What key should I have for my 95 355?

It looks like BMW's from the '90's use the exact same bulb, the fix is to replace with a 5mm LED. When I get a chance I'll stop by radio shack and pick a couple of them up and see if I can fix it, but it may be months (or even years) before I have a chance to do it.

 

Thanks JohnK. I am searching for a bulb replacement that might work. I looked awhile back, but didn't find much at the time. This thread got me looking again. I found a place that carries the bulbs for Porsches, size looks right but the base looks different. The base on the 911 light looks threaded. John, if you get a chance, could you post a close up shot of your light.

 

From what I can see, the BMW bulb looks more like the Ferrari bulb. There are a few threads where Porsche and BMW owners are converting to LED's.

 

The bulb looks like a little bullet. The base is slightly larger in diameter to hold it in place and has some kind of red epoxy as an insulator with a contact in the center.

 

My '95 GTB came with two keys: a square original key with the bulb and a second "curved with silver horse" that FOD ordered for the last owner. I was told by multiple dealers that the early '95 cars came with two square keys at delivery.

I like the curved key a little better, but I also like the original slice of F-cars.

So I ordered an original blank square key with light off of eBay. Cost was $175.

I will plan on putting the square keys aside and using the curved key. I also plan to order another curved key from the dealer but those are over $300...

Robb

 

Robb, my 1995 F355 Challenge came to me with those same two keys. I don't know what duplicate keys, if any, were ordered by previous owners.

Pete, I have S/N 100330 (Assembly Number 17282)

Barry
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Robb,

The original Ferrari and Sipea lighted keys have become crazy expensive. I bought Ricambi America's brass F355 key to use regularly. I keep the curved key in my helmet bag should the brass key get misplaced at the track.

Barry
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Barry,

Those are the same two I have with another blank square key...

Robb

 

Good idea.

Robb

 

We've got to re-unite our cars sometime, Barry. Can't be often there are actually two similar cars with consecutive serial numbers since they reserved the even numbers for race cars. Same guy must have welded our spring perches (poorly) that day...

 

Hi Pete,

That would be nice. Hopefully our paths will cross in the near future. I'll be at the FCA DE events at Watkins Glen and NJMP in the coming weeks.

As my car is a 1995 F355 Challenge, It was delivered to Miller Motorcars as a stock car along with the Challenge kit for their conversion. It was the first F355 Challenge and was raced by Peter Sachs in the 1995 and 1996 seasons.

Ferrari started numbering their road cars continuously sequential in 1987 beginning with S/N 75000.

Our cars are "sister cars;" two yellow F355 Berlinettas which came off the assembly line in late September 1994 with weak perches.

What is your car's Assembly Number?

Barry
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I'll have to check the assy. number when I get back out in the garage. I'm out of commission until October or November due to injury but barring any setbacks will try to get to a track day or two then. Have fun at Watkins and try to get some video!

 

Feel better soon, Pete.

I bought a heavy duty roll bar mount for my GoPro. I'll get some videos when I'm at Watkins Glen later this month.

Barry
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Just got a chance to check my keys and s/n. One key did work, but not great. I forgot the bulb is missing out of the other.

My number s/n is 100299.

Assembly number is 17246.

Pete, thanks for mentioning that BMW light. It sure looks like a match from what I can see in the pictures. I might order one and try it. At BAVAUTO, the bulbs are $6.95. I also thought about converting to an LED.

 

The 51 21 1 935 001 BMW bulb does look like the Ferrari bulb, but interestingly, the key for my '96 328is is different and doesn't use that bulb.

[edit]

Looks like BMW changed the key for the 3 series in '96. Pelican p[arts shows it is only good to 95.

 

John, that is the same part number that I have.

 

Pete, I had ordered the BMW light yesterday from BAVAUTO and it arrived today. The light fits perfect. Part number is 51 21 1 935 001. I pulled the key apart which wasn't to bad, but putting it back together was a little bit of a pain just like John said it was. I didn't have a battery in the key either so I had to take it out of my other key to make sure that everything worked. The battery for it is an AG13 button cell. Now the key light works. Again, great tip on the light.

 

Awesome, well that makes it easy . I'd put that in the part interchange thread for future reference.

 

Mine has the same key, however it was just 1 and now I found another one in ebay, which is already cut. Do you know how can I remove the metal part and install an uncut one? Can the key be disassembled more than that? I still don't have the guts to try to disassemble it...

 

For anyone putting their key back together, the bottom part of the key can be slid away from the top once the top part is removed. Makes it a lot easier to get the top part back on.

Radio Shack enercell battery #357 replaces AG13.