Out here in the wild west, the situations where a valet key would be useful are few and far between. Still, when those rare situations do arise, it would be nice to have one... which leads to these questions:
Our 'local' dealer (4 hours away) states that XK8 keys are now simply unavailable. Is there any place / any way to obtain a key (preferably genuine Jaguar) and have it cut and programmed to match my regular keys / vehicle? (Why a Jaguar key? My XK8 is very original and if possible I'd like the valet key to be 'original' also...)
Uncut, un-chipped black headed keys (not original) are readily available on e-bay. Assuming I resort to obtaining a used green key head with chip, and grafting it to an uncut key shaft from e-bay - Can a chipped key be re-programmed to match the vehicle if it has already been programmed once? And is anyone still in the business of cutting these keys?
Finally, if it comes down to hand-filing an uncut key to match our regular keys, I've read that the valet key has a tip that's left wider than the regular key. Would anyone know what dimensions to file/turn it to?
The answers are probably in some obscure thread somewhere on this forum, but so far I haven't found them... Anyone? Thanks!
I bought one from SNG Barrett and it looks like they still have them. It took a few weeks to arrive but it is a genuine Jaguar valet key. I had to get it cut and programmed at the Jaguar dealer though.
Our 'local' dealer (4 hours away) states that XK8 keys are now simply unavailable. Is there any place / any way to obtain a key (preferably genuine Jaguar) and have it cut and programmed to match my regular keys / vehicle? (Why a Jaguar key? My XK8 is very original and if possible I'd like the valet key to be 'original' also...)
!
first of all, you are fortunate that you got 2 good working keys w/ fobs. Many cars, like mine, change hands with only one key.
2nd-ly, your Jaguar dealer is feeding you a pile of horse sh*t. I purchased my spare key from my nearest dealer, Tulsa Jaguar-Land Rover. They had no problem making me a key and cutting it to fit my car.
I suspect your dealer either have ditched their key cutting machine, or the mechanics that knew how to use it.
Try another dealer, 4+ hours away in the opposite direction.
A lot of those so called Jaguar Dealers are not really Jaguar Dealers anymore...As they will not work on any Jaguar that is older than a 2007......Some will only work on Ta-Ta Cars only! I got told-off by a Service Manager here is Houston last year! He said, " Don't come back with anything older than a 2007.....
Sounds like you first need to procure a blank valet key. Check with SNG first. They sometimes pop up on eBay too. As you pointed out, the valet key has more material, so it is not immediately obvious how to make a proper valet key out of a normal key. Also, I am not aware of a clean way to separate the key stem from the handle. It seems like a one-time process involving heat.
Once you have the blank valet key, you need to find someone to cut it. The type is tibbe 8-cut. Check the classifieds on this forum, someone advertises this service. Other option is eBay (I have used vendor carlocksandkeys). This should be pretty inexpensive. With a cut key (based on a picture of an existing key), you should be able to operate the mechanical locks (doors, trunk, ignition) within the limits of whatever a valet key allows. Be aware that most vendors popping up on a Google search actually only caters to professional locksmiths even if their web site seems open to the public.
Last, in order to be able to start the engine, you will need a crypto chip, and "pair" it to the car. A genuine Jaguar key should have this chip built in, but these chips are otherwise widely available (Check megamos type 48 on eBay). Very inexpensive to buy.
Last, you will need to have the car recognize the chip as legit. There is no add function. ALL your keys have to be re-coded to the car in one session. This is a software procedure done through the diagnostics port. An option is to use SDD (dealer-level software on a laptop), but some handheld devices also claim to be able to do this, e.g. Foxwell NT510 (I have this device, can confirm the function is available, but I have not tested it). This is the more expensive part of the process. With your location being so far removed from a dealer, you might be better off getting a code reader able to do this key function as well. They run <$200, but sure are more than a key tool <insert obligatory tip calculator reference here> and will undoubtedly help you with diagnostics many times going forward, whether you do your own work or not.
Key stuff is not super fun and has expenses but be glad as other Jaguars are much worse. At least our fobs can be paired without special tools.
I know you mentioned trying to stay original, but as you seem to not be afraid of some manual tinkering, you might want to have a look at repurposing one of those S-type combination fob/flip keys to use with your XK8. So much nicer than the dangly fob and not terribly expensive project to pull off. For reference, our cars accept up to (5) separate fobs/keys as part of the security system. The S-Type fob is directly compatible (with all 2001 and later models). The crypto chip has to be replaced with this megamos 48. The key stem has to be worked a bit in the garage with a file, but otherwise can be made to fit with not too much effort.
I should also mention that in the money-is-no-object scenario, I believe some mobile locksmiths offer all kinds of services and quite possibly can do-it-all for you in one session and they come to you. Expect a lot more $$ though. Would not hurt to call and find out.
Thanks for all the info! I'm ordering a green-headed key and will let you all know what, if any, challenges I encounter during the process...
-Galen McAllister
I went through all this 5 or 6 years ago with my 2005 XKR Coupe....It cost me, as I recall, about $550.00.....but I got what I wanted and you too....First, get a Green-Headed Valet Key that will fit your XKR.......Second, get all your Jaguar Keys together and call one of the Key Guys that runs around in a Truck....These Guys will come to you and if you have the above items, they can re-flash all your Keys, including your new Valet Key, all at once....You will be set from now on. The Guy will have to flash each Key individually and he will charge you a bunch to do it and you will be able to set each of your keys so they will open and lock the Doors and Trunk! Do this one time and your are set from now on!
It's kind of fun to watch these Guys as they really know their Business!
The valet key files down easily since it is such soft metal. We are fortunate that the valet is bigger than the ignition key, not the other way around. I did it visually, meaning if it looks close it will work. I posted these pictures earlier without censorship. This now has the operative key cuts disguised after getting the warning below about an 8 cut tibbe key. At least I now have a great new Scrabble word.
Originally Posted by fmertz
Unless these are random pictures from the internet, edit your post and TAKE THOSE PICTURES DOWN, or at least blur the part with the cuts. A 10 minute education is all it takes to read up on the logic of an 8-cut tibbe key. With a picture, anyone can order a copy of this key...
Green valet versus black ignition key: L-before, R-after Contour easily matched with small hand file
... I posted these pictures earlier without censorship. This now has the operative key cuts disguised after getting the warning below about an 8 cut tibbe key. At least I now have a great new Scrabble word....
Just as an aside, not clear the censoring accomplishes much. With access to your car, someone who cared could get in it and your trunk in a few minutes without these pictures and without having your key cut. For that matter, if it's a vert, seconds into the interior through the top or through the window for both if no sh&*s were given.
In any case, there are clever 8 cut tibbe picks (let's call them a Tibbe key 'decoder'), widely available (i.e. in various different countries) that are on sale to you and me. Decoder, pick, tomato, tomahto. I have found it irritating to show up at a junkyard and have no access to the random trunk.
I think what 'saves' us, in general, is that stealing the cars or any bits off of them is not very lucrative at this point. I leave mine mostly unlocked so that no one breaks a window or tunnels through the roof which is a time-consuming and inconvenient pain in the **** to have fixed.
I suspect your dealer either have ditched their key cutting machine, or the mechanics that knew how to use it.
Most Jag dealers never had cutting machines. Tibbe keys are a real PITA to cut -- each key may have up to 24 or 32 cuts, with either 3 or 4 possible cut angles for each, and a SINGLE error is likely to ruin the key. I have a bunch of them that had one goof, figuring that someday someone may need a key with the cut that I did wrong and the ones that I did right.
When I cut the special key blanks that some people send me, I take 10 minutes or more on them, just to make sure that each is perfect. Even then, I always worry that they ordered the wrong code, so I like to have them buy a standard key and verify that it's working before I start in on their expensive blank.
Dealers simply don't have the time for this, and it was easy for them to call the distribution center and get a key sent with the right cuts, so few invested the hundreds of dollars for the Tibbe adapter (if one was available for the machine they already had -- if not, the were looking at a couple of thousand dollars).
If my Jaguar-LR dealer in Tulsa Oklahoma can manage to expertly cut these keys, as they did for me, then there is simple no excuse for larger dealerships not to provide this service , just my opinion.
the 05 has a 6cut, any locksmith that drives a 1st gen ford transit connect should have a machine for it. my local dealer has a cutting machine for both the early 8-cut and late 6-cut keys, they only charge 15 bucks.
the 05 has a 6cut, any locksmith that drives a 1st gen ford transit connect should have a machine for it. my local dealer has a cutting machine for both the early 8-cut and late 6-cut keys, they only charge 15 bucks.
any dealer will be able to program the cut keys
The $15 key cut at the dealer isn't going to happen in this area, did not find anyone who would cut these keys for $15 either. Priced with key and programming at the dealer for ~$300-$400. Key and programming from the only locksmith I found to clone them about $120.
If my Jaguar-LR dealer in Tulsa Oklahoma can manage to expertly cut these keys, as they did for me, then there is simple no excuse for larger dealerships not to provide this service , just my opinion.
Yep. But few do. They make just as much profit from ordering CNC-cut keys as they would from cutting them on their own, and eliminate the risks involved in cutting them onsite.
Most locksmiths don't want to do them, either. That's why I got into doing them in the first place, I couldn't find anyone around here who could cut a spare for my X-Type, so I ended up buying the appropriate equipment (hey, I'm a gadget freak, what can I say?). I get a lot of pleasure from people telling me that the key worked perfectly when it arrived, and local locksmiths refer their Jag and Transit customers to me. I've lost track, but I think I've just about broken even on what it cost me to get set up for these
Valet Key - mission impossible?
