V5 flipout keyfob blade snapped but key works. £40 sound OK?

[lardconcepts]

I'm guessing there are probably loads of similar discussions, but this forum doesn't allow searches on the words "key" or "fob", so...

You can see what's happened in the image below - the blade is fine, but the flipout bit is snapped off.
I got the car started by using a pair of pliers to turn the blade, finding that touching the pliers against the flipout button allowed the car to start! Once started, I could break contact.

I've spent most of the morning looking at various online options from £10 for a blank shell on ebay (including an uncut blade which I presume I could switchout using the pin) to £60-£80 for online repair services (or £220 from SEAT involving 2x120 mile round trips!).

Timpson say they'll do it there and then for £40 and guarantee it. I've read of people not fitting the pin to hold the blade in properly themselves and then losing the blade = big expense! It's still a long round trip to the nearest one, and looking at this video

it seems complex enough to make £40 actually seem quite reasonable considering the age of the fob and car!

I just wanted to check that someone isn't about to say "idiot! you can do it in 5 minutes for £5 off ebay!"..???

 

[kanyewest]

i think you can do the transplant yourself, there will be videos on youtube. getting your key associated with the immobiliser is also possible to do yourself as long as you have a spare key (doesnt need remote locking on that key)

 

[RUM4MO]

I think that your plan should be to buy any newish looking "flip blade" key assembly - genuine VW Group part from ebay, open it up and remove the only bit you need and swop that part over, the actual blade is just retained in the broken part using a very small spiral pin.

Edit:- that blade is dumb and is only a piece of metal, when you go to start the car, all you need to do is to turn the blade using something like pliers while holding the rest of that key assembly close to the ignition switch area so that it can communicate with the transponder loop aerial that is there.