Open 6:00 AM to 8:30 PM · No VAT added to any job
A car key is only half finished when the blade is cut. Programming is the part that teaches the vehicle to accept the key, and without it the key opens the door but the engine stays dead.
Paul programmes transponder keys, remote keys and keyless smart keys at the roadside through the diagnostic socket, and on the bench when the make demands it.
Ask about programming
Four programming routes cover every vehicle that comes up on the phone. The route is decided by the make, the year and whether a working key is left, and it is what sets both the time and the price of the visit.
| Programming route | When it is used | What the job involves |
|---|---|---|
| Through the diagnostic socket | Most vehicles built from about 2000 onward | The programmer is plugged into the socket under the dashboard, the new key is written into the immobiliser and the job finishes at the vehicle |
| Bench or module programming | Many VAG, BMW, Mercedes and later Ford vehicles | The immobiliser box or the body control module is taken out, read directly and refitted, which adds time but avoids the dealer |
| All keys lost programming | No working key left at all | The security code held in the vehicle is read first, the lost keys are deleted and the new key is written in as the only valid key |
| Adding a key to an existing set | A working key is already in your hand | The new key is added alongside the keys you carry, and nothing already programmed is removed |
| Keyless and proximity keys | Vehicles with push button start | The smart key is paired to the keyless module as well as the immobiliser, so the vehicle detects it in a pocket |
| Manufacturer gateway access | Newer vehicles with protected security data | The security data is requested from the manufacturer under SERMI approval, which is what allows a locksmith to touch it legally |
Programming on its own is quoted on the make and the key type. When the key is supplied as well, the figure starts from £80 for a spare and from £135 for a {L}, with no VAT added.
A programming job runs in four stages, and each one has to pass before the next begins.
The registration, the make, the model and the year decide the immobiliser system, the chip the vehicle expects and whether the work is done at the socket or on the bench.
Proof that the vehicle is yours is checked before any key is written in, because programming a key is the same as handing over a key to the vehicle.
The chip is coded to the immobiliser, the buttons are coded to the central locking and, on a keyless vehicle, the smart key is paired to the keyless module as well.
The new key and every key you already carry are tested on the doors, the boot and the ignition, so you leave knowing exactly which keys work.
Five key types cover the vehicles on the road around Wigan, and each one is programmed to a different part of the vehicle.
Most common
A blade with a chip in the head. The chip is coded to the immobiliser, which is the part that decides whether the engine is allowed to start.
Very common
A transponder key with locking buttons added. The chip goes to the immobiliser and the buttons go to the central locking, which are two separate operations.
Most involved
A key that stays in a pocket. It is paired to the keyless module as well as the immobiliser, and some makes need the module read on the bench.
Common on work vehicles
The same systems as cars, often with a separate key for the load area and a higher security blade that has to be cut to the code.
Case by case
A key bought elsewhere is programmed when it is the correct part number for the vehicle and has not already been locked to another one.
Motorbike and quad keys are also programmed where the machine uses a chip. Give the make and the year on the phone and the system is identified before the visit.
A cut blade turns the lock. It does not satisfy the immobiliser, which is a separate electronic check between the chip in the key and the engine control unit. Three things are programmed on a modern vehicle, and they are independent of each other.
That is why a key can open the door and crank the engine without it firing, and why a key can start the engine while the buttons do nothing. Each symptom points at a different one of the three, and each is fixed separately.
A key ordered from a marketplace arrives looking correct and still fails to programme. Four reasons account for almost all of it.
A key you already own is still worth bringing to the visit, because it costs nothing to test it before a new one is supplied. Where it works, you pay for the programming rather than the key.
Programming sits in the middle of these jobs rather than beside them.
Keys are programmed anywhere inside 25 miles of Wigan, at the kerbside, on a driveway or in a work car park.
Every other town inside the radius is listed on the areas we cover page.
Two guides go further into the electronics behind a programmed key.
Programming on its own is quoted on the make and the key type, because a transponder written through the socket and a smart key read on the bench are very different jobs. Where Locked Out supplies the key as well, the price starts from £80 for a spare and from £135 when no working key is left, with no VAT added.
Most keys are programmed and tested inside one visit at the vehicle. A make that needs the immobiliser or the body control module read on the bench can add about an hour, and that is explained on the phone before the visit.
Yes, where the key is the correct part number for the model year, has not already been locked to another vehicle and is on the right frequency. Bring it to the visit and it is tested first, because that costs you nothing.
Some do for a limited set of makes, and many send the job out. An auto locksmith carries the programmers for every common system in the van, which is why the work happens where the vehicle is parked rather than after a wait for an appointment.
SERMI is the European scheme that lets an independent locksmith request security and immobiliser data from a manufacturer. Paul is SERMI approved, which is what allows newer vehicles with protected security data to be programmed outside a dealership.
Yes, that is all keys lost programming. The security code is read from the vehicle first, the missing keys are deleted and the new key is written in as the only valid key, so the old one cannot start the vehicle again.
Because the chip and the buttons are programmed separately. The chip is coded to the immobiliser and the buttons to the central locking, so a working engine with dead buttons points at the remote side alone, which is often a battery or a resynchronisation.
A few older vehicles allow a key to be added from the driver seat with two working keys present. Beyond those, the vehicle needs a programmer and in many cases the manufacturer security data, and a failed attempt can lock the immobiliser and turn a small job into a large one.
Only if you ask for it. Adding a key leaves your existing keys working. Keys are deleted when one has been lost or stolen and you want it removed from the vehicle memory.
Key Cut but Still Not Starting?
Programming is the missing step. Call and give the registration, and the system is identified before Paul sets off.