Transponder Key Programming
in Los Angeles

Why does my newly cut key turn but the car won't start?

The cut is fine — it's the chip. Since the late 1990s, your key's plastic head carries a transponder that the immobilizer has to read before it releases fuel and spark. A blank that was only cut to shape has no matching chip code, so the engine cranks or stalls. We program or clone the chip so the car recognizes it.

Can you just clone my key, or does it need programming?

Depends on the chip. Older fixed-code transponders — common on 1990s and early-2000s Hondas and Toyotas around the eastside — clone straight onto a blank in minutes and don't use up a key slot. Encrypted, rolling-code chips can't be cloned; those we program to the car through the OBD port, sometimes with a security PIN. We check which one you have before cutting.

What is an immobilizer, exactly?

It's the anti-theft system built into almost every car sold in the U.S. since the late '90s. A small antenna ring around the ignition reads the chip in your key; if the code doesn't match what the car's computer stored, it blocks the engine from starting. That's why a hot-wire or a plain cut key won't move these cars — and why the key has to be paired electronically.

I lost every key to my car — can you still make one?

Yes, that's an all-keys-lost job. With no working key to copy, we read the car's immobilizer data or pull the security code, cut a mechanical blade to the lock so we can get in and turn the ignition, then generate and program a brand-new key from scratch. It takes longer than a spare, but you won't need a tow to the dealer. We do it curbside across LA.