802Projects
| Purchase a Key Cover | Background | My Solution | Installation Instructions | FAQ |
When Subaru released the 2004 STI in the US, it came with a very cool Titanium key. The Titanium portion was stamped with the STI logo and at the base of the key was a blue plastic piece. I always wanted one, but my motor swap is from a 2006 WRX. In 2005 Subaru started using their Immobilizer system. There is an Immobilizer control box under the dash, an antenna on the key ring, and a special chipped key (see boring looking key on right) that all works in conjunction with the ECU. Meaning it is not enough to have a key cut for your car, it must have the digital thumbprint inside it that matches everything. If it doesn't, the car will start and immediately shut off.
Some people would find a way to use the 2004 key. They would get it cut and then zip tie the chipped key behind the plastic steering column cover. Doing this negates the purpose of the security feature. I also wonder if it could leave the car in a "wake up state" (potentially increasing battery drain) because the key is in range of the ignition at all times. Another thing people would experiment with is cutting the chip out of the OEM key and gluing it inside the key fob. This seemed to have mixed results because depending on the ring used on the key, the fob could swing in and out of range. I wasn't happy with either of these options.
If you are not keen on reading, I have a few videos that outline my solution. The first is a 1 minute short if you don't have a lot of time. The second is my original video which goes into it in more detail. Now that I've revised my prints to use a Resin printer instead of a ABS filament, I now have a 3rd video explaining the differences.
My original idea was to carefully remove the blue plastic on the 04 Titanium key. Once removed I could mill out some metal material behind it, slide the chip in, and add the plastic back. I soon realized that this is IMPOSSIBLE. The blue plastic cannot be removed without ruining it. After learning this the hard way, I decided my only option was to develop my own plastic piece. I opted to design one that could house the entire immobilizer chip without any milling needed. I spent a few weeks developing it and tested 25 iterations before I was happy with it.
Here you can see the chip slid inside the key. It's a 4D62 chip. The chip in this picture came from a $10 replica key I bought and cut open. I have now sourced the chips in bulk if anyone needs one.
My original covers (which I'm referring to as V1 covers) were made with my filament printer out of ABS plastic. These would each take 35 minutes to print and the finish on them was not pretty. To get rid of the print lines, I had to hand sand each one and dip it in acetone. The acetone would soften/smooth the outer layer of plastic and leave it with a glossy finish when it dried/hardened back up. It was not a perfect process. Maybe 4 out of 10 I was happy with and could sell. The other 6 would have minor fitment/gap issues and I would trash them or toss them into packages as freebies.
The latest version of covers (which I'm referring to as V2 covers) are made with a Resin printer. Resin has it's own hurdles you have to overcome, but the end product can be more reliably reproduced. These have a 99% success rate. I can also print a batch of 18 of them in a little over an hour. When these are printed, washed and cured... they start out much smoother than the raw ABS prints. Despite this, I still hand sand them for an even smoother finish. Then I wet sand them lightly with a scotch-brite pad and coat them with satin clear coat.
This is what the finished product looks like. I think the resin blue is a closer match to the OEM color than the ABS filament was. The resin color that I am using is not an "off the shelf" color. I had to add my own resin dye to get the shade as close as possible. I also made some with black resin.
I am only selling the Resin covers now. I should always have raw covers read to go, but as of 10/3/2024 I have sold out of finished ones in both colors. I'm working on making some more. If you would like to add your name to a waiting list, please contact me using the link on the side. Currently it is around 15 people. Let me know what you would like and where you are from so I can figure out shipping costs when the time comes. Also be sure to read through the FAQ section as it may help answer any questions you have.
I will not be releasing the design (.STL) file. I had shared my cabin filter file to the community and now realize that was a mistake. I didn't mind if someone printed one for themselves or their friends. But other people began selling them on eBay. On top of that, I had people contacting me with questions about a bracket I never sold them.
I do ship overseas if you pay for it. I ship everything in a padded envelope. Just let me know where you are from and what you want, and I'll get you an exact quote. Just to give you some rough prices from past shipments... $17 to Canada, $17 to Singapore, $22 to Australia, $20 to Germany. Also I have to fill out a custom form when shipping and it will ask for quantity and value. Depending on your country, you may be subject to taxes. I have no control over this. In just about every package I ship, I also toss in a few defect ones or raw ones for fun. So if you buy 2 covers for $50 + 22 shipping to Australia and I toss in 3 extra defect covers... on your customs form I'll just say I'm shipping you 5 key covers at $10 each vs 2 at $50. If for some reason you don't want extras you can let me know.
Very carefully. You will end up destroying the plastic. That is a given. But you want to take your time because you don't want to scratch the key. Its best to wrap key blade with masking tape. Then slice the plastic vertically in the cylinder area multiple times with a fresh razor blade. Do multiple cuts with minor pressure. Eventually it will get deep enough where you can pry it open with a small screwdriver. I've cut a few off myself and occasionally the key blade will be loose. You'll be able to slide it out of the titanium end. If this happens you can add a few drops of crazy glue and slide it back in.
I use the JMD KING blue chip from odbshop: MORE INFO This chip comes from overseas and from my research it is quite common. It's used by a lot of aftermarket remote start installers. It is compatible with the Handy Baby 3 programmer, but may not be compatible with all programmers out there. I test that I can communicate with every blank chip before I send them out. If you plan on having a local locksmith copy it for you; you may want to check with them first to see if it will work. Your locksmith may want to use their own brand and refuse to use your chip. Check with them to see what it will cost. One person said their locksmith charged them $40 for a chip. It may be more affordable to send me your key. I buy the JMD KING blue chips in bulk and they cost me around $3.xx each. I don't think you can find anything else for cheaper. If you take a chance on the chips and your locksmith cannot copy them, I'll refund the $4 cost if you mail them back to me (scotch tape them to a piece of paper, tri-fold it up and stuff it in an envelope). You'd only be out the cost of a return stamp/envelope. Also to help others, I would like to compile a list of which programmers are compatible. When your locksmith tries to flash them, ask what programmer they use and report back and I'll add it here.
Any locksmith can cut the key. Most hardware stores can as well and will likely be cheaper. My local Aubuchon Hardware has cut two keys for me for free. I would not mention anything about a "titanium" key. The only part that is titanium is the part you grip. The actual blade part they cut is normal metal. If you throw the word "titanium" around they may thing the part you cut is made of titanium and refuse to do it.
You can pull the chip from one of your OEM keys if you do not want to deal with copying the chip. Assuming you have an OEM key, if you look under your key you will see a little rectangular area. That is the edge of a tiny tray that holds the chip. If you use a small pick and heat gun, it is possible to slide it out without "destroying" the key. You may end up with a few pick prying marks. Thanks @blingstrom for the picture. If you have an aftermarket key where everything is moulded together, you can't remove the chip without destroying it. The chip is going to be towards the keyblade area, so whatever method you use (squeeze it in a vice, pliers, hacksaw etc...); Stay on the far end of the handle to avoid damaging the chip.
You could try your local locksmith or even Ace Hardware. They advertise online they sell chipped keys. Unsure if they can program them too. You could also try your Subaru Dealer. You could also buy the Handy Baby III programmer ($140), use it, and then resell it to someone else who needs it. Even if you lost $10-20 doing this, it's likely a locksmith would charge you more.
I will not be doing custom colors. However over time, I will likely buy different colors of resin for other projects. If I have a different color resin already in the VAT for something else, I may print a few key covers in that color and post them up as specials. Trying to offer every color under the sun is just not realistic. Resin is expensive and has a shelf life.
While it is technically possible, this is not something I will be doing. Learn to appreciate the STI logo that is stamped on the titanium portion:)
There are a few reasons. I think the finished product looks better. Another big reason is for consistency. With the filament prints, I would have to hand sand and acetone dip each one. In a batch of 10, about 4 would end up being sellable. The other 6 would have minor fitment issues. They also took 35 minutes each to print. Meaning to print 10 would take about 6 hours. Then I would spend about an hour and a half sanding them all. After dipping and test fitting, I'd end up with ~4 good covers. With the resin printer I can print 18 of them in just over an hour. I still need to sand them, but in raw form they start off much smoother than the ABS filament prints. Plus every one I finish comes out successful.
There are some drawbacks to Resin that I had to overcome...
The raw prints are more geared towards the DIY person. Maybe you don't mind hand sanding them yourself and using your own clearcoat to save some money. Or maybe you want to paint them or use a semi-gloss/gloss clearcoat vs satin. When I hand sand them I use 400 grit. I focus on just the flat surfaces first, ignoring the edges. There are 13 flat areas. Then I scuff up everything (including the edges) with a 3M yellow scotch brite pad. Then I rinse. I use two finish nails driven into a piece of wood to support them while spraying the clearcoat. Technically you can use them as-is in the raw form, but I recommend clear coating them. It will help prevent scratches and provide some UV protection. Here is a video that goes over the exact process I use.
When I made my cabin filter brackets I did an oven test to make sure they would hold up in a hot car. Resin prints do not have melting issues like ABS prints. I've tested scratching them with my fingernail (which is possible on raw prints, but doesn't leave any marks once clear coated). I've read that UV exposure can make UV prints more britte over time which is why UV protection is needed. I have 3 raw prints that have been sitting in my bay window for nearly a year now that seem just as flexible. Since I clearcoat them and can't imagine people leave their keys directly in the sun 24/7; they should be fine. I also have a few in my freezer. I went through multiple prints to get the "tightness" perfect. Too loose and the covers could want to slide off. Too tight they could want to break when sliding them on. I'm able to take one directly from my freezer and slide it onto a room temperature key without any issues.