[CawaGR]

So I ended up making a key that I think very few people will appreciate or would use. No buttons, no physical key. Just a little PCB and battery on display. I actually think it could stand to be a little bigger, as long as the thickness is the same, so I should be able to fit a physical key the same way it's stored in the key card. The bottom piece came out a little warped but I’m still quite happy with it.

 

[CawaGR]

Related, today I learned that you can no longer program new keys via Techstream on your own. New passcodes can only be generated by Toyota or specialty locksmiths...

 

[sl0wr0lla]

Related, today I learned that you can no longer program new keys via Techstream on your own. New passcodes can only be generated by Toyota or specialty locksmiths...

to be fair thats probably to cut down on the ability for people to make fake keys to steal cars.

 

[Raaaaay]

to be fair thats probably to cut down on the ability for people to make fake keys to steal cars.

You need a master tech ID and a dealer code. You also can no longer wipe a programed fob and reprogram it to another car. Called a "reseed" I believe? Any programed and wiped fob is garbage after. Word is some techs were copying fobs for personal use. No idea what happened but Toyota stepped in.

 

[sl0wr0lla]

You need a master tech ID and a dealer code. You also can no longer wipe a programed fob and reprogram it to another car. Called a "reseed" I believe? Any programed and wiped fob is garbage after. Word is some techs were copying fobs for personal use. No idea what happened but Toyota stepped in.

either way thats good considering the rise in kia / hyundai / hellcat / ferrari thefts.

 

[MrBiggs]

So I ended up making a key that I think very few people will appreciate or would use. No buttons, no physical key. Just a little PCB and battery on display. I actually think it could stand to be a little bigger, as long as the thickness is the same, so I should be able to fit a physical key the same way it's stored in the key card. The bottom piece came out a little warped but I’m still quite happy with it.

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Very few?

I'm one of the few... because I hate carrying things in my pocket, it's either in a sling backpack or my wife's purse. Wallet, phone, everything... if I can reduce the bulk of things in my pocket all the better.

So how do I get one? 😅

 

[CawaGR]

Very few?

I'm one of the few... because I hate carrying things in my pocket, it's either in a sling backpack or my wife's purse. Wallet, phone, everything... if I can reduce the bulk of things in my pocket all the better.

So how do I get one? 😅

I'll probably make another revision of this. The fact that you can't program your own keys makes this endeavor a lot more expensive and probably means using the PCB out of one of our stock GR keys. And I'd really prefer to not modify that PCB (like removing the buttons). So I'll probably make it like 1.5mm thicker and add a key ring hole. I'll see if the material will allow for retaining button functionality without adding additional parts.

I can say that the part cost was about $50 and that can definitely come down with volume. However, I did spend quite some time polishing compound and rags to make the resin parts come out clear, so if I did end up selling these, it would very much be a diy kit.

 

[sl0wr0lla]

I'll probably make another revision of this. The fact that you can't program your own keys makes this endeavor a lot more expensive and probably means using the PCB out of one of our stock GR keys. And I'd really prefer to not modify that PCB (like removing the buttons). So I'll probably make it like 1.5mm thicker and add a key ring hole. I'll see if the material will allow for retaining button functionality without adding additional parts.

I can say that the part cost was about $50 and that can definitely come down with volume. However, I did spend quite some time polishing compound and rags to make the resin parts come out clear, so if I did end up selling these, it would very much be a diy kit.

A DIY kit would be awesome!

 

[MESO]

Hey! Your fobs actually inspired me to have a go at designing one! That key placement is very clever.
I figured that the frame would degrade the signal some but I wanted to test it- was it totally unusable when you tried it?
Yeah, I measured up the rubber bit and it threw the design way off, especially since I tried to use clip structures which also eat up a lot of space inside. I’d probably want to take a different approach to my original design.
I actually use the card key on my ISF, but unfortunately I don’t think any of the PNs work for smart key compatible cars. I looked at the internal pics of that key card from the FCC filing and it’s beautiful- very clever design but impossible to produce without overmolding a very expensive PCB.
If I could find the Smart remote ICs somewhere I’d like to produce a much smaller PCB and that would allow for a lot more flexibility, but in my research they are just impossible to find (no idea where the bootleg key manufacturers get them).

Out of curiosity, did you have to make your own molds for each product?

That’s a bummer Toyota removed key programming off techstream.
Your new version looks awesome. Definitely “minimalist”. Is there a moisture seal inbetween?
Yes I tool up and make molds for every product. 3d printing it great and has come a long way, but nothing beats injection molded quality, strength and longevity.

 

[snowrx]

MicroFob? Here's probably as simple and small as I can go with the stock fob guts, about 55mm x 28mm x 12mm:

I scanned the PC board, and subtracted it from a simple frame model to surround the buttons and provide a ring hole, then printed it. Then I put the two in a piece of shrink tube and shrank it down. The shrink film keeps gunk out and becomes the "button" surface. No mechanical protection to speak of, and you'd need to seal the ends with some silicone to make it water proof.

-The techs did a double take when I handed them the micro-fob to do an oil change-

I guess V2.0 would be to see how small a shell I could form around the PC board, but buttons complicate things and KISS is easier.

 

[1911Guru]

I would definitely be on board for some type of reuse the current pcb solution. This is my first car that i must carry a fob, and it’s just a pain. I’d buy two of the right kit to do my main fob and the spare, plus my two other GRC buddies would probably be on board. Definitely want to retain the physical key if at all possible.

 

[CawaGR]

Played around with the key some more and tried incorporating a locking pivoting key blade. A little bigger but still pretty thin- 57mm x 39mm x 8.7mm. This version also accommodates the stock PCB with buttons attached.

 

[Bryllyant]

Played around with the key some more and tried incorporating a locking pivoting key blade. A little bigger but still pretty thin- 57mm x 39mm x 8.7mm. This version also accommodates the stock PCB with buttons attached.

any way to have it keep the stock spare key mechanism so it doesn't require modifications? Besides that, the design looks great, i'd be interested in buying if you ever decided to sell them.

 

[CawaGR]

any way to have it keep the stock spare key mechanism so it doesn't require modifications? Besides that, the design looks great, i'd be interested in buying if you ever decided to sell them.

The idea is that the key blade would be a custom blank that you could get cut, so the original key blade doesn't get used.

 

[Bryllyant]

The idea is that the key blade would be a custom blank that you could get cut, so the original key blade doesn't get used.

gotcha, idk places had blank car keys to cut.

 

[sl0wr0lla]

Played around with the key some more and tried incorporating a locking pivoting key blade. A little bigger but still pretty thin- 57mm x 39mm x 8.7mm. This version also accommodates the stock PCB with buttons attached.

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This looks amazing design wise

 

[1911Guru]

That’s looks pretty sweet as far as I’m concerned! I’d drop a pretty penny on several for myself and couple buddies right now if they were for sale.

If this gets serious you can count me in for 4 minimum.

 

[CawaGR]

Well, I managed to add some sprung buttons and pulled the trigger on all the parts for a prototype. We'll see how it comes out. Definitely still not water resistant, but the clip and key are titanium so that'll be fun:

 

[CawaGR]

Put together the second prototype today and it was a bit of a mixed bag- the print didn't come out quite right and some of the tolerances were too tight, making the buttons unusable. But the key mechanism is pretty satisfying to play with. Ordering a slightly revised print as I already have a bunch of the key clips and key blanks.

I didn't bother polishing this prototype as it wasn't going to look pretty. But it gives you an idea of what an unpolished clear print looks like.

 

[1911Guru]

That’s the key fob Toyota should have made right there!