Push-to-start smart keys, programmed at the car

Can a smart key be replaced without the dealer?

Yes, on most makes and models, from Toyota, Honda and Nissan to Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Jeep and BMW. A push-to-start smart key, also called a proximity key, is a small radio transmitter plus a security chip that the car has to learn. Your locksmith cuts the emergency blade hidden inside it, then connects programming tools so the car accepts the new fob. It all happens in a driveway, at work or in a parking lot anywhere in Ada and Canyon counties, with no tow.

That holds for an extra fob, a broken one, or no working key at all. For that last case, see all keys lost.

How to tell you have a smart key

• A START/STOP button replaces the key slot, and the engine starts with the fob anywhere in the cabin.
• The doors unlock when you touch the handle or press a small button on it, without taking the fob out.
• A release slider on the fob lets a small metal blade slide out as a backup for the door lock.

If your key swings open on a hinge, see flip keys. If the buttons and a fixed blade are one piece and you still turn it in an ignition, that's a remote-head key.

Why a smart key suddenly stops working

The fob talks to antennas in the doors and the cabin, and it needs its own coin battery to answer them. A weak battery is the usual reason for a 'key not detected' message, shorter range, or a car that only starts when the fob is held close. Water, a drop onto concrete and worn button contacts come next.

Before you call, put in a fresh battery; our key fob battery guide shows how to open the case. Stuck in the car with a fob that seems dead? Most push-button cars have a backup spot that reads the fob up close, and our dead fob guide explains where it is.

To get in, slide out the hidden blade. On many cars the driver's keyhole sits under a small cap on the handle that the blade tip pops off, and the alarm may sound until the car sees the fob. If a new battery doesn't help, see key fob not working for the other causes.

Before you pick up the phone

• The year, make and model, and whether the car has a start button.
• Where the car is parked right now.
• How many working fobs you have. Bring all of them out to the car: some vehicles re-learn every key at once, and a fob left in the house can stop working afterward.
• A photo ID plus the title or registration, which we look at before any key is made.

You'll hear the price on the phone before anyone drives out. Bought a fob online? Say so. We check compatibility first, but many online fobs can't be programmed, so there's no promise one will work.

Step by step

1. 1
   ID checkYour locksmith looks at your photo ID and the vehicle paperwork before touching the car.
2. 2
   Blade cutThe fob's emergency blade is cut on the key cutting machine we carry.
3. 3
   ProgrammingProgramming tools connect to the car so it learns the new fob.
4. 4
   TestingPush-button start, lock, unlock, trunk and the blade in the door all get tried before we pack up.