I want to add a key to my 2010 Highlander, but the procedures I've seen on the internet to set the car into programming mode don't work. Is there some trick to doing this, or am I going to have to use an obd2 port tool to add the key? This vehicle apparently could come with the G chip or the 4D (dot) chip. Apparently you need a special programmer if you have the G chip, but the dot key was allegedly programmable without an external programmer, but I've not been successful. Is it possible that the vehicle has been programmed to disable this manner of programming? The procedure involves inserting the master key 4 times and leaving the key in on the fifth insertion, then opening/closing the door six times. The original is then extracted, and the security light should come on solid, but that doesn't happen for me.
This leads to another question - do you mostly clone keys, or do you program the keys into the ECU? It seems to me that for cases where you could add a cheaper key that programming might be better, but for cases where you have a good original and the tokens for the car type are expensive or it's not possible to program that car, cloning would be the way to go.
I saw a (relatively) cheap programmer from xtool - have you used their products? I'd rather buy equipment than make the Toyota dealership richer than I already have.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
--Ted.