# Charge for missing key at lease turn-in



## ddk632 (Aug 19, 2006)

To add to the great info @chrischeung provided above, you also can only have 2 active keys per vehicle at any given moment. If you lose one and order a replacement, activating that replacement will deactivate the lost key. 

Thus, the lost key can't be used to steal your car by someone who finds it. Of course, without replacing your mechanical door locks, the regular embedded physical key inside of the lost key fob will still be able to allow entry in to your vehicle.

As for the eBay idea, if you do your lease turn in on a rainy day at the end of a long day on a Friday and find a CA who just takes the keys and doesn't run them or check the 2nd key you might be good. That's a lot of what ifs. 

That being said, and considering the info in this thread, it seems considerably less expensive to just pay the lost key charge than it is to replace and recode the lost key with a new one.


----------



## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

ddk632 said:


> T
> 
> That being said, and considering the info in this thread, it seems considerably less expensive to *just replace and recode the lost key with a new one than it is to pay the lost key charge .*




Fixed

ebay special plus recode < $250
:angel:


----------



## ddk632 (Aug 19, 2006)

Depends on your dealer I guess. My local dealer charges 90 minutes labor to recode, which comes out to nearly $200 in itself. In this case it's most likely a wash, except less hassle.


----------



## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

ard said:


> ebay special plus recode < $250


Are you sure about that? There seems to be 2 processes. One that BMW does - matching key to ECU (one of the 10 codes). And then one for key to car (I assume for things like memory settings). The first will just let you start the car. So what I'd like to hear confirmed is that a used key and be fully recoded by the dealer - the old car removed, and another replacing it.

This is I believe the reason why the key needs to come from BMW. Otherwise why wouldn't dealers keep unprogrammed keys in stock, and just have the local locksmith cut the metal blade, or even keep variations of the metal part in stock? The reason that BMW does this is to limit the number of people who can code keys to cars - stopping the ability for stolen cars to be re-keyed easily by unscrupulous dealership personnel for example.


----------



## luigi524td (Apr 4, 2005)

If the dealer is holding you to full retail prices you can always shop for a replacement at a dealer that offers discounts to Forum or BMWCCA members. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=KB43&mospid=52088&btnr=41_1898&hg=41&fg=50&hl=9 With the proper documentation they will usually handle any necessary coding and fed-ex a working assembly to you directly. Or, use their quote for leverage / discount.


----------



## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

chrischeung said:


> Are you sure about that? There seems to be 2 processes. One that BMW does - matching key to ECU (one of the 10 codes). And then one for key to car (I assume for things like memory settings). The first will just let you start the car. So what I'd like to hear confirmed is that a used key and be fully recoded by the dealer - the old car removed, and another replacing it.
> 
> This is I believe the reason why the key needs to come from BMW. Otherwise why wouldn't dealers keep unprogrammed keys in stock, and just have the local locksmith cut the metal blade, or even keep variations of the metal part in stock? The reason that BMW does this is to limit the number of people who can code keys to cars - stopping the ability for stolen cars to be re-keyed easily by unscrupulous dealership personnel for example.


My post was somewhat tongue in cheek...there are HUGE numbers of threads elsewhere on programming keys/cars. Personally I didnt want this one to degrade into that mess.

I do seem to recall that BMW dealers actually have limited ability to do programming- the "official" programming tools are actually limited in their ability to recode certain modules and (i think) keys. This was a misguided 'security' move by BMW-or revenue enhancement.

Im not sure you want a BMW dealer for this....


----------



## vernonpat (Jun 20, 2007)

I want to thank everyone for their input. 

I lost a key on my 535i as well (neither times was me) and was charged $225 when I turned it in back in 2012. I was shocked when dealer quoted me $500. I will check with BMWFS and if the different is more than $200, I will live with only one key for a few more months. Who knows, maybe I will get lucky and my brother will find the key somewhere in his house.


----------



## ddk632 (Aug 19, 2006)

You will find it as soon as you no longer need it, lol.

When I traded my 2010 X6 35i, one of my keys had been "lost" for a while and it miraculously appeared in the back of a kitchen drawer just after I no longer had the car!


----------



## vernonpat (Jun 20, 2007)

ddk632 said:


> You will find it as soon as you no longer need it, lol.
> 
> When I traded my 2010 X6 35i, one of my keys had been "lost" for a while and it miraculously appeared in the back of a kitchen drawer just after I no longer had the car!


Yes, I found my 535 key when I took my wife's winter coat to the cleaner. (Of course, I turned the car in in July.)


----------



## wmo168 (Mar 26, 2009)

chrischeung said:


> Here is some more info. The dealership still may be able to recode the key (unsure on my part), if they have a code from BMW for your car.
> 
> https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081210142954AAxiObU
> 
> ...


Right on, I once think I lost one key and order a new key, the new key just need to be learn to the car and it works. But if you need to deactivate old key you need to pay the dealer to do the programming. Also any key you get from other car can not be program to another car. I guess if you just turn it in on lease return, there is no way to tell unless they take out the actual key and try it on the car. But that piece can be order for your car too as separate part number.


----------



## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

chrischeung said:


> H
> Both systems have NEVER been beaten, which is why BMW get a little upset when soap operas etc show a fairly new BMW being hotwired and stolen in 30 seconds.


http://jalopnik.com/5923802/watch-hackers-steal-a-bmw-in-three-minutes

I dont doubt that BMW and BMW techs will repeat "this has never been beaten"... but I seem to recall press to the contrary.

http://www.zdnet.com/hackers-steal-keyless-bmw-in-under-3-minutes-video-7000000507/

Personally I never lock my car as it is always in a garage. Maybe 1-2% of the time it is in a hotel lot, but I can handle that risk.


----------

