Don't buy the 'cheap' after market NATS keys

[Agronaught]

I've just forked out $$$ after the 'cheap' key I've been using for 18 months failed and fried the immobiliser. Its taken the mechanic 2 days of stuffing around to get the system to reset and start talking. Not to mention being towed after it inexplicably failed.

Trust me, $300 to nissan is cheap compared to that.

:mad:

[BillsGU]

Electronically it's hard to understand how that could happen.

[TPC]

I do not believe the key could not fry the immobiliser, it makes a passive connection so should not be possible.

[MudRunnerTD]

I smashed mine off and now have No NATS. Happy days.

[Agronaught]

Poor choice of words on my part.

The failed key resulted in a lock out from the immobiliser where not even the factory original key was recognised. Unfortunately it took far longer than it should have to identify the immobiliser as the reason the car wouldn't start, and once we realised that was the problem, there were problems getting it to reset and identify the original key. Whenever the cheap 'copy' was used the system went back in to lock down and became unresponsive.

This is not something you want to experience off road.

Saving a few $$$ on a key has just cost me enough to have paid for several nissan originals.

Less on learnt.

[jff45]

At the risk of making assumptions, it sounds like whoever was doing the troubleshooting didn't check fault codes first.
A NATS issue throws a code.

[BillsGU]

I bought an "aftermarket" key the day I bought the car some years ago and have never had a problem. Again, "electronically" anything can fail. I doubt Nissan makes the keys. They would farm them out to someone else to manufacture. Sometimes the "aftermarket" device is made in the same factory as the original. I think it would be poor science (for lack of better word) to dismiss all other aftermarket keys after one event. I know lots of people that have aftermarket keys (Nissan and others) and they have never had a problem. I also know people with original keys that have had a problem.

I think you have just had a bit of bad luck. Also, if the mechanic was a bit more experienced in this area he may have found the issue a lot sooner (maybe via an error code), who knows ............

Just my two bobs worth.

[Smoothrun]

mmmm Chineese, etc etc, id pay the 300 from Nissan, have before would again. whats happened to quality, society happened to quality. i want it now and i want it cheap, smart people the chinese

[Off Tap]

Good thing it didn't crap out when out bush !

[Bloodyaussie]

mmmm Chineese, etc etc, id pay the 300 from Nissan, have before would again. whats happened to quality, society happened to quality. i want it now and i want it cheap, smart people the chinese
where do you think most of the stuff for your Nissan comes from