# Vespa ET2 and ET4 Key Replacement

The two ET models look alike but their keys are not.

Source: https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/vespa-et2-et4/

Business: The Motorcycle Locksmith, mobile motorcycle locksmith. Phone and text: (619) 775-1858 (San Diego side).

> The two ET models look alike but their keys are not. The 50cc ET2 uses a plain key with no chip, so a new key only has to be cut. The ET4 150 has the Piaggio immobilizer, which means its key also has to carry a code the scooter accepts. Check the badge on the legshield or the engine size on your registration before you call.

**Vespa ET2 and ET4 key quick facts**

- A Vespa parts supplier sells a no-chip key blank for non-immobilizer models, lists the ET2 among the scooters it fits, and says it only needs cutting.
- On an ET4 with the master key missing, a working everyday key can usually still be copied.
- Automatic Vespas from the early ET4 onward have the immobilizer, and were sold with a master key alongside the everyday key.
- The ET4 shares its transponder key blank with the later GT, GTS, GTV and LX, according to European parts listings.

## Vespa ET2 and ET4 key types by year

| Years | Models | Key type | Chip | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2001-2005 | Vespa ET2 (50cc two-stroke) | mechanical cut key | no | Listed by a Vespa parts supplier on its no-chip blank for non-immobilizer models. The blank has no transponder and needs no programming. |
| 2001-2005 | Vespa ET4 (150cc four-stroke) | master key plus transponder everyday key | yes | Piaggio immobilizer. A cut-only key turns the lock but the engine will not start. |

## Same body, two different keys

The ET series brought Vespa back to American showrooms, and both models share the same steel body and switchgear. The difference that matters for a lost key is under the skin. The ET2's little two-stroke runs from a simple ignition, and suppliers who specialise in these scooters group it with the other 50cc Vespas that never had a chip. The ET4's four-stroke has the immobilizer that Piaggio fitted to its automatic Vespas from the first ET4 onward.

That is why two owners with near-identical scooters can get very different answers about a lost key. For the ET2 it is a cutting job. For the ET4 the key has to be both cut and coded.

**Need a key for your Vespa ET4?** Call or text with the year and where the bike is parked. Call or text (619) 775-1858.

## The ET4's master key

An ET4 left the dealer with a master key and an everyday key. The master is the one the scooter treats as the authority when new keys are stored, and Piaggio's guidance across its immobilizer models is the same: keep it at home, do not ride on it, and hand it to the next owner. Twenty years on, an ET4 may have changed hands several times and the master may have gone missing along the way.

A missing master does not strand you as long as one everyday key still starts the scooter. A working key can usually be copied into another. It does mean the one working key is the only thing standing between you and a much bigger job, so get a spare made before it is lost or the chip inside is damaged by a drop.

## Age-related lock trouble

The youngest ET is now around two decades old. On any scooter that age keys and locks wear, and an old key that has to be jiggled is a warning sign. A copy of a worn key copies the wear too, so if yours is rounded off, ask for the new key to be cut to the lock, not traced from the old one.

On an ET4, also consider the age of the key head. The transponder is inside the plastic grip. If the grip has cracked or been taped up, the chip can be damaged or lost, and the scooter will not start.

## If every key is gone

ET2: we confirm ownership with photo ID and the registration or title, make a key to the scooter's locks where it is parked, and test it in each lock it should work.

ET4: the same ownership check and the same mechanical key, plus the coding. With no working key to copy from, that involves the immobilizer electronics as well as the lock, and how it is done depends on the condition of the scooter. Tell us honestly what you have, including any old non-working keys, and we will tell you what the visit involves.

## Where to find the key code

Piaggio's immobilizer scooters of this period were supplied with a code card carrying the mechanical code of the keys. If the original dealer folder is still with your ET4, look there. Without it, the blade is made from an existing key or from the lock itself.

## What to have ready

**Have this ready when you call or text**

- Year, make and model of the bike
- Where the bike is parked
- Whether you have any working key, a broken key or a key code
- Photo ID and registration or title (we verify ownership before making a key)

## Vespa ET2 and ET4 key FAQ

### Does my Vespa ET2 need a chipped key?

No. A Vespa parts supplier lists the ET2 on its key blank for non-immobilizer models, and that blank has no chip and needs no programming.

### I only have one key for my ET4 and no master. Can I get a spare?

Usually yes. A working everyday key can usually be copied. Do it soon, because copying a working key is far simpler than starting from nothing.

### A hardware store cut a key for my ET4 and it won't start. Why?

The cut is only half of an ET4 key. Without a transponder the immobilizer keeps the engine from starting, even though the key turns in the lock.

### How do I tell an ET2 from an ET4?

The ET2 is the 50cc two-stroke and the ET4 is the 150cc four-stroke. The badge on the legshield and the displacement on your registration will tell you.

## The immobilizer system on this bike

- [Piaggio Immobilizer: Vespa Master Keys and Lost Keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/immobilizer-systems/piaggio-group-immobilizer/): The Piaggio immobilizer on Vespa and Piaggio scooters uses one master key, with a red or brown grip, and blue or black keys for daily riding.

## More Vespa and Piaggio models

[Piaggio BV 500 and X9 500](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/piaggio-bv-500-x9/), [Piaggio Fly and Typhoon](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/piaggio-fly-typhoon/), [Piaggio Liberty and BV](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/piaggio-liberty-bv/), [Piaggio MP3](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/piaggio-mp3/), [Vespa 946](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/vespa-946/), [Vespa Elettrica](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/vespa-elettrica/), [Vespa GTS 250 and GTS 300](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/vespa-gts-250-300/), [Vespa GTV and GT 200](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/vespa-gtv-gt-200/), [Vespa LX and S](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/vespa-lx-s/), [Vespa P-Series and PX](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/vespa-p-series-px/), [Vespa Primavera and Sprint](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/vespa-primavera-sprint/), [All Vespa and Piaggio keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/)

## Services for this bike

- [Lost Motorcycle Key, No Spare](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/lost-motorcycle-key/): No key at all? We make a working key at the bike.
- [Motorcycle Key Replacement](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-key-replacement/): New keys cut by code or from the lock, for all major makes.
- [Transponder and Immobilizer Key Programming](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-key-programming/): Chip keys and fobs programmed to your immobilizer.
- [Motorcycle Key Duplication and Spare Keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-key-duplication/): A spare now costs far less than a lost only-key later.
- [Motorcycle Ignition Repair and Replacement](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-ignition-repair/): Sticking, worn or damaged ignitions repaired or replaced.
- [Broken Motorcycle Key Extraction](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/broken-key-extraction/): Snapped key removed and a new one cut from the pieces.
- [Gas Cap, Seat, Steering and Saddlebag Locks](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-lock-repair/): Gas cap, seat, steering, helmet and saddlebag locks.

## Related guides

- [Scooter Key Replacement: Shutters, Seat Locks and Chips](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/scooter-key-replacement/): Yes, a key can be made for almost any scooter, and on most 50cc to 150cc models it is a plain metal key with no chip.
- [Worn or Bent Motorcycle Key: Signs, Risks and the Right Fix](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/worn-or-bent-motorcycle-key/): A worn motorcycle key shows up as a key that needs wiggling, works in one lock but not another, or works worse than the spare.
- [Lost Motorcycle Master Key, Code Card or Key Tag: What Changes](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/lost-motorcycle-master-key-or-code-card/): A master key, code card or master PIN is the item the maker uses to authorize new keys for your bike.
- [Dirt Bike and Dual Sport Keys: Which Bikes Have Them](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/dirt-bike-and-dual-sport-key-replacement/): Many dirt bikes have no key at all, so the first step is knowing which kind you ride.

## Where we come to you

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