To be honest I don't remember if I had my keys by me when I used this "spare" key that I had made.

My friend made it for me at HD. I remember when I went there he plugged the key into this little box that checked to see if it had a microchip in it and it came back negative. I bought the car used so I'm not sure if there is a transponder bypass or something weird the other owner did or not. The only odd thing I could say I ever found in my car is when I took apart the middle dash section where the cup holders, shifter, and storage compartment is, I found a little black box with a red led on it. I'm not sure if that comes with every EVO or something somebody added on. It looked as if somebody added it on.

As far as I remember the key worked whenever I used it. I never used it very often and I currently living in Florida and my EVO is living in Cincinnati. So I won't be able to try this out for a while lol.

I mean, anybody could go to lowes and HD and try this out as it would only set somebody back 5 bucks max.



Also, I do recall using the key to unlock the doors whenever I needed to. I never had a problem doing so w/o the main set of keys or transponder near by. I was under the impression that you would need a microchip key in order to unlock all the doors when using the key hole to unlock them all by moving the key twice (once to unlock your door and second to lock the rest). I never had a problem doing so but I'm also not 100% sure if EVO's work like that. Mine is a 2003 VIII.

 

ohhhh sh!tttt
your the only person in the world thats a engineer now.

 

That could be your car alarm maybe..


I dont have to pay for a key, i used to work at one and my friend works at the same dealership as a counter guy and he gets me stuff at employee price or in case of a key just says he screwed it up and gets me it for FREE

 

^^ Yeah, thats exactly how I got my key from a friend at Home Depot. He screwed up making my key too So it just had to be thrown away and we just never made another copy of it! Or did we????? haha.

 

No microchip is needed to unlock any or all doors, that's why I asked if you were just using it as a door key. The immobilizer system is only for starting the vehicle. A cheap $5 key should not be able to start any factory spec'd Evo ('03-current).

 

Yeah, I understand what you were asking. I just was stating that I have herd some cars are like that with doors. Now I'm not 100% sure if I did drive my car with the spare key I had made With the original key and the key fob. I know for a fact I have started the car with the spare key and I know I have driven with it before. The question at hand with my statements though is if I had the key with the microchip and keyfob with me at the time or not. That I'm not sure of.

I hope somebody on here goes to Home Depot or something and tries this one again. If I was back in Cincy with my car any time soon I would try this.

 

If I remember correctly a not chipped (flat cut key) will start and run the car I believe 3 times before the immobilizer stops allowing the car to start.

I believe this is in case of emergency, you are not stuck at the roadside.

 

I went to my dealership a few months back for a spare key and it was only 100 total. no reprograming fee. hmm.

 

i'm going to get a key made at lowes and see what happens.

 

No, that would defeat the purpose. Older Mitsus used to have an immobilizer over ride code. You would have to enter it by tapping on the brake pedal after flicking the key on and off. Mitsu stopped doing it but I can't remember the year they did. They dropped the system because it was akin to using the Cinco Phone or entering the Konami Code (obscure references to entering a lengthy code with no way of knowing you were right or wrong until the end) on your car, very frustrating and difficult to do.

 

those programmable keys are pretty expensive as it is.... but then you add the dealership fees and thats how it gets so high... most home depots and other places can do them for cheaper

 

Shouldn't you get a spare anyways? Just curious? And aren't they suppose to offer the owner's manual to the car...?

 

hmm i pay $5 for a key at a local keymaking shop... doesn't open the outside door but it starts the car D;