One of my car keys got broken beyond repair when the transponder chip got damaged as well as the casing.
Researching the solution I found I would be fine if I had two working keys but sadly I only had one.
Worse, Google’s AI told me it thought the cost for replacement would be painful. I put it of for a week or two but solid track day bookings meant I’d need to get it sorted out in the short time I had left.
I phoned a local auto locksmith (Doms Locks) explained the predicament and he told me that I could be up and running with a non-branded three button key, cut to match my MX5 key profile and with a transponder chip programmed for my Mazda for £160…. SOLD I said.
So he drove over in his van, cut a new key and programmed the transponder and the other key functions. I have to say I’m really happy with it and I now have two perfect keys once again and I got to talk about cars with another petrolhead for an hour.
The key’s buttons have open, lock and boot opening functions but not the alarm isolation button that I’ve never used anyway. It is not a match for the OEM as you can see from the photos but it all works and the car is unlikely to be worth very much anyway should I ever sell it.
So if you are in the Berkshire/Surrey area and need a key replacing, he might be worth a call.
Next week the car is off to Aylesbury have its steering wheel modded and reupholstered in leather – more of which soon.
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