Spare Key Fobs and Push-to-Start Keys, Programmed in Your Driveway

When a spare fob makes sense

Almost three out of four Santee households are families, and most of them run two or three cars. A surprising number of those cars are down to one key. That is fine until the day it is not, and on that day a spare fob turns from a small planned purchase into an all-keys-lost job with a security wait. We would rather do the small one.

• A new teen driver. A sophomore at Santana or West Hills gets their own key, and you keep yours in your pocket instead of on the kitchen hook.
• Two drivers, one fob. The hand-off in the driveway at 6:45am works right up until someone takes the key to Kearny Mesa.
• A used car with one key. Dealers along Mission Gorge Rd and the El Cajon lots often hand over a single fob. Add the second one the week you bring it home.
• The car that never leaves Santee. The one that does the Sportsplex runs and the Santee Lakes weekends. Its key ends up in a tackle box eventually.

What we program

• Remote-head keys: the blade key with lock, unlock and panic buttons built into the head.
• Flip keys: the switchblade style, common on Volkswagen, Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Ford and many others.
• Proximity and push-to-start smart keys: the fob that stays in your pocket. We pair it to the car so the doors unlock on touch and the start button works.
• Plain remotes for keyless entry on cars that still use a separate metal key.

You will get a straight answer on original-manufacturer versus aftermarket. Good aftermarket fobs from a maker we trust work identically for most cars and save real money; on a few models the factory part is the only one that pairs reliably, and we carry that instead. We test lock, unlock, trunk, panic and start before you sign anything.

Fob not working?

Before you buy a new one, let us look at the old one. A remote that works only when you are standing at the door is usually a weak battery, and we replace it on the spot. A fob that rattles, or whose buttons have worn through, often just needs a new shell: we move your electronics and the cut blade into a fresh case, and the car never knows the difference. A snapped blade on a flip key is a shell-and-blade job. A fob that has been through the wash at Town Center Community Park might be done; we will tell you honestly after a quick test.

Used car with one key?

Bring us the car and the one fob. We program a second one, then erase every key the car does not see at that moment, so whatever the previous owner or the lot lost is no longer able to open your doors. It takes an extra minute and it is the part most people never think to ask for.

Lost the only key entirely? That is a different job. Start here when there is no working key.

Spare fobs from $145 for a remote-head key and from $225 for push-to-start, quoted by model before we drive. See starting prices

Common questions

Do you need my car to program a fob?

Yes. A fob is paired to the immobilizer in the car, so we come to wherever the car is: driveway, workplace parking lot, the school pickup line if it comes to that. Bring the working key, and plan on 20 to 40 minutes.

OEM or aftermarket fob: which should I get?

For most cars we carry both and tell you the difference in plain terms. An aftermarket fob from a brand we trust works identically and saves money; on a few models the original manufacturer part is the only one that pairs reliably, and we will say so. Either way you get the same programming and the same guarantee that it works before we leave.

Will a new fob work with my remote start?

Factory remote start, yes, because it runs through the same fob. Aftermarket remote-start systems installed by a stereo shop have their own remote and are not affected by a new key fob at all.

How many fobs can a car hold?

Most cars store between four and eight keys. If a used car arrives with a full memory, we clear the old ones during programming so only the fobs in your hand are recognized.

Can you delete a lost fob so it stops working?

Yes. When we program a new fob we can erase every key the car does not see at that moment. If a fob was lost at the Sportsplex or stolen from a gym locker, that is the step that keeps it from opening your car later.

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