We answer at 3am
Open 24 hours, seven days a week, public holidays included
We come to you
The van carries the workshop, so nothing gets towed anywhere
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You hear the price first
We quote before we drive out, and that number does not change
Immobiliser and Key Recognition Problems
What the immobiliser is doing
Every modern car keeps an electronic gate between the key and the engine. Turn the key or press the button, and the car checks the key before it lets the engine run. When the check fails, the car cuts the fuel or the spark within a second or two, which is exactly what a stolen car should do.
The trouble is that the same system cuts you off just as firmly when a part of it is faulty.
How it shows up
The engine turns over strongly and dies after a second
A small car or padlock light flashes on the dash instead of going off
The car starts on the second or third attempt and not the first
It starts fine in the morning and refuses in the afternoon heat
It started failing after a flat battery or a jump start
One key works and the other gets ignored
Where the fault usually sits
The key itself is the first suspect. A damaged or loose chip stops answering, and that is the most common cause by far. We cover that side under transponder key programming.
The ring around the ignition barrel is next. It sends out the signal that wakes the chip up, and when it fails, no key will start the car.
Wiring and connectors come after that. Heat, vibration and age all work on the thin wires around the steering column.
The control unit itself sits last on the list, and it is the least common. Cars sometimes lose the key information stored in them after a battery goes completely flat or after work by someone else.
Working out which one, before spending money
This is the part that saves you. People replace ignition barrels and control units when a fifteen minute chip job would have fixed it. We test in order, starting with the cheapest and most likely, and we tell you what we find as we go.
If it turns out the car is fine and the key is dead, you pay for a key. If the fault sits in the car, we tell you what it needs and whether it falls to us or to an auto electrician.
Push start cars have their own version of this
A keyless car that no longer notices the key has more places to go wrong, including aerials around the body and the receiver that listens for the fob. We work on these too, and the key side of it is explained under smart key setup.
After a theft attempt
If someone tried to take the car and it now refuses to start, phone us before anything else. The steering lock, the barrel and the security system often need attention together, and we can rekey everything so old keys stop working.
How immobiliser and key recognition problems works
Tell us what the car does, what lights come on and when it started.
We come out to the car with the diagnostic equipment.
We read the fault information out of the car's security system.
We test the key and the chip first, since that is the usual cause.
We test the ring around the barrel and the wiring that feeds it.
We tell you what we found and what it takes to fix it.
We do the work we can do on the spot and get your car starting again.
We're out this way most weeks — so you'll find us near:
What affects the price of immobiliser and key recognition problems?
Diagnosis and repair depend on what we find:
Whether the fault sits in the key, the barrel ring, the wiring or the control unit
The make, model and year, since security systems differ a great deal
Whether new keys need cutting and programming afterwards
Whether parts need to be sourced for your model
Where the car is standing and what time we come out
Phone us and describe what happens when you turn the key. That alone usually tells us where to start.
GetKeys Auto Locksmith
51 Seaview Rd, Farms Port Elizabeth,
Gqeberha, 6390
084 513 4914
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
FAQS
My car cranks but will not start. Is that the immobiliser?
Very often, especially when a security light flashes on the dash. The engine is healthy and the car is shutting it down because it does not trust the key.
Why does my key work some days and not others?
Usually a chip that is loose or on its way out, and sometimes a weak signal from the ring around the ignition barrel. Both get worse with time.
It started after my battery went flat. Is that connected?
It can be. Some cars lose stored key information when power drops away completely, and the key then has to be written back in.
Do I need a new ignition or a new key?
That is what the diagnosis answers. The key is the cheapest and most common cause, so we test that before anyone suggests replacing bigger parts.
Someone tried to steal my car and now it will not start. Can you help?
Yes. We look at the barrel, the steering lock and the security system together, and we can rekey the car so any old keys stop working.
Can you fix this at my car?
Yes. We carry the diagnostic equipment in the van, which matters when the car cannot be driven anywhere.