How Long Does Car Key Programming Take?
From a ten minute spare to a ninety minute all-keys-lost job on a European car — what actually determines how long you are standing there.
People ask how long it takes because they are usually standing beside the car deciding whether to wait or make other arrangements. The honest answer spans about ten minutes to an hour and a half, and the range is not arbitrary.
Spares: ten to thirty minutes
The quickest jobs. You have a working key, the vehicle is already awake, and the new key is cut and coded alongside it.
That covers most of these, and it is another reason a spare is the cheap version of this job — it is not only less to buy, it is less time on site. See spare car keys.
One lost key, common vehicle: thirty to sixty minutes
A single lost key on a common Japanese or Korean model. The key has to be generated from the vehicle rather than copied, which means reading the immobiliser and cutting a blade from the code before programming.
How that blade gets cut when there is nothing to copy is explained in how a key is cut without the original.
All-keys-lost on a European car: up to ninety minutes
The long end. The security systems on those platforms take longer to work with, and some require the module to be read in a specific sequence.
Several makes also enforce a timed security delay before a key can be added. That wait is built into the vehicle and no equipment shortens it — if someone tells you otherwise, they have not done one. We will tell you which category yours is on the phone.
What adds time in any category
An unusual key blank that has to be checked for availability, which is why we ask for the make, model and year before travelling rather than after.
A vehicle parked somewhere with poor access — a tight car park bay is fine, a paddock after a wet week is not.
And a flat car battery, which has to be dealt with before programming can even begin, because the immobiliser needs stable voltage to accept a new key.
What does not vary
It happens where the car is. Nothing needs towing and there is no workshop booking — the whole point of mobile key programming is that the wait is the job itself, not the queue in front of it.
Add the travel, not a queue
Across Hamilton we are typically with you in 20 to 40 minutes. Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Morrinsville and Raglan are longer and we will tell you the real figure.
Either way the total is travel plus the job, with no workshop booking in front of it.
Across Hamilton we are typically with you in 20 to 40 minutes, so the total is usually the travel plus the figures above. Tell us the vehicle and we will give you both numbers.
Common questions
Can I wait with the car?
Yes, most people do. Bring something to read for the longer jobs. You need to be there anyway for the ownership check and to test the key before we leave.
Why is an all-keys-lost job slower?
With no working key the vehicle has to be read directly to generate a new code, rather than simply adding a key alongside an existing one. That is genuinely more work.
Does a flat car battery slow it down?
Yes. Programming needs stable power, so a weak battery has to be supported or charged first. Mention it when you call so we arrive prepared.
Will you test the key before leaving?
Always. Engine start, doors, boot and remote functions are all checked while we are still there. That is not an optional extra.