Transponder Key Programming: preparing for the visit

The blade snapped off flush with the door lock last winter, and the shop that cut a replacement only matched the metal shape. The fob still locks and unlocks the doors from across the driveway, but the engine cranks over and over without ever catching.

Worth answering before the call

Is this a lost, stolen, damaged or spare-key situation? What is the year, make and model of the vehicle? How many working keys would you like when this is finished?

My key turns and the engine cranks, but it won't start. Is that this?

That pattern, the starter turning the engine over without it catching, often points to the key or immobilizer rather than a fuel or ignition-timing fault. A flashing security light on the dashboard while this happens adds to that picture. A diagnosis, checking whether the vehicle actually recognizes the key's chip, is what confirms which one it is before any programming begins.

Can a copy cut at a hardware counter ever start my car?

A general-purpose key-cutting kiosk can shape a blade that turns the door lock, and a few kiosks can also copy certain transponder chip types. Most cannot handle what a modern immobilizer needs, though, so the usual result is a key that opens the car and even turns the ignition while the engine just cranks without starting. Even where a kiosk manages the chip, a separately programmed key can still turn out to be needed.