DB9 plastic key - rubber buttons

[malcolmbinns]

The rubber buttons on my plastic ECU are worn, so I can't easily tell which button is which. Given the fragility of the glass unit, that stays at home in the safe.

Any option other than buying a second hand plastic unit? Anyone switched the innards into a second hand glass ECU (i.e. off ebay)?

Malcolm

[yellow_tang]

I don’t think you can get the rubber buttons separately as a part, unless it is an old carryover Volvo part??

Personally I’d use the glass one. If the worst happened and you chipped the glass, there is a company who can successfully replace the glass, and can refurbish the housing:-

http://www.astonmartinkeyrepair.com/

[yellow_tang]

Just a thought, but you could get a new one (prices inc VAT UK)

8D33-37-10147 Trans Asy rke row £495.42

That’s the price for one, but upon investigation this is split from a pack of two...

9G43-15K601-FA Kit rke assy row £166.99

This contains 2 keys, with the codes to pair to your car, so looking at Ebay you could get your money back selling the other one!!

[malcolmbinns]

Yes - I'm in the UK.

Thanks for the part numbers. Looking on https://www.scuderiacarparts.com/part-finder/aston... it looks like the PCB is common between the two keys, so I could transfer the innards of my plastic key to a second hand glass key. All routes do seem expensive though.

Alternative is Aston Martin bits - https://www.astonmartinbits.com/models/3-DBS/parts... that doesn't look too bad... £103 + P&P

[madcal]

I have a spare glass key (don’t ask) and wanted to swap innards from the plastic key to my spare glass key (since the innards of the glass key unlock another car).

Upon removing screws etc I can confirm that you cannot do this easily.

Maybe if I destroyed the plastic key completely I may have found a way but internals look totally different.

[yellow_tang]

malcolmbinns said:

Alternative is Aston Martin bits - https://www.astonmartinbits.com/models/3-DBS/parts... that doesn't look too bad... £103 + P&P

But you can get two brand new ones for £166, sell the other one that is surplus for that, key costs you 15min dealer time to code it?

[EVR]

yellow_tang said:

I don’t think you can get the rubber buttons separately as a part, unless it is an old carryover Volvo part??

Personally I’d use the glass one. If the worst happened and you chipped the glass, there is a company who can successfully replace the glass, and can refurbish the housing:-

http://www.astonmartinkeyrepair.com/

This is cool, anyone used their services?

[malcolmbinns]

yellow_tang said:

malcolmbinns said:

Alternative is Aston Martin bits - https://www.astonmartinbits.com/models/3-DBS/parts... that doesn't look too bad... £103 + P&P

But you can get two brand new ones for £166, sell the other one that is surplus for that, key costs you 15min dealer time to code it?

Ah. Misunderstood. Agree £166 for two is better value!

Thanks

[QuantumV8]

Malcolm, I had the same problem - I only had a plastic key, and the rubber was worn out and coming apart. So last year I decided to make my own ECU key shell out of sterling silver, and transferred the innards across.

I've made quite a few more, mainly for other forum members / owners club members. You can see the thread on it here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=17...

[JK51AML]

Aston Martin Key Repair can also modify the plastic valet key chassis to accept the glass buttons so they won't wear out again, spotted on their FB Page

[andy_ran]

madcal said:

I have a spare glass key (don’t ask) and wanted to swap innards from the plastic key to my spare glass key (since the innards of the glass key unlock another car).

Upon removing screws etc I can confirm that you cannot do this easily.

Maybe if I destroyed the plastic key completely I may have found a way but internals look totally different.

I did this as I was given a spare glass key. Took me about 10 mins to do it.

[Astontony]

In answer to your query if you haven't solved it yet. I bought a new plastic key from aston bits in uk for about $200 and swapped the innards over so now I have new buttons. You can actually use the new key but you need to ensure you swap the 1/2 cm black rubber looking bit in the old key to the new key as this is the magical bit that links with the codes in the ignition. Ask me how I know.
I swapped the battery bit guts over to the new key, doors opened, could lock could put in ignition slot would do the power beauty soul everything worked except when I pushed the key in.... nothing.
thought hard about it overnight, pulled the old key apart and saw this tiny insignificant piece that looks like rubber in the bottom section and thought ah ha. swapped it over with the new bit and all was good again so I now have a new key with new buttons... happy days. apparently this does not use any power it is a magical self powering code. there is a special name for it but have lost it in my memory banks.

[Noslek]

I know this is an old topic, but just hoping it will prompt the answer. The black bit referred to is the Transponder Chip I believe. I have just bought a new valet key and was hoping to swap everything over from the old key to the new one, however the transponder chip does not want to come out (easily at least). As it was only the buttons that were bad, I just used the top part of the new key but was wondering how to extract the transponder without damaging the chip nor the key shell?

[AMZEY1]

EVR said:

This is cool, anyone used their services?

I haven't but just spent some time on their website, looks really professional. I always use my glass key, I keep it in a leather pouch, it's got a couple of scratches on it, nothing too bad but if it gets worse, I might get them to have a play with it ! They can jazz up the valet key too.