I recently had my WIN wireless ignition module replaced under warranty but they didn't say I needed all the keys at the time. When I got home and tried my wife's key it said BADKEY and would not start the van. The key was working the day before the service appointment and now it doesn't and the dealership is just saying the key is broken and that it has nothing to do with the service. Big coincidence and doesn't make sense to me!

I don't know if the key is really broken or if the key just cannot be reprogrammed after the fact. Maybe they don't know the pin from the old WIN to change it to the new one now... I don't know?

Any advice or direction from someone that knows more about programming the keys would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

 

In all fairness, there is a chance the key is bad.

That said, go to another shop that has a scan tool capable of programming functions and ask them to do it, because the dealer is likely full of it and trying to get you to pay for another key.

The keys do need to be programmed at the same time, but the PIN code is stored in the PCM and is specific to the vehicle, not the WIN module. Additionally, the PIN only needs to be programmed to the WIN upon installation so it can communicate with other modules and wouldn’t be required to program keys.

Any repair shop with a capable scan tool can program the keys, and it’s such a quick and simple process that you’ll probably pay little to have it done.

 

Thanks for the advice! There's little information online to troubleshoot this sort of thing and apparently these keys go bad quite often... if it wasn't for the timing with the service I wouldn't have questioned it.

I stopped by another Dodge dealership shortly after posting and they tested the key and it was fine and had it programmed for me in under 5 minutes. They said there was no issues at all, just that they didn't actually program it.

 

Yeah it can be hard to find info online - often times, even factory service information doesn't provide all the answers.

I wouldn't have known about this except I had to replace a WIN module on a customer vehicle some months ago. It was the first (and so far only) time I've ever replaced one so the info is still relatively fresh in my mind. I work for an independent shop and was able to find out about the PIN while reading through the programming procedure, but we had to go through the local dealer to get the PIN for the truck I was working on.

I don't like discouraging service from any shop, because even notoriously bad shops can still employ good technicians (and vice versa), but on a matter this simple, someone clearly wasn't doing their job thoroughly. You're not going to lose anything but time asking for a second opinion.