Clone keys are electrical duplicates that don’t require the car to be programmed. Over the years there have been numerous technology improvements, adding more and more makes and models that can be cloned.

EKeys4Cars uses a new generation passive chip keys. Passive chip keys have a coil which powers the circuit without the need for a battery. The chip is contained in the plastic head the same way as original equipment key blanks.

In all cases, clones only copy the existing IDs. The car detects them as the same key. These clones can’t be used as a second key for on-board-programming, therefore there’s a fixed price per key. If more than one spare is needed it can be more economical to program in fixed value transponders.

Beware of Battery Operated Keys

Circuit and battery clipped into shell.

Functional portion held by mini tangs

A particular design of clone keys that’s being marketed are not RFID transponder keys. These keys actually contain a mini circuit board that is powered by a battery. These circuits can emulate a transponder ID and work fine as cloned spares, but we all know what happens to batteries and plastic in our cold climate.