MESO Minimalist Key fob

We might have to bribe @elaudtr into getting us a couple chips sent to the east coast

 

Damn, it really sounds like a lot of you guys are dealing with some shit locksmiths. Why are they making a key blank such a big deal?

 

Full disclosure, I love the look of my FlipFob, but honestly it really needs some revision, which is why I haven’t converted my second factory key over.

For starters (pun intended), I find the fob to feel rather sloppy when turning it in the ignition, like there’s a lot of upward and downward deflection in the key assembly itself, thus I have no other keys or keychains on with my fob because it literally bends in the ignition by itself when being turned.

Second, my key blade has been jamming, as in it won’t fully deploy when the button is pressed, and often times when I then manually extend it, the blade will only go to the half way point, making a loud cracking/snapping sound in the process.

When will FlipFob 2.0 be available?

 

I think this is good honest info that will help @MESO when/if he makes a version 2. It's always nice to hear raving reviews, but it'll take some time to hear what needs to be improved from lots of users before it would be worth making revisions.

 

Was actually going to say the same thing, with a slightly different flavor

My key only "jammed" once flipping open, and I think it was due to that center set screw not being quite as tight so once I retightened that all is well

It does feel like there's a little "slop" when turning in the ignition, but upon closer inspection it's not as bad as it felt initially. Part of that might be paranoia. Part of that might be because the factory H key has those wings on it vs these that don't, so there is a little more play.

Overall, I'm not worried about it. Just making a note.

 

Can someone with issues do some ‘deflection’ videos? One guy said his is flexing unlocking the tailgate, one guy above mentions it flexing in the ignition? I only ask because mine is real solid and I’m curious what the deal is. Is it from a sloppy cut on the key blank that’s adding resistance? Is it a user error? Is it an assembly error?

 

Mine is pretty solid... I also never have other keys attached to my car key. I know I’m being extra careful but having weight in the ignition key isn’t good for any vehicle plus I always hated having the keys clanking around. I’m assuming people that have some play with the key need to retighten it...? I think the fob is solid and I haven’t had problems at all... When I got the key cutted I just wired brushed it a bit because the edges were a bit too sharp but after that it’s perfect! This has been my experience with the one key fob I got.

 

Can anyone post up the part numbers off their oem toyota transponder chip?

It seems like a few people are trying to find replacement chips, and the websites you find these chips on aren't very helpful in finding what you need.

My local locksmith gave me some 'H key' chips but I haven't been able to get them programmed correctly, I suspect they are for a different Toyota with an H hey. They are labeled WS21-00.

 

Here is one @elaudtr posted

 

I saw that, but I think that's a universal chip that can be programmed/cloned to match an existing transponder chip ID. You would have to then find a locksmith who has a machine to program the universal chips.

 

Good call. I would post mine, but its pretty much destroyed. I'm sure someone will chime in though

 

Just a heads up for everyone out there: my blank that was provided, which I had cut, flew out of my fob last week. It’s been a pain dealing with getting a replacement shipped out but he’s trying to make it right. Thankfully I had my spare key on me at the time but I would double check your set screw. Pretty aggravating.

 

We’re getting it out. Sorry it came loose. I provide all the Allen keys so you can tighten up all the screws. There is a small Allen set screw holding the key in.. so everyone should check that too. I was going to do a roll pin for fail safe, but if someone needed to swap the key or remove it for cutting it would be impossible. Hence why I made a threaded set screw.

 

Once I got my blank cut, I put a dab of Loctite on my set screw on the re-install. I figured it might loosen up over time, and this would happen.

 

Yea I’ve got that ready to go when I get my replacement. It just sucks I’ve gotta get another cut.

I’m not about blasting people either. I’ve been waiting and reading to see if anyone else has had this happen to them yet. It doesn’t seem like it so that’s a good thing.

 

Are you saying you don't like the way the key blade is oriented as it puts stress on your ignition? Pretty much all other key flip fob options for our trucks are oriented the same and are roughly the same size. I don't think you'll see a better option than MESO in this regard.

The key blade not opening sounds weird but maybe you need to throw just a couple drops of teflon based lubricant to help it along? There's also a chance that your spring tension is not wound tightly enough. MESO has a video on how to re-wind your spring tension. If you give that a shot, I'd recommend throwing in a drop of lube while you're there. Should fix up the issue quickly.

 

Please no roll pins!!! My other flip key fobs have roll pins and they're a PITA to extract. I love the set screw. Maybe I'll throw a dab of blue loctite but if I remember correctly, loctite doesn't work well with plastic. I think the threaded portion is made from a resin, correct?

 

It’s all metal. The key and the mechanism. Loctite is good to go.

 

Ok, here's version one of my icon paint job. I wanted something a bit more unique and refined so I decided to paint the icons on the keyfob. I used a toothpick as the "paint brush" and the TRD logo was easily the hardest part. This is about the best as it's going to get for me but I like the way it turned out. When my red buttons get to me, I'll be replacing the panic button with the red one and will most likely paint the icons white. Should look good. Anyways, here are the pics.