Ouch!! - 1998 Spare Key Cost

[CosmicBike]

My '98 V70R only came with a single key, so I've had a mechanical key cut just in case.
Spoke to my local Volvo dealer today, £120 for the key, plus £97 to programme it to the car.

And I thought running old cars was cheap...

Any other options out there, not including cutting the chip from the current key and taping it to the dash somewhere?

[Bob Meadows]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233875435...53.m1438.l2649

This link should take you to a seller on ebay:~ £12:00 cut to your existing key with a removable piece for the chip to activate the ignition.
KEY BLANK VOLVO 850 960 C70 S60 S70 S80 V70 V90 XC90 CUT TO CODE PHOTO
A descent solution if you can use it?
Regards Bob.

[Gonzobard]

My local shoe repair / key cutting shop made me a spare for about £45, iirc, chip and all. Worked fine.

[Bob Meadows]

Looked at mail a little too quickly so my first reply may not be suitable:~

Timson shops do them as mentioned- not all though as they are a franchise operation so depends on what they inherited/purchased.
Bob.

[CosmicBike]

Originally Posted by Bob Meadows

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233875435...53.m1438.l2649

This link should take you to a seller on ebay:~ £12:00 cut to your existing key with a removable piece for the chip to activate the ignition.
KEY BLANK VOLVO 850 960 C70 S60 S70 S80 V70 V90 XC90 CUT TO CODE PHOTO
A descent solution if you can use it?
Regards Bob.

That's where I got my mechanical key from.

I didn't think the Timpsons etc could do them? I thought they needed to be coded to the car or something? I have a decent local locksmith (if he's still there) who found new keys for my Capri, so I'll have a chat with him.

[CNGBiFuel]

I didn't think the Timpsons etc could do them?

They can't.

I thought they needed to be coded to the car or something?

Correct.

If you've one key, a cable-tie to the lock-ring works. Then Timpsons for the rest. Not perfect, but it works. Volvo's security is known for being awkward.

My local shoe repair / key cutting shop made me a spare for about £45, iirc, chip and all. Worked fine.

Not sure how. Please say who this was.

[DaveNP]

The key (pun intended) in this question is the date of the car, my 98 V70 has the rolling code chip which 'talks' to the car each time it is used and resets the code for the next time, these cannot be done by Timpsons or even our local indy locksmith who isn't normally beaten by anything, you can get the 'mechanical copy' which doesn't have a chip so won't start the car although Timpsons had to order in the blank especially for mine. Earlier cars had a fixed code chip which could be copied by the likes of Timpsons on to another chipped key.
In the 11 years I've been on the forum this question has come up many times and as of yet no one has found anywhere other than Volvo that can access the security software to make a new rolling code key, and generally they want more than the £120 + 97 in the original post, that isn't an unusual price for a dealer making a proper key we had to get one for a KIA about 9 years ago and it came to a similar price once they'd charged for the key, cutting the key, assembling the key, coding the key, opening the car door to try it in the ignition, refreshments for the team of technicians, etc etc.

[CosmicBike]

Originally Posted by DaveNP

The key (pun intended) in this question is the date of the car, my 98 V70 has the rolling code chip which 'talks' to the car each time it is used and resets the code for the next time, these cannot be done by Timpsons or even our local indy locksmith who isn't normally beaten by anything, you can get the 'mechanical copy' which doesn't have a chip so won't start the car although Timpsons had to order in the blank especially for mine. Earlier cars had a fixed code chip which could be copied by the likes of Timpsons on to another chipped key.
In the 11 years I've been on the forum this question has come up many times and as of yet no one has found anywhere other than Volvo that can access the security software to make a new rolling code key, and generally they want more than the £120 + 97 in the original post, that isn't an unusual price for a dealer making a proper key we had to get one for a KIA about 9 years ago and it came to a similar price once they'd charged for the key, cutting the key, assembling the key, coding the key, opening the car door to try it in the ignition, refreshments for the team of technicians, etc etc.

That's how I understand my '98 key to work. I've also read that any attempt to copy it will result in the car only being able to 'talk' to one key so the spare becomes a paperweight anyway!
After getting quotes elsewhere, the dealer price is actually pretty reasonable so I'll go with them.

[4x4]

When I bought my 850 over 2 years ago it only had one key. I ordered a new key from FRF Volvo at a cost of £79 and booked it into my local Volvo dealer to have it programmed at a cost of £69.

Due to the Covid lockdown FRF couldn't get hold of a key blank. I spoke to many key cutting companies all over the UK and only one person said he could cut and programme a key for the 850.

In the end my original keys turned up and I never had to use his services

[ASt85]

Originally Posted by CNGBiFuel

Quote:
I didn't think the Timpsons etc could do them?
They can't.

Correct.

INCORRECT - as a previous post points out some branches of Timpsons do have the correct code reading equipment and software to code Volvo keys.

Timpsons bought out a rival company some 5 years ago - "the coding machines" they thereby acquired were randomly distributed across the UK. Individual branches do not seem to know which branches have them, our local branch at Hempstead did not a few years ago, but the manager suggested checking every few weeks as when franchised branches close the hardware is farmed out to the branches.