Car key programming is the process of pairing the electronic chip inside your key — the transponder — to your vehicle’s immobiliser. Almost every car sold in the UK since the mid-1990s requires this pairing before the engine will start. Even a perfectly cut metal key won’t crank the motor unless the chip is recognised by the car’s computer. Programming uses specialist diagnostic equipment that talks directly to the ECU and writes the new key into its memory.

Most jobs are wrapped up in 20 to 45 minutes. A simple spare-key add takes well under half an hour. All-keys-lost programming on newer European cars can take longer — sometimes up to 90 minutes — because manufacturers build in security delays designed to slow down thieves. We’ll always give you a realistic time estimate before we start.

We’re a fully mobile auto locksmith service. We come to your home, your office, the supermarket car park you’re stuck in, or the side of the road if you’ve broken down. Our van carries every diagnostic tool, key blank and programming module we need — there’s no reason to tow or push your vehicle anywhere.

Yes — this is one of our most common callouts. With proof of ownership (V5C logbook plus photo ID) we can perform what’s called an ‘all keys lost’ procedure. We reset your immobiliser, generate the new security data needed and cut & program a fresh working key from scratch. Old missing keys are wiped from the system so they can’t be used later.

Not when you have at least one working key. In that case we ‘add’ the new key to your vehicle’s memory while leaving existing ones active. Only an all-keys-lost job requires a full reset, which by design clears any previously coded keys.

The vast majority of vehicles on UK roads. We program keys for Ford, Vauxhall, VW, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Skoda, Lexus, Mazda, Smart and many more. A small number of recent high-security German models (typically post-2018 with FBS4 or similar systems) need dealer involvement — we’ll be straight with you on the phone if your car falls into that bracket.

Almost always — typically half the dealer price, sometimes less. Main dealers tend to charge for the key, the cut, the programming and the recovery to get your car to them. We do everything on your driveway with no recovery fees, often the same day.

Yes. Every key we cut and program is covered by a 12-month written warranty. If anything goes wrong with the key itself in that period, we’ll come back and sort it out at no charge.