Key fob immobilizer just died ?

[Shayne]

It worked fine this morning but i just went out and and nothing happens when i click unlock . The fob lights up but the truck doesn't respond . I used the key to open the drivers door and the alarm sounded until i started the engine . Changing the fob battery didn't help , so i'm thinking the problem is in the truck rather than the key ?

 

[greengrass]

Not sure if the are on a rolling code, if so you might have to get the key paired with the car. Do you have a spare key??

 

[chadr]

I had the same problem - the red light would come on but nothing would happen. Turns out that the key fob internals were shot.

I used a guy on eBay that services/refurbishes key fobs; you post the fob to him, he fits new internals and battery and posts it back. All for around £10 - I was very pleased with the service and he turned it round in less than 72hrs door to door. Mine works as well as it ever did now.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-RE...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4617370f94

 

[Shayne]

Cheers Chadr i killed my spare fob a while ago so i guess i will send your man both .

 

[sae70]

I often used to loose connection between Fiery's key-fob and Fiery and would just program it back in. I can't remember the procedure now, but it was in the user manual. Must be worth a go before posting it off for repair. You'd surely still have to pair the repaired ones anyway.

 

[chadr]

You'd surely still have to pair the repaired ones anyway.

I didn't have to - I think on the early 90 series, the "fob" just controls the remote locking the immobilizor stuff is in the separate key. I've been using just the key for ages to lock/unlock the car, since the fob stopped working. You only send the fob for servicing/repair, you keep hold of the key and can still use the truck.

Add: I think the newer models (facelift onwards?) used a combined key-fob arrangement, like our Yaris and other Toyotas from around 2000 onwards. Which may be what you mean?

 

[Shayne]

Cheers Steven never even thought to look in the user manual . "When sync is lost press both buttons simultaneously for 2 seconds to return normal operation" . Also of interest i always assumed press lock twice to lock car and set alarm , but i've just found out you press it once to lock doors , twice to lock and alarm doors , and 3 times to lock , alarm and activate motion sensors within the truck . Apparently the idea of this is so pet owners can leave animals safe without fear of them setting off the alarm .

Mines an R reg 1998 1KZ-TE so pre-facelift i guess . I killed my spare fob trying to clean it internally and it looks like my main fob has gone the same way as it refuses to light up at all now so i will send both fobs off and just use a key for now .

 

[jonnyboy54321]

Hmmmm.
What fob?
I just had a key for my black 95 (a 98 td). For the white one I had a key and an alarm-specific fob (it had a Toad aftermarket one).
Out of interest, is there a user-doable procedure for coding a key to the immobiliser? I had a spare key cut when I was at the locksmiths but didn't have the truck with me at the time.
I absolutely 100% do not want to do anything that could prejudice the existing key - the new owner picks her up on Wednesday and I need nothing to get in the way of that, but if there was a way to do it easily it would be nice!

 

[sae70]

I think that from what I've seen the alarms in both Fiery (TD) and Swampy (D4d) are pretty much the same. It's just the key fob arrangement that's different. I wonder if you could use the combined key, immobilizer and alarm key supplied with the later truck on the earlier truck? You can get them uncut from of of eBay for just £30. Clearly you'd need to then get it cut, programmed into the immobilizer and then the alarm

 

[Towpack]

I have the same (TVSS3B) fob and the re-sync procedure is:

"Stand close to car, press both buttons together, then press unlock button twice" ?

 

[sae70]

If you don't have the master key and the key code then Toyota will not supply you with or program an additional key for the truck! They will however sell you a new lock set with ignition barrel a master key, a spare key and a valet key all the locks including the glove box and program them in for you for around £900 You can buy the blank key with the built in immobilizer chip and alarm function for about £40 and then it's £10-£20 to get this cut to you existing key. This will then unlock the doors and turn the engine over, but the engine will not start without the chip in the key being programmed into the immobilizer on the truck!!! Toyota will not do this without you owning the master key and or the key number plate. It may be possible to get a specialist firm to program the immobilizer to recognise your new eBay key, but they will need all of the keys you own in order to do this as the first step is to erase all key codes from the immobilizer, so they will need to program all of the keys back in. Not a bad thing if your missing the master key as if someone is wandering around with it then it will no longer start the truck. The other thing to bear in mind is that the erasing process may render the immobilizer dead!!! Not always, but occasionally! Leaving you then only with the £900 lock set option!! The chaps that do the re-programming do this mobile and charge about £125 + VAT. I know all of this as Swampy is missing the master key and key number plate, so only has one key at present and as a result I've invested some time on the phone to Toyota discussing my options with them and then on the phone to a local specialist auto lock smith firm. If anyone has an easier cheaper method that they know of please please let me know Because £200 for a spare key with a slim chance of then having to spend another £900 if this does not go well dosn't have me rushing to the cash point as a priority job

 

[chadr]

Sorry, just to confirm - when I said I didn't have to "pair" the repaired one, all I had to do was press both buttons for 2 seconds, I think the red lights flashes twice (but can't remember exactly), and the fob was then synced to the lock/unlock the car. This is the same as you'd do if the fob battery failed and you replaced it, didn't need to do anything else.

 

[Shayne]

TVSSIIIB just says hold both buttons for 2 seconds in my user manual ? That link Chadr posted for ebay has impressed me already 9pm on a Sunday night and i got a reply within 60 seconds of sending him an email !

The distance on my remotes are crap anyway i've gotta be literally touching the car before they lock or unlock it so a refurb won't go a miss and 9 quid a shout is a bargain by anyones standards .

 

[Shayne]

Steven it says in the user manual "warning if all remotes are lost the central control unit will have to be replaced" . If you could get the central control unit and matching fobs from a breaker surely your own key and the locks wouldn't need to be changed ?

 

[Towpack]

If you don't have the master key and the key code then Toyota will not supply you with or program an additional key for the truck! They will however sell you a new lock set with ignition barrel a master key, a spare key and a valet key all the locks including the glove box and program them in for you for around £900 You can buy the blank key with the built in immobilizer chip and alarm function for about £40 and then it's £10-£20 to get this cut to you existing key. This will then unlock the doors and turn the engine over, but the engine will not start without the chip in the key being programmed into the immobilizer on the truck!!! Toyota will not do this without you owning the master key and or the key number plate. It may be possible to get a specialist firm to program the immobilizer to recognise your new eBay key, but they will need all of the keys you own in order to do this as the first step is to erase all key codes from the immobilizer, so they will need to program all of the keys back in. Not a bad thing if your missing the master key as if someone is wandering around with it then it will no longer start the truck. The other thing to bear in mind is that the erasing process may render the immobilizer dead!!! Not always, but occasionally! Leaving you then only with the £900 lock set option!! The chaps that do the re-programming do this mobile and charge about £125 + VAT. I know all of this as Swampy is missing the master key and key number plate, so only has one key at present and as a result I've invested some time on the phone to Toyota discussing my options with them and then on the phone to a local specialist auto lock smith firm. If anyone has an easier cheaper method that they know of please please let me know Because £200 for a spare key with a slim chance of then having to spend another £900 if this does not go well dosn't have me rushing to the cash point as a priority job

This is what I was told when ordering a spare key from a dealer. I had only 1 key on purchase, luckily, the master which the dealer needs for the code. £50 all in for the new key, comes cut for your locks. When I went back for the new key and re-programme they said the ECU was 'full', in that 4 spare keys were already programmed in and it would need to be wiped to take the new key and, yes, there was a chance the ECU would not take the new programme meaning a new lock set so I said forget it. A few weeks later I ordered a new TVSS alarm ECU and fobs from a different dealer. Took the LC in for fitting and mentioned about the key and the potential ECU problem to which they replied they'd NEVER had a ECU fail in that way and programmed in the new key in less than a minute.

 

[Towpack]

Steven it says in the user manual "warning if all remotes are lost the central control unit will have to be replaced" . If you could get the central control unit and matching fobs from a breaker surely your own key and the locks wouldn't need to be changed ?

The alarm ECU and fobs and the key ECU/immobiliser are different things.

 

[sae70]

This is what I was told when ordering a spare key from a dealer. I had only 1 key on purchase, luckily, the master which the dealer needs for the code. £50 all in for the new key, comes cut for your locks. When I went back for the new key and re-programme they said the ECU was 'full', in that 4 spare keys were already programmed in and it would need to be wiped to take the new key and, yes, there was a chance the ECU would not take the new programme meaning a new lock set so I said forget it. A few weeks later I ordered a new TVSS alarm ECU and fobs from a different dealer. Took the LC in for fitting and mentioned about the key and the potential ECU problem to which they replied they'd NEVER had a ECU fail in that way and programmed in the new key in less than a minute.

Did you have the little number plate with the master key or just the master key and did they ask you for all your keys to reprogram the new key in? It's a complete con the whole spare key thing from the main dealer!!! They only need the key code from what I can tell to get the new key cut. The programming part can be done without this code, so to my mind I should be able to walk into my local dealer with a key that I've bought from off of eBay and had cut at my local Cobblers with my reg doc, passport etc and have it programmed in, surely?!

 

[Towpack]

Did you have the little number plate with the master key or just the master key and did they ask you for all your keys to reprogram the new key in? It's a complete con the whole spare key thing from the main dealer!!! They only need the key code from what I can tell to get the new key cut. The programming part can be done without this code, so to my mind I should be able to walk into my local dealer with a key that I've bought from off of eBay and had cut at my local Cobblers with my reg doc, passport etc and have it programmed in, surely?!

All I had was the master key itself, no key tag or any code numbers of any sort. I was told the ECU reads the code from the master, then puts itself in programme mode ready to accept new keys. It cannot read this code from a spare key. Don't know for sure if this is case or not. The owner's manual says new keys can be ordered from a dealer using the key number. It also says the dealer will need the master key to "make a new key with built in transponder chip". Looks like the key can be ordered and cut using the key number but the master key is needed to programme it into the ECU. My dealer ordered the key itself using the vehicles VIN.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

The programming part can be done without this code, so to my mind I should be able to walk into my local dealer with a key that I've bought from off of eBay and had cut at my local Cobblers with my reg doc, passport etc and have it programmed in, surely?!

It's easy to do yourself on an 80 and I think they used the same basic system for quite a few years, stick a master key in, turn it so many times, open and close the door so many times, stick the new key in, wait a minute, take key out, open and close door, job done. Slightly different sequence to erase all the other keys just shorter. In terms of this programming of the immobiliser ECU the designation of master key or not is purely how the ECU was programmed it is not determined by the keys themselves. From the factory the programming has all the black keys as masters and the grey ones are not but a PO could have bought a new black key and had it programmed as a sub key or a grey key and had it programmed in as a master for example. There are physical differences between the black and grey keys so that the grey won't open the glovebox but that doesn't determine its immobiliser ECU status. On an 80 if you poke a wire in the right hole and put your key in the ignition you can read a code to know if it is a master, sub or unrecognised key so the same thing probably exists for 90's.

 

[Towpack]

It's easy to do yourself on an 80 and I think they used the same basic system for quite a few years, stick a master key in, turn it so many times, open and close the door so many times, stick the new key in, wait a minute, take key out, open and close door, job done. Slightly different sequence to erase all the other keys just shorter. In terms of this programming of the immobiliser ECU the designation of master key or not is purely how the ECU was programmed it is not determined by the keys themselves. From the factory the programming has all the black keys as masters and the grey ones are not but a PO could have bought a new black key and had it programmed as a sub key or a grey key and had it programmed in as a master for example. There are physical differences between the black and grey keys so that the grey won't open the glovebox but that doesn't determine its immobiliser ECU status. On an 80 if you poke a wire in the right hole and put your key in the ignition you can read a code to know if it is a master, sub or unrecognised key so the same thing probably exists for 90's.

Maybe but you still need a master to programme in new keys, so the ECU must know which key is in the ign. It must know this by reading the key.