hillpc

I bought a switchblade remote fob for $30 and programmed it to unlock the doors. It'd be nice to have the blank key in the switchblade remote cut to fit my doors. In fact, since the car has no immobilizer (1997 Canadian A8 Quattro), I think if I could get the key cut it would also work the ignition. 2 Audi dealers and 2 VW dealers near me have said they don't cut keys, they order them already cut based on the car VIN. Several local auto locksmiths have said they can't cut them. Several of the internet-advertised "local" locksmiths (they ask for a zip code and look up somebody) say they can duplicate the key for me, starting at $220.

That seems exorbitant for a 5-minute job with no materials being supplied. (Wish I could make make $2600/hr for a job that wasn't a CEO of a major corporation!)

Anybody know where else I should look? Are there people I could send a key and a blank to for duplicating?

johnnya

If you have the 5-digit key code on the card that is supplied with the original keys or a photo of the key, you might have a look at this
https://www.ebay.com/itm/REMOTE-FLIP...E/372291952695
for the HAA (HU66) type key.

The code card with the 5-digit key code looks similar to this:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....1oS7Rp-oCL.jpg

Personally, I have bought this flip key fob (433 MHz version of the remote)
https://www.banggood.com/433MHZ-3-Bu...p-1124566.html
and used the service of bestkey.de to get a cut HAA key blade. But they only ship within the European Union.
Bestkey GmbH - HAA Schlüsselrohling für Klappschlüssel (HU66)
Bestkey GmbH - KFZ Schlüssel nach Code fräsen VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda, Opel, VW, Nissan und andere

The flip key blade can be exchanged like this:

hillpc

thank you for this info. That's a new one to me, cutting a key from a photo! Too bad the key he sells won't fit my existing fob.

Maybe I can get my cousin in Germany to send a key from bestkey.de to me.

jfrahm

I googled 'duplicate VW key by photo' and got this first hit, there were others:
SIDEWINDER KEYS

johnnya

Just as a note: There seem to be quite a lot of negative ratings about bestkey.de that were piling up on their Google company profile in the last two months (claiming no reaction to orders and e-mails). As the small company is most likely run by one person, it seems to be a good idea to ask via e-mail if the order can be fulfilled in time and use Paypal in the online shop just for added security in case you don't get your shipment.

When I ordered my key blade last year, I got a digital image of the curved track for their CNC machine and a tracking number for the shipment (registered mail) within hours on a Saturday. Everything went smoothly and surprisingly fast. So these Google comments look a bit odd to me, I don't know if there is currently something wrong there.

Some videos that show how the decoding of a physical key and the milling is done can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT...HuRFLnQ/videos

johnnya

There is another seller on eBay in Germany cutting keys from photos, apparently allowing international shipping:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-Ersatz-S...A/122707346498

hillpc

I sent my key blank and a photo of my key to this guy. He charges $40 to cut a key when customers send him a blank.

Thanks for the link, Joel. Good descriptive website. Thanks for the video on how to take the key out of the remote, johnnya.