Modern Vespa

As I went down to the Vespa dealer to get a new belt I mentioned that I needed to get a blue key made for my LT-150. It has the brown key, and I have been using the brown key for over a year.

The dealer told me that the brown key can only be used like 8 times before you cannot make copies of it anymore, so I would not be able to have a blue key made. He said I would have to have a new ignition system put in.

This guy has been a Vespa dealer less than a year, btw.

It sounded like BS to me. Was he right?

Actually, I believe that you can only make 8 copies.

That sounds more like it. This guy said I could only start the scooter 8 times with the brown key before I couldn't make any copies.

Suggest you contact MV member JimH, scooterist and locksmith extraordinaire! He can make new blue keys for you and certainly give you accurate info.

I've sent him at least 4 PMs, he never answers me.

That's really unlike him. If the PMs were within the span of a week or so it's possible he's on vacation. Hope he gets back to you soon!

I was wondering if there might be something wrong with the PM system. I sent jimh a PM a couple weeks ago and he hasn't answered it either. And I have seen him post since then.
Usually he is very good about such things.

This was 6 months ago. Basically I bought two keys from him off of Ebay, then I went on vacation and forgot to send in my other keys to be copied, so I never got the keys. It's my fault, not his, but I never did get a response.

BS or not, basically you don't want to be riding around on your brown key.
It is matched to your ignition system and immobiliser.
Lose the brown key = BIG $$$.
Hope you get a blue copy soon.

Not true.

"It sounded like BS ...."

true...

Just do not lose the brown key.....or $$$.

R

8)

It says in his signature that he rarely takes the time to reply to PMs, and you're more likely to get a response from him just by waiting for him to post in a thread.

I have my brown key hiding in a little lock box. May get a spare blue key at some point, just for peace of mind.

I think you may be confusing jimh with jimc. It's jimc whose sig line says he rarely responds to PMs.

My bad.

Loooong rides today, rained on during the trip home. Fried brain.

He was wrong. It was BS. He may have confused it with the fact that the brown master key can used to program the ECU with up to a maximum of seven blue keys at any time. All explained in the workshop manual.

My advice - get two blue blanks from jimh, get them cut and then program the ECU with one of them. Put the brown key somewhere safe, and keep the unprogrammed blue key as a spare should you lose the first one.

I have my blue key and my brown key on the same keyring. Should I take them off? Does the vespa start with the blue key? I'm new to all this.

Yes, separate them! The brown master key is used to program other blue keys - and without it you are stuffed for certain faults. Keep it very very safe! Use only the blue service key for day-to-day use.

I have taken it off and stored it away! Thanks for the info.

Will I need the brown key if I take the scoot in for a service? Or can they manage with the blue?

JimC is right... as are a number of others here. There's nothing stopping you from making 100 copies of the brown key. That part is just a mechanical operation, physically tracing the profile of one key and cutting a second key with that profile.

Not for a normal service. They may need it if you have immobiliser problems.

Jim has had family over from Scotland.

Thanks everyone, JLB i don't recall receiving a PM from you. That's no to say you did not send one or two.

I do try to reply to all emails in a timely fashion however sometimes i fall short And this month i have family over from Scotland.

Okay, Yes there is a great deal of bad information regarding the master key.

It is best not to use it as your primary key and you should have a few keys made for your peace of mind.

Please feel free to call me if you have questions.

Cheers,


207 691 0880

Jim, it was my fault for not sending you the keys to be copied in a timely fashion, but I will call you soon.