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Dodge Ram Electronic Ignition Key Questions
jollypopper
Member Posts: 2
in Dodge
I recently acquired a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie with security coded ignition key. Since only one key came with it, I contacted my friendly local Dodge dealer inquiring about duplicate keys and was told the key would run $69.00 per key. My immediate reaction was that was ridiculous. I recently had a Cadillac coded key make at the GM dealer here for $18.00. The question is what is so expensive about this key? Is it the blank or the programming that is expensive? The owner's manual explains how to program a key and it is very simple, but you must have two working keys to program a third. So surely, the programming can't be the expensive part of the operation. And I checked on EBay for blanks. You can buy an un-programmed blank for like $5.00. Since the programming of the key looks fairly simple and the blanks can be had for cheap, where is the cost here? Can I buy a blank off EBay, take it to the local hardware store and have it cut, then take it to the local dealership for programming? How do I get a key at a reasonable price?
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Sorry to hear about your key. If you have not already done so you may want to have your local Dodge Service Department take a look at it to see if it just needs to be reprogrammed or if it was damaged when it came apart and needs to be replaced.
Lisa
Customer Care
Chrysler Group LLC
Essentially the key has a unique encoded serial number. When you program a new key, you are telling the vehicle to remember that key.
So her fob doesn't need to be reprogrammed, either the battery is inserted backward, or the fob needs to be cleaned. Removing the battery and wiping all of the contacts with a clean lint-free cloth may do the trick. However it is possible the fob suffered enough damage to crack the circuit board, or chip.