Nearly every car since the late 1990s has a chip in the key. If your car cranks but won't start, or a copied key won't work, this is the page — and we fix it at your location.
Transponder keys look like ordinary keys — the chip is sealed invisibly inside the plastic head. Three quick checks:
When a key is duplicated, only the metal cuts are copied. The immobilizer still needs to see a valid chip, and there are two ways to make that happen:
This is why the kiosk key from the big-box store doesn't start your car — and why our locksmith van carries both cloning and OEM-level programming equipment to your driveway.
Every manufacturer brands its immobilizer differently, but the failure symptoms are similar: cranks-then-dies, a flashing key or padlock light, or intermittent no-starts.
| Service | Our range |
|---|---|
| Transponder key cut + programmed (working key exists) | Call for exact quote |
| Transponder key, all keys lost | Call for exact quote |
| Chip cloning onto a spare | Call for exact quote |
Savings based on customer-reported dealer quotes for the same key. Your price depends on year, make, model, and key type. Call (567) 227-5397 for an exact quote — the price we quote is the price you pay.
If your vehicle is roughly model year 1998 or newer, assume it does. The chip is sealed inside the plastic head, so you can't see it. The giveaway: a plain hardware-store copy will turn the ignition and crank the engine, but the engine dies immediately or never fires. That's the immobilizer rejecting a chipless key.
Because copying the metal blade isn't the whole job. The car also has to accept the chip, which happens one of two ways: cloning (copying your original chip's identity onto the new key) or programming (registering the new chip with the car's computer). Kiosks and hardware stores usually do neither correctly for modern rolling-code systems. We do both, at your vehicle.
The immobilizer can't verify the key. Sometimes it's a dying chip or a key knocked out of sync; sometimes it's the vehicle side — a failing antenna ring around the ignition, or on GM Passlock systems the lock-cylinder sensor itself. We diagnose which side is at fault before selling you anything.
Yes — all-keys-lost transponder work is a core mobile locksmith service. We cut the blade from the vehicle or VIN, then program the new chip directly with the car's computer. No original required and no tow to the dealer. Bring ID and proof of ownership.
For older fixed-code systems, a clone is quick and works fine. For newer rolling-code systems, programming is the correct method — and often the only one that works. We carry equipment for both and use whichever your vehicle actually needs; you don't have to know the difference before you call.
It’s probably the chip. We come to you anywhere in Lafayette or West Lafayette and program a working key on the spot.
Open 24/7 · Typical arrival in the Lafayette area is under an hour. · Zero-damage guarantee