Alfa 159 key program

[Benny]

Hi to you all, I'm a newbie at this and browsed all the threads referring to the PCF7941 chip unlock and program, but I'm so new at this that I don't understand it all, or the main problem is that all the topics are either old or inconclusive about the Alfa 159 key.

So my question is:

I have a used key that I've unlocked with KD-X2, what is the next step? As much as I could gather, I need to program it and then pair it with the car.

What should I use to program it? What to use to pair it?

I'm on a budget, so I'd need the cheapest way to get the key working with the car. I already have MES and AlfaOBD, I presume I can pair the programmed key with these.

What are my options? Is it "cheaper" to just get it working without remote function, to get it to start the car? What should I do in that case?

Thank you all for reading, I'm here to learn.

[Manta1600]

I suspect that for this car the cheapest way is the local auto locksmith

[Benny]

Been to about 10 of them in my country, seems nobody has the knowledge yet to do it, I've only seen some who claim they can do it in neighbouring countries, none of which are remotely close to me at 500km in any direction.

The dealerships here offer the service of producing a new key for as little as 450€, so I'm not doing that.

Can everything be done with a TM Pro?

[Manta1600]

So looks like the dealer is the cheapest way in your case

[newone]

key must be precoded first and i do not think that there is something cheap able to do this,you can send key reader with your key to someone who can precode it by post,cheapest option might be clone the chip put it on a shell and put in car an extra central locking module

[Manta1600]

key must be precoded first and i do not think that there is something cheap able to do this,you can send key reader with your key to someone who can precode it by post,cheapest option might be clone the chip put it on a shell and put in car an extra central locking module

TMpro2 + module 118 will do fully working key but its not the cheapest way

[wuza]

If you don’t have experience I would recommend you to find locksmith to do the job.
TmPro + license for 159 costs about 500€. Dealer is cheaper (450€)…
+ you need some soldering skills…. If not you will have none running car…

If you are from Germany I can help you. Just let me know….

[Benny]

Thanks for the replies, chaps. I've seen used TM Pros for ~200e, but I presume there's more to it than just the device.

What's got me puzzled is that this car is almost 20 years old, and there hasn't been much breakthrough with doing key duplicates.

Does this mean that Alfa was better off with this style of immos and keys than the 952 models?

I'm asking because I was able to program a key using only AlfaOBD and a cheapo key fob from AliEx for my Giulia. Seems like security has come a long way - backwards.

I've had cars that were able to get keys coded for as much as 15€, seemed steep when I got keys cloned at the local locksmith for 70€.

I'm perfectly satisfied with having one key if it comes down to getting another one at the price of 450€ onwards.

What I was thinking of is producing a key for myself and selling the TM Pro on, leaving me with probably the cost of the used key itself which I got for 20€, hence being the cheapest option.

If you'd be so kind in writing down a few steps as if you were writing them down for a child (I am a programmer myself though, and am handy at soldering and electronics), I'd be grateful.

[newone]

if you buy a used tmpro you will have the to buy aslo the module for the 159,trying to sell it after will not be easy

[newone]

TMpro2 + module 118 will do fully working key but its not the cheapest way

i have done 2-3,very rare cars,luckily sp does them

[wuza]

@Benny
Are you sure that you bought a key from AliExpress and program it with AlfaOBD?
Never heard of that… I probably did some things wrong in the past…

Keep in mind that there are few words that sound more less same, but have big differences: key learning, key programming and key preprogramming….

[Manta1600]

i have done 2-3,very rare cars,luckily sp does them

Never had customer with car like this

[Benny]

@Benny
Are you sure that you bought a key from AliExpress and program it with AlfaOBD?
Never heard of that… I probably did some things wrong in the past…

Keep in mind that there are few words that sound more less same, but have big differences: key learning, key programming and key preprogramming….

Yeah, sorry about using the term program, it's interchangeable in my language.

What I meant is, the key came preprogrammed and all that was left was to pair it to the car with AlfaOBD, I presume that's called key learning?

[Spiritech]

Key adaptation(VAG) or key learning(most aftermarket tools) or key teaching(HK) would be the correct term if we're using manufacturer terminology. I use the term programming locally because the terms learning and adaptation don't really make sense to customers. Also the need to differentiate between the process of pre-coding or pre-programming/programming a key to be ready for learning and adaptation is not really necessary when speaking to customers. That said Toyota use the term programming in their own software for what we would call adaptation/learning/teaching. It would be nice if the vehicle manufacturers would decide on at least a common language to use as those of us who have to work on multiple brands have to keep the vernacular of each manufacturer straight in our heads to understand the OEM procedures.

That said, you are not going to produce a new key for this vehicle for less than the dealer has quoted you. It's got specific requirements for pre-programming, and you must have the pincode to learn it to the car once it is ready for learning. The software and hardware to do this no matter which tool supplier you try to use is going to cost more than the price you have been quoted at a dealer. If you had designs to take this up as a profession you might be able to justify the expense as a form of training and an investment but your current use case is like buying a VVDI2 just to program one aftermarket key to your VW Golf 7, it makes no sense whatsoever.

And yes as you mention earlier security has 'become worse' as modules in cars have had the requirement to become updatable which opens more security holes for the aftermarket to exploit. Secure Gateways and other things have been slowing progress now, as has the adoption of really quite secure microcontrollers but they're slowly being cracked. Anyway the discussion of automotive security and it's evolution is not really a topic for a thread like this.

Anyway I'd give up your current course my friend, it's not going to work the way you want it to.

[p1et]

If you want it cheaper, remove BSI and TAG reader (not sure if both needed, surely one of them) and send it to somebody, he will precode a key for you and then you will finish the job with AlfaOBD