WOW!!! This is an awesome thread. I read through several others last night and things got very confusing (and being really tired didn't help).
I recently bought a 2002 Freightliner 140" high roof that came with only one key of course. It is the flip type key with remote entry that works intermittently. I was considering doing the "glue the RFID chip to the ignition" route so I wouldn't have to ever deal with not being able to start the vehicle, but if you do that it appears you can never use the remote functions of the key.
I am a DIY-er at heart, so the idea of cloning my own keys is right up my alley. My two biggest questions revolve around the key blanks and the Zed Bull cloner. When I click on the original link for the cloner, it appears that it is no longer there.
*I have seen other Zed Bull cloners on eBay. Some are red, some are black, some say "smart", some say "mini" and they all say "no tokens needed"--whatever that means?? But they all look the same. Can I assume that any of these will do the same thing and just order the cheapest one?
*Key blanks on eBay are supposedly pretty weak. Somebody suggested getting Ilco brand. Does anybody have a current link to genuine Ilco brand (or other strong) key blanks with the chip in them? Looking for key blanks that can be cut locally, not the steel ones that nobody will cut. Also, I am not looking for RKE keys...just the regular ones. I like RKE, but honestly if I have to manually lock/unlock the vehicle it's not that big of a deal.