

If you go to a locksmith, expect to pay about $20 to $30 less.Ī potential low-cost alternative for access to your car is to order a basic car key without the transmitter. The dealer quoted us $160 for the new key and an additional $75 for the fob. We checked the price of a basic transponder key on an older Ford F-150. In some vehicles, the transponder key and the fob are an all-in-one unit, which adds to the price of the car key replacement and limits the places you can find a replacement. Most auto locksmiths should also have these machines. Some might program it for free, but others will charge up to an hour of labor. All dealerships have the machines necessary to program the key.


The major difference between a basic car key and a transponder key is that the chip in the transponder key must be programmed before it can start the vehicle. If this "immobilizer" detects the wrong signal - meaning that the wrong key is in the ignition - the vehicle will not start.Ī transponder shank is either a basic car key or a laser-cut key (more on laser-cut keys later). The chip emits a signal to a receiver in the ignition. Transponder KeysĪfter the mid- to late 1990s, manufacturers began placing a transponder chip in the plastic head of the car key. Like most aftermarket products, the quality will vary, but they are a less expensive alternative.
2006VOLVO S60 MASTER KEY REPLACEMENT HOW TO
Some owner's manuals will show you how to do it, and you can also find this information online.įinally, you can purchase aftermarket key fob remotes online or from a locksmith. Most key fobs can be programmed with a specific combination of button presses on the remote and key turns in the ignition. Some dealerships will do it for free, while others will charge a half-hour to an hour of labor.īut there is a way around this fee. The cost of replacing a key fob remote can range from $50 to over $100 depending on the automaker and complexity of the design. On most modern cars, an electronic key fob - also known as a remote or transmitter - is an integral part of the key set.
