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Key fob question

950 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  The Limey
I would like to obtain two working key fobs for my 04 c70. Anyone have experience with this company?

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The C70 needs to be programmed with Volvo scan tools. The remotes are the same as the late 90's S/V70, but unless you have the programmer or a nice mechanic with the scan tool, expect to pay $$$ to have the remote paired to the car.
Yeah a local Volvo dealership wants around $650 to purchase two key fobs, and mate them to the car.
If this is still relevant to you, I got mine from this seller on ebay. I got the version without the panic button for $15 brand new, but the one you're looking for is for sale new for $35.


Still has to be programmed of course, but should save you a ton of money if you still need one. Mine works great.
As I am sure that you've discovered, the remotes are no longer available from Volvo. If you're lucky enough to have a working remote then you can hire a locksmith to copy it to a new remote. If you don't have a working remote then you have to spend a lot of money to get one.

If you decide to get a used remote from eBay or elsewhere then make sure that you're local dealer or independent shop will do the programming for you. Some dealers and shops are fussy about programming remotes that you buy yourself. You'll probably also be told that used remotes cannot be programmed to work with another car. This is simply not true.

I bought a DICE scan tool and VIDA software from Diagnostic Laptops – Automotive systems for V0LV0 and more. That cost me $300. A 3-day VADIS subscription from Volvo USA cost me $90, and the remote fob software cost another $80. A used remote cost me $35.

If you're keeping up with the math, that's $405 for a working remote, which is just ridiculous, but there it is. The dealer quoted me $500 for the work. At the time new remotes were still available.

As a side note, I should have ordered a pre-cut key from Volvo and programmed it myself as well, but I paid a locksmith $200 to do that.

Yes, that's $605 to get a new key purchased and cut, a used remote purchased and have both programmed to my 2002 C70 convertible. I saved ~$300 doing it myself. The good news is that the DICE scan tool and VIDA software have already paid for themselves a couple of times and will continue to do so.

Also of note, the "panic button" remotes for these cars (Volvo part # 9166200) do not require PIN codes to be programmed to the car. New from Volvo the remotes ship in bubble wrap with no PIN code. The software that I downloaded from Volvo allowed me to delete all of the remotes programmed to the car and then add the used remote that I bought. I should have bought a second remote because the software didn't seem to limit me as to the amount of remotes that could be programmed during the coding session. Don't let anyone tell you that the software needs to be purchased for each remote.

A reasonable cost would be the cost of a used remote, one hour of labor and another $80 (+ markup) for the software download. Most dealers aren't reasonable and don't like working on these old cars. I think your best best if you aren't doing it yourself is to get an independent shop to do it for you.
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So, I feel like this is a dumb question. Do you need the car to be present to program the remote? I assume so...

I've been trying to find someone, who's not the dealer, to program my remote...with no luck...
So, I feel like this is a dumb question. Do you need the car to be present to program the remote? I assume so...

I've been trying to find someone, who's not the dealer, to program my remote...with no luck...
Yes, the remote(s) and car are programmed together.

Hopefully, you can find an independent Volvo shop nearby that will do the programming for you.
Yeah...the words "independent" and "Volvo shop" don't collide in the same sentence around here much...lol
As I am sure that you've discovered, the remotes are no longer available from Volvo. If you're lucky enough to have a working remote then you can hire a locksmith to copy it to a new remote. If you don't have a working remote then you have to spend a lot of money to get one.

If you decide to get a used remote from eBay or elsewhere then make sure that you're local dealer or independent shop will do the programming for you. Some dealers and shops are fussy about programming remotes that you buy yourself. You'll probably also be told that used remotes cannot be programmed to work with another car. This is simply not true.

I bought a DICE scan tool and VIDA software from Diagnostic Laptops – Automotive systems for V0LV0 and more. That cost me $300. A 3-day VADIS subscription from Volvo USA cost me $90, and the remote fob software cost another $80. A used remote cost me $35.

If you're keeping up with the math, that's $405 for a working remote, which is just ridiculous, but there it is. The dealer quoted me $500 for the work. At the time new remotes were still available.

As a side note, I should have ordered a pre-cut key from Volvo and programmed it myself as well, but I paid a locksmith $200 to do that.

Yes, that's $605 to get a new key purchased and cut, a used remote purchased and have both programmed to my 2002 C70 convertible. I saved ~$300 doing it myself. The good news is that the DICE scan tool and VIDA software have already paid for themselves a couple of times and will continue to do so.

Also of note, the "panic button" remotes for these cars (Volvo part # 9166200) do not require PIN codes to be programmed to the car. New from Volvo the remotes ship in bubble wrap with no PIN code. The software that I downloaded from Volvo allowed me to delete all of the remotes programmed to the car and then add the used remote that I bought. I should have bought a second remote because the software didn't seem to limit me as to the amount of remotes that could be programmed during the coding session. Don't let anyone tell you that the software needs to be purchased for each remote.

A reasonable cost would be the cost of a used remote, one hour of labor and another $80 (+ markup) for the software download. Most dealers aren't reasonable and don't like working on these old cars. I think your best best if you aren't doing it yourself is to get an independent shop to do it for you.
I have the original key but replaced the antenna which broke. Do you know if I need the volvo online subscription with Dice to get the key to work again? Or can I go with the Dice and Vida software on this site?
Yeah...the words "independent" and "Volvo shop" don't collide in the same sentence around here much...lol
Nor here. The nearest trustworthy independent is too distant to be useful. Fortunately the nearby dealer are decent and not too pricy by Volvo dealer standards, so its nit as fraught as it could be.
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