Locksmith in Anaheim, CA 92812

Your address uses Anaheim ZIP code 92812 and you need a car key with a chip. Here is how transponder keys work and what to expect when you book one.

What a transponder key is

Most cars built since the late 1990s have a small chip in the key head. Turn the key and the car checks the chip's code. Wrong code, no start, even if the blade turns the ignition perfectly. That is the immobiliser doing its job.

Adding a spare

Adding a spare while you still have a working key is usually simpler and cheaper than replacing every lost key. The locksmith cuts the blade, then programs the chip to the car.

Cost

The price list shows transponder key programming starting at $100.00 plus the service call fee. The final price depends on how the key is cut and how it must be programmed.

Keep a spare chip key

Only one working chip key? Add a spare soon. Replacing the last key after it is gone usually costs more than duplicating one you still have.

All keys lost versus spare key

With a working key, the locksmith clones or adds a new chip to the car's memory. With no key at all, a new key is cut from the lock or the key code and then programmed, which takes longer and costs more.

Have the VIN and proof of ownership ready either way.

Remote and chip are not the same thing

Many keys have both a chip for starting the engine and buttons for locking the doors. Programming one does not always program the other. Ask the locksmith to test both before they leave.

Before you buy a blank online

Online key blanks and shells are cheap, but not every one can be cut cleanly or programmed to your car. If you have already bought one, keep the packaging and part number. The locksmith can tell you on the phone whether it is likely to work, which avoids paying for a visit only to find the blank is the wrong type or has a dead chip.