You wrote..
"I had a dumb (no transponder chip) key cut a while back and I noticed the alarm goes off when I use it. "
Wife is out with our MiEV right now, so can't absolutely confirm what I'm doing to say next, but here's my memory:
I also have a dumb key. The alarm will not go off when I use it AS LONG AS I LOCKED THE CAR WITH THE DUMB KEY, not the remote.
Also, here's how and when I use a dumb key:
Say, I'm at the river and going to go swimming. Don't want to leave my $300+ smart key on the beach and can't tie it inside my bathing suit. So I leave the smart(transponder) key in the car well hidden, lock the car with the dumb key. Either hide the dumb key on the car somewhere or take it with me.
OR
Wife and me going different directions in shopping mall. Don't know who will be back in car first. She takes the smart key, I take the dumb key, lock car with dumb key. If I get back first I can listen to radio, lower windows, etc.
By the way, we keep the dumb key in the car under floor mat for just such occasions.
Also by the way: IIRR if I do use the dumb key after locking with smart key and alarm does go turn on, it will go off in about one minute. Seems like a long time.
Alex
P.S., Also if , say, going swimming, lock the smart key in the car (well hidden), lock the EV with the dumb key, tie the dumb key in swimsuit or hide it on car. Or hiking anywhere where it would be bad to lose my dumb key but worse to lose my smart key...
