2000 BMW 5 Series
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in Ventura County

2000 BMW 5 Series Remote Head Key Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

Out in El Rio, I met a guy at his brother's place off Vineyard Avenue. He had a 2000 BMW 5 Series and a pretty specific question before I even opened the van: he wanted to know whether an aftermarket remote head key would hold up as a daily driver or whether he was going to regret not buying OEM.

Honest answer is that it depends on where the blank comes from. I've seen cheap aftermarket housings with thin button pads that start cracking after a few months of pocket carry. Wrong chip specs that program fine and then drop the connection two weeks later. Bad contacts that make the battery sit at an angle. That stuff is real, and it happens when someone sources the cheapest batch they can find overseas and doesn't test before it goes in the field.

What I carry is different. I test every batch when it comes in. Same button layout as the original three-button fob, same blade profile cut to his vehicle, same battery size. The housing has some weight to it. The buttons have the right amount of travel. No roundel on the back, but everything else is there.

I cut and programmed the key on site, did a full function check on all three buttons, and verified the ignition read it cleanly. He stood there watching the whole thing, which I always appreciate. Better than handing someone a key and leaving them to figure it out.

He'd already called the dealer. The number he got back was enough to make him pause and look for another option. What he paid me was a fraction of that, and he left with a key that works every time he reaches for it.

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