VW Audi Style key?
 

I'm bored of the floppy MG key and Fob, the gfs courtesy car has one of those flippy keys and it got me wondering if the MG key and fob could be modified to work.

Can pick up the fobs pretty cheap then fabricate something to make the MG innards fit.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-AUDI-GO...ht_1438wt_1163
Seem to remember someone trying something similar but not sure how it turned out.

Ritchy had a go at modding the keyring, maybe this that your thinking of ?
Thread is here http://www.themgzs.co.uk/vb/showthread.php?t=10348

Ah yer that was it, I thought it was the flip style one.

Might order a fob and see what the crack is, might be possible.

Iirc its been done ar few times with 75 keys as you can just reuse the key bit...

VERY interetsed in how this turns out, may have to have a bash at this myself lol....

http://gallery.mg-rover.org/data/3951/IMAG01682.jpg
this guy doing them too look ok aswell guys

Another thing for my 'to do' list!

I ordered a fob last night coming from the states so may take a while, going to find a spare MG fob to butcher.

Which one? I take it button layout would need to be the same?

Not really as can just unsolder the microswitches and move to suit. Not sure how it will work until I have the bits apart and see what fits where.

I only have one fob, the other one needs programming still! I suppose i can use that 'spare' one as a base and see if i can do this as well....

Is there a thread that goes with those pics? Might be worth a read too....

http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthrea...light=flip+fob

Skimmed through it and believe the key blanks were too short.

So they only fit the MK2 fobs, i have a Lucas.... Need to give this more though....

Housing a Lucas unit should be easier as you have one less button to deal with :)

Personally dont like the ones on .org clearly a cheap Chinese job.

Yeah, i guess so, may have a look around on the bay and maybe get out the old soldering iron, but not before i test the spare unit first lol

Cheers

PM me if you want a spare fob. I kept one as a memento from a car that is no longer with us :'(

Although I fricken hate those flippy keys so I may just taunt you with it.

lol, will bear that in mind! I do have one spare that can probably be used and abused as it is not programmed yet...... Will see what i get around to, as i think the flip key will be the way i go forward....

Is that a MK1 or MK2 fob with the boot pop button?

That blank would have fitted if he'd have removed the plastic from the master key the blank was cut from. you can even see the rebates in the shank extend further back than the timpsons twit had cut it!

Still looks cheap and Chinese! Would look better placed if used for an MG6 :laugh:

I stripped apart a focus one but I'm not skilled enough to desolder and resolder such tiny microchips!

To be honest if you are desoldering etc you'd really benifit from making an etshed circuit board, which is easy to do IF you have the right tools or a college that will help out....Sadly, i have neither anymore :( I did swap over the circuit board from my old fob to the spare as it is in better nick, and now use that with the spare key, so until i find a decent donor fob to abuse i think i shall stick to the key and fob method.....

Now i think about it, could we not use the layout of the circuits and the bits you push down and have someone make custome fit boards for the audi keys?

Now there's a thought, i may investogate further! All we need is the standard audi key circuit board size and then ask them to make it fit essentially. Make a few units, maybe sell them on here/mg-rover.org etc and they could be done on the cheap.... Now who do i still know that prints circuit boards and owes me a favour?

If anyone else knows of someone that can do that, let us know!

I was just going to see if there was any way to squeeze the two circuit boards in together, and use the microswitches on the audi/vauxhall fob. Hard to say how it would work without having the unit infront of me.

Reckon getting custom PCBs produce would be costly.

There are Honda and Vauxhall fobs that seem to have the same layout. Only difference is the lock/unlock are on the wrong sides!!

Yer I was looking at the Vauxhall but as you say they are the wrong way round.

Edit: Just seen your link, nice find. Thats prob the best option so far.

Yeah, with no painted lock/unlock, it's not that obvious. I don't even look at the fob when I press it!

Thing is, does the key blade fit our cars?

I have asked someone i know that fabricates car parts, sure i can find a link to their 205 Evo FWD build at some point, they said they'd look into it...

I suppose just using the standard circuit board and something to pack it plus some decent epoxy/plastic weld stuff could also work in that respect, but they may be able to at least say if they'll do it, and how much for.... Options ;)

Well since getting back off holiday I had a number of key fobs sat on my door mat ready to be stripped down and chopped about. Ordered a flip Evo/Lancer fob which only had two buttons but I thought I could fabricate something. Having opened it up that looked like a non starter. Next was a Hyundai Sonata Accent fob which had 3 buttons that looked like it could work. Finally a Vectra fob that had the buttons in the same order as the ZS.

I first tried the vectra fob unfortunately it looked like the buttons were slightly differently spaced and would have to do some soldering and move bits about. Seems like more hassle that it was worth, especially as the internals of the Hyundai looked much closer to that of the ZS. I decided it would be easiest to butcher my spare MG fob so that I could use the internals that hold the electrics and the battery and then fit them inside the flip fob. Heres the progress and some finished pics, feel it worked out pretty well.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1...7-26163713.jpghttp://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1...7-26163753.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1...7-26163840.jpghttp://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1...7-26181645.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1...7-26181733.jpg

Not sure if its because its a battery out the spare fob or what but the buttons all work perfectly, almost better than the original. Still need to get the key cut but that's the easy bit. Only down side I can see is the weight is more than the original which weighs in at 44g, the new flip one weight 84g and for comparison the gfs corsa flip fob weighs 56g . Could save abit more off get it down to the 70's but dont think the weight is really noticeable.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1...7-26184723.jpghttp://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1...7-26184844.jpg

Realise the buttons are not quite right but these are plastic covers that are easily removed so could make some up at a later date.

thats awesome chap

I'll have one! Linky?

Maybe Dazzer could make up stickers for the front? I'd probably live with them being wrong since I do it by feel not looking at the fob!

good work!

Well speaking to Dazzer at the mo as there is a domed sticker on the back to get made up. As for the buttons as you say dont look at them much but would be nice to get it right. Think I might have a go at getting some made using the rapid prototyping machine at uni just need to do a cad drawing for it to work off.

This is the fob I ended up using http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2809104261...ht_4546wt_1163

Quite a bit of modifying internals and cutting up the old mg fob cost me part of my finger tip but think it turned out well. :)

Have you mapped out what cuts need made to the old fob housing to make it fit?

Do you plan on doing this as you do with the vis kits?

I WILL be doing this so if you do buttons, make loads pleeeaaase!!?!

Not going to produce any, just kept fettling away till it would fit.

The guys in charge of the machine shop at uni are hard work its like getting blood out a stone to get then to help with anything, the rapid prototyping machine isnt one I can just jump on during a free hour and use need permission then be observation whilst using it! Right palaver but will see what I can do.

My fob looks like this:

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDE0WDQwMA...6UQ~~60_35.JPG

Which means, unfortunetly, I can't do this mod :( - Unless anyone knows of a 5 button flip fob in a similar layout? (I can't find one!)

:spider:

Show off lol! You'd think Clifford would have an option for one?

I have now ordered one of the Hyundai ones. If I get it to work fine, Kat wants one too so cheers for experimenting and coming up with this plan Jay.

Took it into the locksmiths today to see if they could cut the blank, the one that comes with the hyundai one was no good, and they couldnt supply a blank so need to try and track down a blank that will fit now!