This is my first time doing business with this mechanic. He claims he lost my spare set of Camaro keys (ignition key, door key, and keyless entry fob) and claims he can make me a new set just by having the VIN #. Says he'll go to Elliot's hardware store to get the keys cut, and he'll provide a new fob that he'll program to work with the car.

When I would say things like "well, maybe you'll find the original set or someone in the shop will discover they accidentally took them" he wasn't reactive to that like I would be in his shoes. If I was him, and I had misplaced keys or thought another person took them, I'd be assuring the customer that I would try to find the lost set and they'd probably turn up.

He never made a claim like that. Just--I'll make you a new set.

If I were in his shoes, I'd want to find the original set so I wouldn't have to pay for a new set out of my pocket. I know that the cost for getting a new set from a dealership would be over $100, and he is having to replace these keys and fob at his own expense, whatever his reduced expenses are thanks to his connections.

Should I be worried that this is some sort of scam? Originally, he told me I'd need to go with him to Elliot's to get the keys cut, but now that I gave him my VIN #, he said that won't be necessary, I'll just need to come in so he can program the new fob. I can understand how the VIN # would give him access to the VATS resistor # for the ignition key if he has a friend at a dealership, but I don't understand how that would give him the keys unless he's now decided to pay a dealership to cut new keys.

I feel like there's something he's not telling me. I got the impression he knew exactly what happened to the keys and they were not really lost.

 

Maybe it's just me but i'd really think of changing the locks and Vats system out to work with a different value key. That way if the guy is a crook and tries to boost your ride he's S.O.L.

 

the old key fob will stay programmed to your car. I think I remember there being an option to erase all key fobs when you are programming the new one.

 

It all sounds a little fishy to me. I think I would be getting new keys and fobs.

 

Yeah, hes got the car, so he has the VIN right there in front of him on the car. He would need the registration and drivers license to verify ownership. Thats how we do it here at my dealership. You cant just go handing out keys to anyone and giving them the info to program fobs. He may have an outside guy that does keys, as a licensed business, in which case he would be able to get it done, but they may be in cahoots and you may just lose your ride l8r down the road after you forget about it. It all sounds pretty fishy to me as well. This guy may give the extra set to someone else who holds them for some time, then one day you wake up and your car is gone. They know where u live, they have the keys, too easy. I would get the ignition cylinder, door and trunk locks, and the key fob replaced with new ones and have them erase all previous fobs. You might also want to think about reporting the incident to the police just to have a record to incriminate the guy should something happen if you dont replace your locks etc.

 

I read something on another topic that when you reprogram a new fob to work with the car, the other one you have (that is NOT lost) will be reprogrammed as well, making the lost fob not work anymore. Can anyone confirm that as being true? Because that would solve the majority of the problem.

 

I read something on another topic that when you reprogram a new fob to work with the car, the other one you have (that is NOT lost) will be reprogrammed as well, making the lost fob not work anymore. Can anyone confirm that as being true? Because that would solve the majority of the problem.[/QUOTE]

That is correct on my 94. When you reprogram for a new remote you must program both remotes, that you want to use, at the same time. Your old lost remote will no longer work. If you reprogram with only the remote you still have it will be stored in both memories and will be the only one that works.

 

I agree with this, just take your registration, insurance and dl and get your own keys made, then i would make him pay for them.

 

Great, that'll take care of the biggest issue of all. Even if someone is able to get the car open by using the door key, they won't be able to start it because locking with the fob immobilizes the car until it's unlocked with the fob.

 

was this some backyard mechanic???......i would yell in his face HOW THE HELLL DO YOU LOSE A SET OF KEYS!!!!!

 

Are you sure about that? Ive never heard of that. If you manually unlock the door and stick the key in the ignition and turn it to the on position that usually disables factory systems and the vehicle can be started and driven after that.

 

I know it works when you unlock it from the inside, like if you use the alarm to lock it, and a passenger reaches over and unlocks your door manually from the inside. I'll have to test it with the key...

 

yeah, usually once you put the correct ignitino key in, the factory alarm is disabled.

oh, and I have genuinely lost a customers keys before and spent well over an hour tearing the shop apart before I found them, the way he is handling it does seem odd.

 

I tested the doors last night. I locked with the fob and then opened with the key and it set off the alarm and flashed something on the dash. It was 11 pm, so I didn't want to bother the neighbors, but I will test the ignition today. I'm fairly certain it's going to be disabled like the other Camaro does.