Car Key Replacement in Richmond

This is the page for a key that is lost, broken or has stopped working. If you still have one working key and want a second, that is a spare and it is cheaper: see key duplication in Richmond.

A transponder key is $180-$280 cut and programmed at the car. A proximity smart key is $280-$420. Mercedes, BMW and Land Rover are $400-$900 because the blanks cost more and the diagnostic session runs longer. Arrival is 25-35 minutes to most Richmond addresses, including the Sea Island lots.

All keys lost is the job people mean when they say the dealer quoted them a tow. There is nothing to copy, so we work from the vehicle.

First the key code, pulled from the door lock or the manufacturer database against your VIN. Then the blade is cut on the truck. Then the car goes into learn mode and a new key is written to the immobiliser, and any keys still in circulation can be erased at the same time, which matters if the missing set was stolen rather than lost. That job starts at $180 plus the key type.

Two things to know before you call. Proof of ownership is mandatory: registration or insurance in your name plus government photo identification. And some 2015 and newer vehicles enforce a manufacturer security delay of 10 to 60 minutes before a new key can be written, which the technician sits out at the car. The site-wide walkthrough is on all keys lost.

Three places account for most of these calls, and all three are at-the-vehicle jobs.

Sea Island and the airport lots. Keys that went into a suitcase, or into the ocean on a trip. The car is sitting in long-term parking and cannot move until a key exists. We cut and program in the bay.

Steveston and Garry Point. Keys lost on the dyke path, at the wharf or off a boat. Salt water finishes a fob even when it is found again, so these are usually replacements rather than dryouts.

Richmond Centre, No. 3 Road and Ironwood. Ordinary shopping-centre losses, done in the parkade. Make-specific notes are on the pages for Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan and BMW, and blanks and shells are sold over the counter through automotive keys.