I recently bought a 2005 LE. I'm considering adding a remote-start to the car as a gift for my wife. I'm curious about a couple of things with the "Transponder bypass" units. Apparently some of these units call for a "spare transponder key" to go inside the bypass enclosure unit (I guess this will reflect the correct RF signal). I'm wondering if this works like the famous "hide the key under the dash" trick.
On a side note, I'm wondering if I have one of these security bypass units installed, will I be able to use a non-transponder key to start my car? I had a non-transponder key cut that matches my normal keys (intended only as a door key). When the guy made my key, he warned me not to try starting my car with the "dumb key" because it could disable my car and cause ECU trouble because the ECU is looking for the "smart key." Does anyone know if there's any truth to this?
Prior to being told that the "dumb key" could break my ECU, I was planning on trying to start the car with the "dumb key" to see what happens, but now I'm paranoid. If you do have to leave a key under the dash, but don't feel secure about leaving a key in the car that will star the engine, I suppose you could destroy the key blade (so it's basically just a transponder chip under the dash). I like the prospect of being able to have keys made for under $5 like the old days instead of $100.
I'm all for security, but when I'm parking next to BMWs and Cadillacs, I don't worry about punks messing with my Corolla. I just don't feel that the transponder keys are necessary.
Thanks for any feedback you are willing to share!