2010 Mitsubishi Outlander Reprogramming Used Remote

PGREENING

MEMBER
2010 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER
3.0L
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
22,000 MILES

I have lost one of my 2 keyless entry remotes. The dealer wants a lot for a new one. Used ones are available on Ebay for much less. I know I will have to have a new emergency key cut from a blank, but I have a question about reprogramming. I know the Mitsubishi dealer will have to do the reprogramming because I can't add a remote myself if I have only 1 working remote.
Can the dealer reprogram the used remote as-is, or does the remote need to be flashed/erased first? One online vendor claims that used remotes must be flashed/erased first (for a charge) before they can be reprogrammed by a dealer.
Thank you.

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,757 POSTS

Unless this is something new, you don't do anything to the remotes. Each one puts out its own set of coded pulses, and it's the computer on the vehicle that has to learn those codes. There used to be a lot of remotes that could be programmed by pressing a series of switches on the car to put it in leaning mode, then you pressed a button on the remote so the computer could detect it. Some newer models needed a scanner to put the car into learning mode.

If the remotes needed to be programmed, you'd have to worry that they would need that redone each time you replaced the battery.