7 replies to this topic

[Toblerone]

Hi all, I'm new here so please forgive me if I make any 'forum faux pas'.
I've got a real problem, my neighbour broke into my house last year and stole ALL of my car keys. This includes 2 mk3 Mondeos and 2 mk5 Transits.

Now, I've found out (I think) everything I need to do to get them working again (the local dealers are as useful as a chocolate teapot, they just want £600 per car for new keys, etc), I just want to confirm with anyone if this is all I need to replace:

All the locks, the transponder ring around the steering column, and the ECU behind the glove box. This is for both the Trannies and the Mondies.

Is there anything else I'm missing? Also, are lock/ immobilisers from different models (ie. mk2s) compatible? I haven't taken any apart yet cos I know I'll lose the important bits! But there are loads of ST24s being broken near me.

And the final question: Is anyone breaking such vehicles and how much do you want for the lock/ immobiliser system? I'm on the Isle of Wight which is quite awkward...

All help much appreciated

[Stoney871]

You don't need new Ecu's and locks, call on a good auto locksmith and they will get the vehicles opened and will be able to cut and programme new keys for the vehicles.
You'll most likely only get one key per vehicle and very unlikely they'll supply remote keys but at least the vehicles will be functional.
BTW, do you not have home contents insurance? that should cover vehicle key theft as long as they were not hanging directly inside your front door.

[Toblerone]

Hi Stoney871, thanks for the tip but I've looked into this. Even the cheapest local guy will charge me a few hundred per car, which I simply don't have. I'd prefer to just swap over all the gubbins from another car as it'll only take a couple of hours, and if I get a couple of keys this is worth even more.

Opening the vehicles & getting keys cut is no problem, it's the immobiliser side that's the pain! And I want a remote key fob

And home insurance? £100 per car for stolen keys, with a receipt for work done within 28 days of the incident. As I was out of the country at the time, this didn't happen. A real shame as you'd think this is what home insurance is for...

[btmaldon]

I hope your neighbour has been suitably reprimanded.

[Toblerone]

Suspended sentance and about £300 fine. No compensation. Rubbish!
The authorities could have at least confiscated his car and given it to me

[jeebowhite]

that is the downside of British justice, shame that we you couldn't go all vigilante on his rear end!

did he touch your cars, or just steal the keys?

swapping the gubbins will only change the shape of the lock, but remember you also have the fun and games of the immobiliser to contend with.

Ideally you do need replacement keys, when I looked at getting a new one for my CMAX, cheapest non remote was around £70, I got a remote flip key for £140

[Toblerone]

Indeed, but I'm not going to stoop to his level as it'll come back and bite me, I'm sure! They (my neighbours) are in court for a lot more besides at the moment

And no, he didn't touch the cars (other than stealing the stereo from my camper van). The only vehicle not covered by our CCTV system...

The locks/ keys aren't a big issue, I can get the key number from the locks and get some blanks cut for not too much, but yes, more for a remote one. As you say, the problem is the immobiliser system, which is why I figured it may be easier (ok, cheaper) to just replace the whole shebang with a scrapper's lockset. I don't want to splash the cash on the vehicles as they are for sale, and I'm skint!

Apparently the immobiliser can be read and new RFID chips can be programmed to match it (as Clive has said above). There are a few auto locksmiths on the Isle of Wight but I haven't found one who can do it yet. And the Ford dealers really are tight! They give nothing for free, not even 2 minutes of their time...

[Stoney871]

Yep you'll need someone who has access to an ids system, that will programme in new keys and also more importantly delete the stolen keys in case they "turn up" at some point.