Hi. I am getting close to buying a '97 855 GLT. It only comes with one key and we as a family need at least two. Can anyone tell me how much does it cost to make a copy of a key for '97 850?

Thanks!
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Vladimir. '98 S70 base, 5-speed manual

When I purchased each of our 3 850s, I made 4 keys part of the deal because we had 4 drivers.

Each time I took delivery, the salesman gave me 2 keys - who needs 4? Each time, I got my 2 other keys in a couple of days.

Specify two keys as part of the deal.
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'96 855R,'64 PV544 driver, '67 P1800 basket case, '95 855, '95 854, the first three are mine, heh, heh, 485,000 miles put on 9 bricks

I went to dealer to make one for my daughter for less than $20.

Ching-Ho Cheng
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1995 855 NA, Bilstein Strut & Shocks, Volvo Protective Grill, K&N Filter, E-Code Lens, ClearCorner Light, Alpine CD-Changer, AutoDim RearView Mirror, 6000K HID

Call your local dealer 'parts' depts, not a 'service advisor' and ask. I got a replacement for $12. There is no chip in your key.

If you want a dumb remote, that will cost you!

Klaus
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There is no present time, just the past and future

Sounds good. I thought it was like $40. I know there is no chip. Even my '98 is chipless, but the key looks complicated, so I thought it would be significantly more than the $7 940 key. Remote is also missing from this car, but I really do not use those stupid things anyway. My '98 S70's remote has such poor range that I just took it off my key ring to save space in my pockets. On the S70 there is only one place you can insert the key, though (driver's door), so there is some utility to a remote, but with that pathetic range it only frustrated me. The 850 still has two locks (both front doors) and so I can unlock with the key from a passenger's side.

Thanks!
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Vladimir. '98 S70 base, 5-speed manual

Have you changed your S70 remote's battery recently?

But I'm not certain that all the base-base 850s and 70s came with remotes. My T5 came with 2 regular keys, 2 remotes and 1 service key. 3 keys seems the standard except on BMWs that come with 2 now.

I like the remotes. I thought BMW's keyless entry and start was stupid until I lived with it for a few years. I'm getting too old to fool with a bundle of keys with my arthritic hands every time I go to the store, even if remotes are another symbol of society's decadence.

-BTC

'98 V70 T5 193K mi., 5-speed manual, original clutch, third evaporator, third windshield, fourth (?) driver's seat rebuild, heated velour cloth comfy chairs, factory HD suspension (1998 only), Bilstein HD, front IPD stabilizer bar, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, XC grill, C70 jewel E-Codes, V-1, Lidatek, IPD stuff, JB Weld, Original Duck Tape, zip-ties, Mobil-1 since new.

'08 BMW 328iT wagon, 6-speed manual; lots fewer miles

Yes, I changed batteries on the remotes. No difference. They used to have better range, but now they just do not have a useful range. I can't just push a button and expect the door to be open. I have to point this way and that. It is actually a simpler maneuver to use the key than to get the remote to open the door. I got fed up with it a while ago. Also, the constant battery changes... Argh! Keys work well. All this electronic wizbangry usually proves real bad in certain situations. If you get too used to keyless entry and ignition, then one day the fob will die or get lost and you will be stuck. I understand the cool factor, but at the same time certain things should just stay manual. I mean how difficult is it to use a well made key in a well oiled lock? relying on a battery or the remote staying dry is scary to me. Anyway, if the remotes work well they are fine, but the ones that came with my S70 (base) are just terrible and were that way from the beginning.
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Vladimir. '98 S70 base, 5-speed manual

I never used the remote on my 1995 854T, the key worked just fine. Besides, I needed the key to start the car anyway.
I have an 08 MB with keyless start. Handy? Yes. I put the remote in my jacket pocket and leave it there. Grab the door handle, any one, and the car unlocks all doors, then I just get in and push the start button. When I leave the car, I push a small button on the door handle and the car locks. I have never used the spare key hidden in the remote. On the other hand, a small key without all of the electronics would do me quite nicely.

The newer cars also have rain sensling wipers. I HATE them. They are even worse than the Volvo wipers that have a 7 second interval for mist/light rain control. It was freezing drizzle last week, so I turned on the wipers to clear some of the ice/slush that accumulated. The 'smart' wipers wouldn't slow down because the rain sensor was coverd with a thin sheet of ice! The defroster couldn't warm the glass behind the rearview mirror because of all of the plastic over the inside of the windshield. What a bunch of crap!! Driving down the road and manually turning the wiper on/off because the engineers needed something to do to justify their existance. I have always like the older Japanese cars that had an interval switch that varied from 1 sec to 120 secs.

Another small nit: Have you seen the wipers on the Ford Escort? They not only work for left or right hand drive cars, they clean off the ENTIRE windshield! Now that is engineering!!

Klaus
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There is no present time, just the past and future

Yes, some of the machines that purport to be smart enough to know what I want REALLY irritate me. Even I don't always know what I want :) Anyway, most of these "smart" technologies usually just get in the way of getting things done. I know you really like the automatic climate control, and I agree that when it works it's wonderful, but in S70's it seems the system is riddled with problems. Every S70 ('98-'00) that I have seen with that feature has the same problem mine has. Namely, the amber lights flash when you start the car (sometimes) and then everything may be fine or the driver's side can get stuck in full hot mode until the stop/restart of engine (sometimes more than one). The flashing amber lights indicate and error code of the ACC and it will cost a fortune to fix. Mine got fixed three or four times under (extended) warranty and kept breaking the same way within a year or two. Now that the warranty is gone I just live with it. I test drove a few cars of that vintage and every one that had ACC had the blinking lights, so I assume it's one of those "they all do that" things. Looks like I am buying the '97 850 GLT with ACC. I hope on 850's the system is better. At least I did not see any flashing lights and the system seemed to operate as expected on the test drive. If you want to have variable delay on the wipers in the 850/S70, get a VW relay for it and then you can set the delay by turning to intermittent, then back to off and then to intermittent after so many seconds. The delay will be remembered until the car is turned off. I agree, the simple Japanese system is the most straight forward and the most user friendly. Just turn the little cuff on the stalk to the desired delay and there you have it.

Wow! You would think MB would design a really cool "smart" system, but alas, they can not. And why on earth would you want "smart" wipers?! If you can't turn the wipers on while driving you shouldn't be driving! Any time I hear "smart" in reference to a device I get irritated. Especially in reference to a phone. I do not want my phone to be smart. I want it to make friggin' phone calls. When they make a phone that can make phone calls when and where I want and have decent sound quality so I can understand what the hell the conversation is about and not drop the call, then, after all that is done and done well (it is FAR from the case today), then maybe add a function to make an omelet or something useful. That would be smart. Being able to browse internet on a tiny screen or watch a movie on same while parked at a rest stop just does not get me that excited and it's certainly not very smart.

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Vladimir. '98 S70 base, 5-speed manual

Call your local locksmith! Some specialize in car keys.
They should beat dealer prices
The dealer price discounted was about $25 in Salem,Mass