Key Fob Replacement and Programming in Orlando, at Your Car

Replace it, reprogram it, or fix the cheap part

Most fobs that stop working are not dead. A coin battery that has run down in the Florida heat, buttons that no longer press because the shell cracked, or a pairing the car dropped are all fixed for far less than a new fob. The technician checks those first, in this order, and only moves to a replacement when the board inside is actually gone. If your fob still starts the car when held against the start button or the column, the electronics are fine and it is almost certainly the battery.

A replacement is needed when the fob is lost, went through the washing machine, was chewed by the dog, or the buttons died on a fob so old the shell cannot be swapped. In that case the van brings a fob matched to your year, make and model and programs it at the car.

Programming at your car, without the dealership

Yes, a mobile locksmith can program a key fob, and for most makes it takes less time than the drive to a dealer. The technician connects to the car's diagnostic port, adds the new fob, and erases any lost ones so they no longer start the car. Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mazda and Subaru are everyday work, and so are most push-to-start smart keys.

The exceptions are the makes that lock their key data: some Mercedes-Benz and BMW models and the newer Volkswagen and Audi model years need a dealer-ordered key. We tell you that on the phone so you do not wait on a van that cannot help. And if a fob quit right after a battery change or a jump start, mention it, because that is usually a dropped pairing, not a broken fob.

• Have your photo ID and registration or insurance card at the car
• Bring every fob you own so they all get paired in one session
• Tell us if it is push-to-start and whether any fob still works

Rental cars and fobs that fail on vacation

A rental fob that goes dead at a theme park garage or an International Drive hotel is a lockout we can solve for the renter with ID and the rental agreement: the technician opens the car and, if the battery is the issue, replaces it. Programming a new fob to a rental car needs the rental company's authorization, and in practice they almost always swap the vehicle instead. Call them first, then us if you just need the door open.