Corolla missing keys

[lodp17]

Hello, I'm currently in a working project in Panama, Central America. The company I'm working for gave me a Toyota Corolla 2007
VIN:9BR53ZEC108553191,
Engine: 3ZZ-FE,
Color: 1E3,
Trim: FB17,
I think it was made in Brazil. I have a problem and nobody in the Service department of the Toyota dealership seems to know anything about it. The car was gave to me only with the gray valet key, not even with the alarm remote. All the original keys and remote are lost.
I took the car to the dealership and ask for another master key and remotes, since the car was bought in that same dealership, and the head of service department, after investigating about this issue, told me that I need to replace the ECU since they can't make a copy of the keys without having the master key, and them I have to replace the ignition and cylinders on doors and trunk in order to have a new master key that works like new, and you probably know how much money are they talking about here.
I need your help, because nobody seems to help me here in Panama.
Is it true what the Panamanian Toyota dealership service department told me?, or is it possible, as I read on some forum on the internet, to reset the ECU, not replace it, and reprogram a new set of master keys and remotes and them mach them with the use of the VIN number to the ignition, doors and trunk?, and I also read that the dealership can and have to do it after proving I'm the legal owner?
Is anybody around here who works on a Toyota dealership that can help me? Can somebody send me instruction? an explanation to give to the service department so they can do it? or somebody to contact?, I need to solve the problem.

Thank You

[MR2Jedi]

Hey, I moved your thread from the intro section to the Corolla section. You'll get a better response from some cool guys who know the Corolla very well.
Good Luck .
Welcome to TN

[toyo_tech02]

it is possible to reset the immobizer on these corollas, so you do not need a new ecu. take it to a dealer and have the get the seed code. after they get the seed code they can either get a new code online or
call toyota and they will give them one. they should have know this at the dealership, if they didnt.......... see if there is another dealer in the area.

[mickeyd]

I had the same problem (wife lost both master keys & remotes). Took it to my dealer and they were able to program new master keys in about a half hour. Cost me about $50.00 plus the cost of the keys.

[GTurner598]

i thought i saw a DIY somewhere before on how to do this yourself.

By the way, how do you like the 1.6 L. does it have any pep to it at all?

[lodp17]

Thank's toyo_tech02, There's only one dealer in Panama, Ricardo Perez Toyota, amazing, there are several dealers in the country but all belong to the same guy so there's no competition on service among them.
I went to the dealer and they told me "what's a seed code?", they don't have any idea, they even call other dealer in other city and the same answer. There's two options, either they don't have any idea, poor service personal training, or they only want to rob me.
toyo_tech02, sorry to bother you so much, these guys have the nerves to ask me for detailed instructions about the "seed code" and who to contact in toyoya, can you send me detailed instructions, like telling to a kid how to do it?, at least one the guys ask for instructions to try to fix it...........
Thanks in advance.

Mickeyd, I wish that was my case too, I thought it would be an easy fix.

GTurner598, I haven't try to do it myself because I don't want to mess with the ECU, but I now think I should..., its an OK engine, I work at ocean level, 0 meters hight, and live at a mountain, 1200 meters hight, and do the trip everyday, the car can take you up without any probles. Is not a powerfull enguine, but it gets the job done.

[Slaander]

Originally Posted by lodp17

Thank's toyo_tech02, There's only one dealer in Panama, Ricardo Perez Toyota, amazing, there are several dealers in the country but all belong to the same guy so there's no competition on service among them.
I went to the dealer and they told me "what's a seed code?", they don't have any idea, they even call other dealer in other city and the same answer. There's two options, either they don't have any idea, poor service personal training, or they only want to rob me.
toyo_tech02, sorry to bother you so much, these guys have the nerves to ask me for detailed instructions about the "seed code" and who to contact in toyoya, can you send me detailed instructions, like telling to a kid how to do it?, at least one the guys ask for instructions to try to fix it...........
Thanks in advance.

Mickeyd, I wish that was my case too, I thought it would be an easy fix.

GTurner598, I haven't try to do it myself because I don't want to mess with the ECU, but I now think I should..., its an OK engine, I work at ocean level, 0 meters hight, and live at a mountain, 1200 meters hight, and do the trip everyday, the car can take you up without any probles. Is not a powerfull enguine, but it gets the job done.

there is no other way to replace the keys with out the seed code, only dealership can do it, and dealership will not refuse to reprogram if you have prove the car is belong to you and not stolen car. I found out all those info off my local dealership, the salesman even told me why they refuse to make couple thundred bucks for simple steps. programming $100 bucks and those oem keys is like another $100 per key.

PS. keys only cost them $25 bucks each