SundayDriver
New member
So you keep a key fob in your glove compartment in case you lose your key. (Maybe risky in an area where car theft is common, but that's a different topic.) But how do you get back in your car? In the days of cheap conventional car keys you could have 4 or so keys stored in various places, including under the car. (Also risky, but the key in the magnetic box has saved my skin numerous times.) Given the expense of electronic keys, making multiple copies of the whole fob isn't affordable.
A spare wallet key with a flat head is especially important for people like campers, hikers, and paddlers who go to remote areas. You cannot, for example, lash an electronic key to your PFD the way you did with the cheap conventional keys. A key fob in a waterproof box in a kayak hatch is dependent on a secure hatch cover.
Solution: Just get the blade copied and put some kind of head on it. What you need to know:
(1) This key will only open the door. It will not start the engine. To start the engine the electronics inside the fob need to be programmed.
(2) The Sonic key is a "sidewinder"---a wavy groove cut into both sides of the key. WalMart and most hardware stores cannot cut this key because it requires an expensive machine.
(3) Not all GM dealers have the cutting machine. In my area only a small percentage of dealers have it.
(4) Dealers that have the machine may refuse to cut the blade unless you buy the whole fob. I called about 15 dealers before I found one that had blanks and was willing to just cut the blade.
(5) This job takes all of 5 minutes!
(6) GM sells a blank blade with a head for $50. Again, the goal is to get you to replace the entire expensive fob, not just the blade.
(7) There are multiple sources of complete laser-cut fobs online for $25 to $75. Amazon reviews indicate that many don't work.
(8) You need the last four digits of your VIN to get the blade cut.
Ultimately I found a dealer who cut two blank blades for me at a cost of ZERO. The blank blades and the cutting time cost the dealer virtually nothing. I'm working on finding a head for the blades.
A spare wallet key with a flat head is especially important for people like campers, hikers, and paddlers who go to remote areas. You cannot, for example, lash an electronic key to your PFD the way you did with the cheap conventional keys. A key fob in a waterproof box in a kayak hatch is dependent on a secure hatch cover.
Solution: Just get the blade copied and put some kind of head on it. What you need to know:
(1) This key will only open the door. It will not start the engine. To start the engine the electronics inside the fob need to be programmed.
(2) The Sonic key is a "sidewinder"---a wavy groove cut into both sides of the key. WalMart and most hardware stores cannot cut this key because it requires an expensive machine.
(3) Not all GM dealers have the cutting machine. In my area only a small percentage of dealers have it.
(4) Dealers that have the machine may refuse to cut the blade unless you buy the whole fob. I called about 15 dealers before I found one that had blanks and was willing to just cut the blade.
(5) This job takes all of 5 minutes!
(6) GM sells a blank blade with a head for $50. Again, the goal is to get you to replace the entire expensive fob, not just the blade.
(7) There are multiple sources of complete laser-cut fobs online for $25 to $75. Amazon reviews indicate that many don't work.
(8) You need the last four digits of your VIN to get the blade cut.
Ultimately I found a dealer who cut two blank blades for me at a cost of ZERO. The blank blades and the cutting time cost the dealer virtually nothing. I'm working on finding a head for the blades.
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