Key casing renewal
 

I have a replacement key case with a new uncut blade fitted. Has anyone managed to remove their existing cut blade for re-use? If so, how is it done please?

Simon

There are three main parts to the key case, the front (with the buttons), the back (which importantly holds the RFID chip without which your car won't start!), and the blade holder. The blade holder is a small plastic piece with a slot for the blade and also a hole through which a roll pin goes through the holder and blade together to hold them together. The blade holder clips into the case front with a levering action parallel with the wide plane of the key blade.


If you hold the key 'flat' with buttons down facing and then try to 'bend' the key as if you'd be moving the join between blade and case away from you is IIRC the right motion. this can be easier if the blade is held in a vice horizontally with the case nearly up to the side of the jaws, A wide flat screwdriver can then be used to impart careful leverage.


Depending on the condition post removal you may be able to re-use the blade carrier, (you can always try it in the new case and see if it cllips in solid enough). If not, then you'll have to drift out the roll pin and use the blade carrier from the new case.



Note what I said earlier about the back - don't forget to either transfer the RFID chip to the new case back or (simpler) use the old back on the new case. You'll obviously also need to transfer the remote locking circuit board.

I found that on the later keys for models from around 2004 or older (personally on my dads 04 plate and my 55 plate), the blade holder for your original key comes out of the old fob casing quite easily and in tact by using a pair of pliers to move the key blade side to side to loosen it out of the fob case. On earlier cars (both of my 53 plate cars) I found that the blade holder doesn't like to come out of the fob case and you end up removing the key blade with the blade holder still stuck in the fob case.

on keys where the blade holder came out with the key blade, I simply fit it straight to the new fob case. On keys where only the blade came out with the blade holder still stuck in the old fob case, I remove the new blank key blade from the new key set and used the blade holder from that.

Heated mine with boiling water and it came out quite easily once the plastic softened a little.

Success! :D

Many thanks for all the replies but particularly to Avulon for attempting the difficult task of trying to translate a motion into words! I "wobbled" the blade up and down (that is repeatedly between the front and back of the case) and the holder very slowly edged out of its mounting. Once started, the withdrawal became easier.

Simon

Now what you need to do is remove the plastic pip from the original blade by knocking out the roll pin, and transfer the one from the new blade ;)

If you don't do this, the original blade won't fit into the new casing correctly, as the original parts are a different size to the eBay cheapies ;)

You will also need to fasten the transponder into the rear of the new housing with a bit of blutack, as it won't have the securing lugs, and you will also need to fettle the plastic pegs in the new case by heating a bolt with a blowlamp and melting them slightly, otherwise the microswitches on the PCB won't work properly.

Apart from that, it will work just like the original Valeo key :cool:

Brian :D

Funny that, I’ve been using three ‘cheapie’ non Valeo casings for the last couple of years and didn’t do any of that lot. ;)

Mind you, I didn’t fiddle about with swapping blades, good old Mr Timpson did the honours for me. Guess I’m just lucky eh Brian :D

Paul, I reckon I've done enough of these now to know don't you ?

If you wish to use a blade from an original key, you must exchange the black plastic part from the new uncut blade onto the original blade, because it won't fit into the new housing securely otherwise, but of course if you've had the blank blade cut this doesn't apply ;)



The plastic pegs on the copy cases, protrude inwardly 1.3mm further than an original key, so unless the rubber pads on the microswitches are worn, then the lock button especially is prone to being depressed continuously meaning neither button works ;)



Also, I would be careful when you come to change the battery on your key remote, because if you haven't secured the transponder with hot melt glue, or blutack, it will ping off into oblivion..........which is very inconvenient.

If you have an original key, and a copy variant, look at the outer buttons in profile, you will find on a genuine Valeo case, the buttons are actually proud of the case, and that of the copy flush, and the length of the plastic stub inside each being the same length.



There is a reason I posted what I did, and it is to save anyone the inconvenience of finding they have lost the keyblade from their car, or having a car that won't start because the transponder falls out when they change the battery on the remote.

This advice extends to both Simon, and indeed yourself when it comes to transponder security ;)



Brian :D

There seem to be a variety of 'Valeo' (fake) and non-Valeo replacements available - one I bought in 2011 was excellent quality, much better than newer ones (and I've seen much worse now on these forums), although that too did have a slightly different clip (got the new blade cut) and no transponder lugs. Switches worked perfectly.

After a few years I managed to get s/h one with the logo, now got few for spares for the future :)