Is there something equivalent to a valet or bypass switch or procedure for the factory Mopar security system?

I'm debating whether or not to buy extra keys with or without the alarm remote. My Caliber has the Security Group. I've checked the 2008 Caliber manual and there's nothing obvious on a valet or maintenance bypass for the security group. The goal is to provide a mechanic with a chipped key without the remote for maintenance purposes? Does a programmed remoteless chipped key automatically bypass the factory alarm? I know it bypasses the auto engine shutoff.

I want to have one or two of these keys for emergency purposes in addition to a spare key or two with the alarm/keyless entry remote as part of the key fob. The remoteless keys are much less expensive than the ones with the alarm as I'm sure a majority of the forum members already know.

 

Good question regarding key options on the Caliber,I have a 07 SXT
with the security group so I can only speak regarding 07s.
The car will start with out the chipped key however you won't get far
as it shuts down once in gear at least that's what happened on mine
when I tried it,I thought it would not even turn over without chip.
I had the dealer cut a regular key that fits in my wallet just in case I do
a stunt like locking the chipped key in the car as the they are just too
big to carry the spare around.
I was in Walmart the other day and saw they sell a real estate type
combination lock box,you know the type they put the house key of
the place for sale in so all the agents can get in to show buyers the house.
Anyway if you bought one and put your second chipped key in it and secured under the
hood then you would just need to have a unchipped key cut that lets you
get in the car to open the hood to retrieve spare-just a thought.

 

Does using the chipped key without the keyless entry remote shut down the security system though? I know about the vehicle only running in gear with a programmed chipped key. I believe that's standard now for all Chrysler vehicles whether or you have keyless entry or not. The 07 and 08 use the same blank keys at least the eBay sellers who sellthe blanks claim they're the same.

Nice idea making the security chip built into the key. I've heard of many other makers with a similar shutoff system not making the chip part of the key but a seperate fob for the owner or driver's keychain. Makes loaning your vehicle, taking it in for service or getting dropped off at the airport fun if you forget to give the person the seperate security fob in addition to the key.

 

I should have RTFM'd; according to the manual if you use aSentry key programmed to your vehicle it should disable to the security system upon putting the Sentry key in the ignition. The security system gets reenabled once you lock the doors with the power door lock switch and the key isn't present in the ignition. You also allegedly cannot lock the door with the a Sentry key in the ignition. We'll see if it works when I play around with it later.

I'm a little bit leary of the manual since it doesn'thave the location of the factory engine block heater power cord in it. Only just a minor blurb on using one in cold weather.

 

There is one curiosity with my security system,if I lock the car using the remote
but then open the door with the chipped key manually my alarm goes off.
Never bothered to see if this is the norm as the car has not given me
a moments trouble.
One other thing with the chipped key,I got in one day and put the key
in the ignition turn it to start and as I did that I depressed the lock button
accidently,well the car did not even turn over and I was given the lightening
bolt symbol in the dash array.
It would not start until I removed the key then unlocked the doors then locked them again
using the remote,put the key back in the ignition and it started right up.

 

This is what I found out while testing accessing my Caliber without using the keyless entry remote.

The alarm will go off as some of us already know. I also found out that if you calmly (difficult when the alarm is blasting) put the key in the ignition and turn the ignition to the first notch and wait a second, the alarm will shut off. All the remote does is lock & unlock the doors and trip the alarm when you press the panic button. The alarm is rigged into the power door locks. If you enable the power door locks upon exiting the vehicle, the alarm will be enabled. If you need to bypass the power door locks because of a failure of your remote or the power door locks, you just need to deal with the nuisance of having the alarm go off momentarily until you use your Sentry key to disable it by putting it in the ignition and turning the key to the first click to shut it off.

The power door lock switch is also disabled when the Sentry key is in the ignition and no one is sitting in the driver seat from my testing.

Seems that Chrysler is trying to make the keyless entry and security system as fool proof as possible. However, you can lock your keys in your vehicle if you push down on the door lock plunger and close the door.

For the Caliber with the security group if your remote is dead you're not out of luck; you'll just draw attention entering your vehicle and starting it since the alarm will be going off the moment you open the door.

What I'm doing for me is getting a pair of generic Sentry keys without the remote and one with the remote. I'm going to keep the original factory keys with remotes in a safe deposit box with 7/24 access.