If it is needed, is there a bypass method?

Ta!

Jules

Not essential, but a good bargaining item during purchase.

Yes, both 16v & 20v can be by-passed but using different method.

I've never needed mine in 5 years of ownership.

What exactly is it used for anyway? I should probably know, but dont.

Cheers

I needed to use mine, as I got a spare key and needed to memorise it to the immobiliser.

or the blue one?
mine has all three but i have no idea what either of the other two are for?!

Blue has a chip inside.
Red is alarm reasons i think. but if you have a after market its waste of time it can be bypassed by unplugging battery then back in then out agin for 15 mins or something.

On our bravo the Blue key had a worn blade.

I bought a pattern key from ebay, then got the blade cut.

After that I cut the old key open and removed the chip, then inserted it into the new key.

It worked a treat.

Pattern keys from ebay do not contain a code in the chip they contain BTW, so you cannot just program them to the immobiliser. They need to be pre programmed with a code by a locksmith. The other solution is to get a secondhand old key from another Fiat (or an Alfa) and swap the chip over as the old one will already have a code inside it. Then you can program the immobiliser to recognise the new key with the red key.

The way locksmiths clone keys is to read the code in the existing/old key then program the new key with the same code.