what keys do i have??????

[stevepx]

Hi all, I am pleased to say I am now the proud owner of a 2000 146 1.6 twin spark!! (my first Alfa!) So, I bought this car off ebay and it came with 3 keys, x2 red keys which appear to have the blipper button missing and x1 brown(?) key. Now i have read lots about ensuring you have the master key but I have been lead to beleive it to be a RED key. Anyway, would the brown key (with out a remote blipper) be the master key? Speaking of Keys/locks it also apears that the drivers door lock has been changed at some point so the keys will operate the ignition, passenger door and boot only. Is it possible to give a dealer the chassis number and order a new door lock for the drivers door of my car with out having to replace all the locks, keys, ignition..etc............Also how easy is it to swap out the internals of the keys that I have for a some nice replacement ones which are not falling appart? I did this no problem on my wifes Picasso. Sorry for all the questions but having never owned one of these cars before and some of the tales I have heard I would like some expert advice.........................many thanks

[Chardy]

I've sent you a PM but not sure what you mean by the buttons missing. Is there a hole for them ?
I think the brown is just doors and the reds are the master that will actually start the car, they are on my 1996 car. I have seperate fobs for remote and alarm arm/disarm.
As for getting a replacement lock I'll leave that to someone else more knowledgeable than me !

The brown ones your master key and the red ones are your slave keys (fiat models the master is red and slaves are blue) if you have the red remote keys send them to Chris on here quick search and you should find him.
your door lock can be re-pinned to match the rest of your locks. A decent auto locksmith should be able to do this for if you have any problems then i can get a new lock for you or if you fancy it the parts to do it yourself.

[naanbread]

I imagine it will cost quite alot getting the drivers door to work, I would advise getting the buttons to work on the keys

the central locking very rarely goes wrong and if it does you can just climb in on passenger side lol

get some pics up of your car....these threads aren't pretty unless thers pictures

Originally Posted by naanbread

I imagine it will cost quite alot getting the drivers door to work, I would advise getting the buttons to work on the keys

the central locking very rarely goes wrong and if it does you can just climb in on passenger side lol

get some pics up of your car....these threads aren't pretty unless thers pictures

Yes fairly expensive if you get someone else to do it but if you dont mind doing it yourself then a new lock can be done for about £20 or you can re-key the existing one for virtualy nothing.
Been meaning to do it for ages but i will do a how to guide at some point

[stevepx]

Hi, thanks all for your contributions. The Brown key works the door locks and ignition (not the drivers door), none of the keys I have will fit the drivers door (key goes in about half way). Chardy, the red keys both have about 2/3rds of the side missing where I beleive the button shout be, not separate key fob. Central locking is working fine. Minirib, the door lock re-pinned, not sure what this means, sorry. So suffice to say not the best idea to get a new lock because it will cose too much. I am pretty handy with a spanner so no problem doing it myself but won't that mean I will have a separate key for the drivers door and another key for the rest of the car? Also, where is the rear washer nozzel located on the 146?? I can't see it for looking!! man I sound stupid!!

[GialloEvo94]

Sounds like your red keys are just missing the black rubber cover that fits over the micro-switch on the circuit board. Can you see the micro-switch on the board through the hole?

The washer nozzle for the rear screen is in the base of the wiper arm. If you look at the base you will see a hole in it pointing towards the screen.

[stevepx]

hi GialloEvo94, yes, i can see the circuit board through the side of the keys and the micro switch. Little concerned with the keys as they are what with the circuit board on show, I keep pressing it when using the keys. don't want to damage it. could I swap this out (the circuit board) into another "donner" key/fob?

[GialloEvo94]

If you look on eBay, there are people selling brand new replacement rubber covers for under a tenner. The other option would be to get a donor key and just use the rubber cover from that, but based on my experience of second hand keys, the rubber covers are usually pretty worn out (probably the reason that yours are missing).

[GialloEvo94]

Here you go...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=260629687324
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=230428948714

HTH

[addamski1980]

just a thought maybe a old key has snapped of in lock slide cover back with small screwdriver and take a look. (might need torch)

[stevepx]

Thanks GialloEvo94 I'll get one ordered up and see if the botton then works remotely as well, might solve my problems in one go!! if not at least the keys will be a little more secure and not look quite so secondhand. Addamski1980, good shout, never thought that might be the problem, I'll have look tonight and see what I can see!! Thanks again for the input..............Result!!!!!