Car Key Fob Replacement & Programming Vancouver

A car key fob is three separate things in one shell: a radio remote for the doors, a transponder chip the immobilizer reads, and on push-to-start cars a proximity antenna. Any one of them can fail on its own, which is why the first job at the curb is working out which part has actually stopped. We do that, then replace, program or pair the fob at the vehicle anywhere in Vancouver.

This page is the fob side of the automotive locksmith service. If the metal blade is also lost or broken, the job is car key replacement instead, and if nothing is left at all it is all keys lost.

• Basic remote. Lock, unlock and panic buttons only, with a separate metal key. Cheapest fob to replace because there is no blade to cut.
• Remote head key. The blade and the buttons in one molded head. The blade is cut and the chip programmed in the same visit.
• Flip key. The blade folds into the fob body. A broken flip hinge alone can often be rehoused rather than replaced, which keeps the electronics you already paid for.
• Proximity smart key. Push-to-start vehicles. The fob is paired to the car and carries an emergency blade inside for the driver door.

Replacement fobs are priced with the key they carry: $180-$280 for a transponder or remote head key, $280-$420 for a proximity smart key, and $400-$900 for European luxury fobs that are ordered against the VIN, including Mercedes, BMW and Land Rover.

The $75 service call covers standard hours. After-hours labour starts at $150 from 5-9 pm and runs $250/hour from 9 pm to 8:30 am, and the rate is quoted on the phone before we dispatch. Every figure on this page is the same one published on the prices page.

Plenty of fobs do not need replacing at all. A fob bought online, a fob from a written-off car of the same model, or a spare that has lost its pairing can usually be written to your vehicle, provided the part number and frequency match. Bring it and we will check the part number before quoting.

Programming is done with the car present, because the immobilizer has to be in a learn state to accept a new key. Some makes hold a security wait before they will accept one, which adds time to the visit but does not change the price. On most vehicles the existing fobs stay paired; where a make forces a full relearn, every fob you own has to be in your hand on the day or it stops working, and we will tell you that before we start.

If your fob still works, copying it now is the cheapest fob work we do. A cloned transponder is written with the same chip identity as the original, so the car cannot tell the difference and no relearn is needed. A programmed spare is written as an extra key in the vehicle memory instead, which is what smart keys and most 2015-onward vehicles require.

Spare pricing follows the car key duplication sheet: $180-$240 for a transponder spare and $300-$420 for a smart key spare. House and office keys are cut at the counter too, and those prices are on key cutting.

A flat coin cell is the single most common reason a fob stops working, and it is a counter job, not a callout. Bring the fob to 4105 Macdonald St and we will open it, fit the correct cell, reseat the contacts and test the range before you leave. Most fobs take a CR2032 or CR2025 cell.

Two things worth knowing. A fob that works only when held against the start button has a dying battery, not a dying fob: the car is reading the backup coil. And a fob that has been through the wash will often come back with a new cell and a proper dry-out, so try that before buying a replacement.

Work through this before you pay for a new fob.

• Does the spare fob work? If it does, the car is fine and the first fob is the fault. If neither works, suspect the vehicle receiver or a blown fuse.
• Does the range drop near a building? Underground parkades and buildings with heavy radio traffic swallow fob signals. Test it in the open before condemning the fob.
• Do the buttons work but the car will not start? The remote and the immobilizer chip are separate. The chip may need reprogramming even though the doors still respond.
• Has the fob been dropped or soaked? Cracked solder joints and corroded battery contacts are repairable more often than people expect.
• Did it stop after a battery change? Some fobs need re-syncing after a cell swap. That is a two-minute job at the counter.

We program fobs for the makes below, and each one has a page with the key and fob detail for that brand.

Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, RAM, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo.

Call 604-734-7233 with the year, make and model and we will confirm whether your fob is stocked, has to be ordered against the VIN, or is a dealer-only part. We would rather tell you that on the phone than at your curb.

We work out of one shop at 4105 Macdonald St in Vancouver and dispatch from there, so a Vancouver call is normally a 20-30 minute drive. Cities further out take longer, and the window for each one is listed on the service areas page.

Fobs, blanks and batteries are also sold over the counter and in the automotive keys section of the shop.