ddestruel

de-activate the sentry system. its a PITA not worth the two cents nor the giant headache that it creates.

FYI the federalies and policia down there are on the look out for locals driving newer vehicles. usually if a local is behind the wheel of an 06+ truck they pull em over just to see what kind of dope he's trying to transport. make sure your insurance is upto date and get insurance that covers you in the foreign territory.

10-9jc

Yikes!

Fluency in Spanish has nothing to do with the situation. Drug wars and lots of potential to be in the wrong place at the wrong time - which could be almost anywhere, anytime.

Has nothing to do with how you "treat people"!

Cops are also being executed. Some maybe working for the cartels,
some not . . . but that doesn't matter.

Locals (meaning Mexicans) prefer to have as little to do with cops as possible. Pay the fine (or whatever) and be away from him - as the cop
may have a bulls-eye on his back!

Mexican border cities are no bueno!
(and things aren't getting better).

~

JC
"old" Baja traveler.

iaddiesel

I had the same situation, only one key and wanted another. I had the dealer make me a key that has the chip that wil let me manualy unlock the door and also start the truck. It didn't cost that much maybe about 30 bucks I dont remember but it was waaaay cheeper than they wanted for the one with the buttons built into it. All you need is one with a chip so it will start and remain started, you just have to unlock the doors the old fashion way. Hope this helps.

gomulego

yeah I hate the key deal. My gf lost one of my original keys (still have no idea where that one went) and I had another made at the dealer. It cost me the same ..about 160. I was not a happy camper. At least I have 2 again, so maybe I should go and get me a couple more since I can do it myself, because I'm still with the same girl.

mini14

i bought mine used, only 1 key, i went to lock smith and got another programed, cost me $80.....its a rip but they got u by the B A L L S...all dealer needs is your vin to get another key for u, there is no magic behind this just a lot of bending over to do, its not just a dodge thing either.

WhiteMule

Local dealer here wanted $200 for the key. I'll have to wait to get a spare.

Jim O

I don't know if this is true but I was talking to a guy with an 03 like mine only and Auto and he said he broke his key in the States and he got a hardware store key and had it cut the same as his wifes key. If he put his broken key on the dash in the area of the speedometer and put the hardware store key in the ignition it would start and run. Like I say that is what I was told this guy was from Texas and Texans don't lie do they.
Jim O

ElShawn

Jim O,
That actually makes sense. As far as I know, there's a chip in the key fob that communicates with the truck that tells it that it's OK to start and drive. I would imagine as long as the key fob is close to where it should be, it would work.

mini14

if the key is gray it is in the key head as long as it is close the rf signal gets to the reciever....

SAS

Same as others one of the first things I did was order a Dodge Ram Transponder key from someone on eBay for under 10 bucks, took it to a key shop to have it cut and programed it with my two original keys. I also had the key shop cut me a standard key that opens the doors but will not start the truck in case of lock outs. I had the factory security system installed at the dealer and they had to get a special PIN for my truck to activate the system/Keys. I don't know if it's the same to replace the second key though?

Jim O

I figured it was true because he had a big Prevost Motorhome and towed a Dodge Diesel behind and use a hardware store key to unlock the steering and he claimed after he broke his chipped key and set it on the dash he was able to start the truck and drive it.
Jim O

cLAYH

A member of my 4wheel drive club recently put a TJ 4.0L into his '86 CJ. Swapped the whole drivetrain, computers and wiring harness. Spent 2 weeks with a diagram pruning out the wires he didn't need it the harness and mating it to a CJ one.

In the end it would fire up then stall right away. After 2 days of checking things he bought a scanner and it showed a secruity code. Turns out the TJ had the factory security system with the "grey" keys so the ecm was looking for security module and key.

To get it to work he pulled the security module and the RF reciever which is just a ring around where the key goes in, out of the TJ and installed it into teh CJ. Now that ring has the grey key zipped tied to it and tucked away under the hood. When he goes hunting and leaves it he just removes the key and no worries about it being stolen!

cLAYH

BTW when I swapped my engine I used the ECM that came with the donor engine. The truck ECM didn't like that and threw a security code. Had to swap in the engine ECM that was original to the truck to get it to run.

Crankpot

You can buy a blank transponder key with no remote on ebay for about 12 bucks.
Then you need to find a key cutter that will cut it. Most check th ekey with a little device that blinks if it has an internal transponder, and then they wont cut it.

BUT!!!

I relied on the idiots that work at walmart to cut mine. they didn't even check for a transponder. cost $1.50

bubba

cLAYH

Thats what I did, bought a blank on ebay to get cut then took it in. First place I went to was local hardware store. Guy said he would cut it for me BUT said they had a really crappy machine, the keys didn't clamp in it like the old style but had some sort of cartridge that the keys went into. He didn't recommond haveing it cut there as he said the success rate with that machine was onlt 50% and had a box of bad keys to prove it.

2nd hardware store wouldn't touch it. Finally went to a locksmith that cut it no problem but charges $5 even though I supplied the blank!

Still in the end it was WAY cheaper than going thru the dealer. Since I was ordering off e-bay anyway I got another remote fob. Altogether with cutting and shipping I paid about $35 for the key and factory fob.