Renault Scenic (1996 - 1998) - 98 1.9 Immobiliser infra red key costs

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Thu 4 Jun 2009 19:54
98 1.9 Immobiliser infra red key costs - sue55
We don't have the infra red key and the immobiliser has kicked in when the battery went flat, Renault want £160 at least for a new one, has anyone got any suggestions how we can get round this? Credit crunch etc mean we are broke!
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Thu 4 Jun 2009 20:33
98 1.9 Immobiliser infra red key costs - datostar
I'm curious as to how you managed to start it without a plip key before the battery went flat.
Presumably the immobiliser had previously been disabled?
You will need the 4 digit immobiliser code now which you can only get from a Renault dealer :-

There are two main types of immobiliser sytem, the infrared which can be identified by the small glass ball at the base of the black part of the key and the ultrasonic or radio type system. These differ in two ways. The first infrared system relies on the button on the key being pressed to deactivate the imobiliser. The second has a seperate chip and a decoder ring around the ignition barrell and even if the key does not operate the central locking should have no adverse effect on the car starting.

If you have the first system which is the earlier of the two and was phased out around 1998 a good way to check if the key is still operational (even if the red light comes on) is to point the key at a mobile phone camera and you should be able to see blue light coming from the glass ball on the key. If there is no light then the key is usually unsalvageable and would require replacement. If there is light coming out of the key yet it does not start the car it is most likely that the key and the car have gone 'out of sync' and will need to be 're-phased'. On anything other than a megane or scenic it requires the Renault Diagnostic computer to be connected to the vehicle before the key can be rephased.

Over-riding the imobiliser is possible but you will need the imobiliser code which contary to popular belief is avaliable from Renault dealers (usually about £10+vat). Renault UK have issued a document to dealers that authorise them to pass on this information provided you have shown photo id and the V5 registration document (The code is obtained from the chassis number). For a Laguna you will need to use the pedal and wiper stalk method of code entry and for a megane or scenic the code is entered via the central locking button. Immolbilser codes are not inside the key!! The number on the key together with the chassis number when entered into a crypted Renault database then produce an immobiliser code.

Once you've got the immobiliser code there's a fiddly way of entering it via the central locking button inside the car - there's plenty of Google references to it. Even if you do that I've got a nasty feeling you might have to do it every time you want to start the car. I appreciate the financial problem but by far the best solution is to get the proper Renault plip key sync'd to the system. The car would have been originally supplied with 2 and a note of the immobiliser code!

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