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Well, having gone through the process, I thought I should post the complete guide to what to do when you loose your 9-3 or 9-5 keys. (although this is not as useful as it could be, since you cannot search for "TWICE". Perhaps T.W.I.C.E?)
If you, like me, lost the only key/transmitter, the TWICE needs to be replaced, and you need new keys and transmitters. A new key and transmitter cannot be programmed without an existing functioning one. The cost at the dealers for this will be over $2000. So here is how to do it cheaply.
a) Locate a used TWICE and matching key. Any used SAAB parts dealer should have one. The cheapest I have found one is for $235 from Saabdon on eBay.
Here are the facts about TWICE units:
--the 9-3 and 9-5 units are identical (in spite of what my dealer insisted on) except for the housing (you can switch the innards)
-- Any TWICE unit works with any style 9-3/9-5 key/ transmitter (no matter what Don says) I currently have one all-in-one key and one key with separate transmitter working with the same TWICE. So unless you really want to have two all-in-one keys or two separate key/transmitted combos, just get what is cheapest.
b) get new keys. This is a real pain in Canada (I finally got one that worked after three tries and three weeks) because of some screwup GM Canada has with identifying keys from VIN numbers. Don got me one from his local dealer for $30.
If you got a one-piece key with your TWICE, just get the key w/o the electronics (this is NOT available in Canada, so if you are Canadian, there's another reason to order from a US dealer) For a two piece you can order the key by itself in either country and transfer the cover and chip from the one that came with the TWICE. Note that there are two styles of keys, so make sure you get the one to match.
Now for the second key/transmitter. You can have a one piece or a two-piece system as you prefer, for about the same. For a one piece, either order the key w/o electronics from the dealer and buy a used key with electronics on eBay ($20-$30) to combine into a working key; or if you live in a big city, there will be a locksmith who will be able to copy a laser key, so you can buy a complete blank with the electronics from eBay for around $50-60. For a two-piece, order a key without a chip from your dealer. If he is like mine and keeps a bunch of old key bits in his drawer, he will be able to just give you the chip. The separate "banana" transmitters are easy to find on eBay.
Now, you might think that a non-electronic key would start the car so long as a chip was nearby (so you could get an $8 key blank from eBay and a used programmable one-piece key to use as a separate transmitter) Well, I don't know how Saab does it, but only the chip in the key that is actually inserted is recognized!
c) find someone with a TechII to program the keys, immobilizer, and engine to the new TWICE. The dealer may not be the best choice, they rarely deal with this problem and are not so good with used parts.
Total cost: a bit over $300, plus the labor (1-2 hours, depending on how good the technician is with the Tech II)
posted by 75.153.95...
, Thu, 3 Jan 2008 15:29:12
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