Car Remote Key Replacement: Proximity & Smart Keys

Your car key doesn't look like a key anymore. It's a black fob that lives in your pocket. You walk up to the car, grab the handle, and it unlocks. Push a button on the dash and the engine starts. Magic.

Until it stops working. Then it's just an expensive piece of plastic.

Smart keys and proximity fobs are the bread and butter of modern vehicles, and they're also where dealers charge the most outrageous markups. We program them on-site for a fraction of what you'd pay at the dealership. Same technology. Same result. Way less money.

What Are Proximity and Smart Keys, Actually?

Let's strip away the jargon.

A proximity key (also called a smart key, intelligent key, or keyless entry fob) is a key that your car detects when it's nearby. It communicates with the car using a low-frequency radio signal. When the fob is within range, usually a metre or two, the car unlocks when you touch the door handle and allows you to start the engine with a push button.

There's no physical blade that goes into an ignition barrel. Some smart keys have a hidden emergency blade tucked inside the fob for situations where the battery dies, but day to day, you never insert anything into anything.

How it works under the hood:

• The car's antennas send out a constant low-frequency signal
• When your fob enters range, it picks up that signal and responds with an encrypted code
• The car's immobiliser verifies the code and grants access
• Each key-press or start cycle uses a rolling code, so the same code never works twice
• This is why you can't just "copy" a smart key like you'd copy a house key

The encryption is what makes these keys expensive. The chip inside is doing real cryptographic work, and programming a new one means registering it with the car's security module. That takes specialist equipment, equipment most locksmiths don't have.

We have it.

Which Vehicles We Cover

We program proximity and smart keys for a wide range of makes and models up to 2022:

Japanese:

• Toyota (Smart Key System):Camry, RAV4, Corolla, Hilux, Kluger
• Mazda (Advanced Keyless Entry):Mazda 3, CX-5, CX-9
• Honda (Smart Entry):Civic, CR-V, HR-V, Accord
• Nissan (Intelligent Key):X-Trail, Qashqai, Navara, Pathfinder
• Subaru (Keyless Access):Outback, Forester, XV
• Mitsubishi (FAST Key):Outlander, ASX, Triton

Korean:

• Hyundai (Smart Key):Tucson, i30, Santa Fe, Kona
• Kia (Smart Key):Sportage, Cerato, Carnival, Seltos

European:

• BMW (Comfort Access):1 Series, 3 Series, X1, X3, X5
• Mercedes-Benz (KEYLESS-GO):C-Class, E-Class, GLC, GLE
• Audi (Advanced Key):A3, A4, Q5, Q7
• Volkswagen (KESSY):Golf, Tiguan, Amarok, T-Cross
• Land Rover / Range Rover: Evoque, Sport, Discovery, Velar

Not on the list? Call us anyway. We cover more than what's listed here. If it's a 2022 or earlier model with a smart key system, there's a good chance we can do it.

For 2023+ models, some manufacturers have introduced new security protocols that require dealer-only tooling. We'll be honest about that upfront. No point wasting your time or ours.

Why Smart Keys Cost More (And Why Dealers Charge Even More)

A standard transponder key has a simple chip and a cut blade. A smart key has:

• An encrypted transponder chip
• A radio frequency transmitter
• A radio frequency receiver
• A battery
• Multiple buttons for lock, unlock, boot, panic
• Often a hidden emergency blade

More components, more technology, higher base cost. That part is fair enough.

What's NOT fair is the dealer markup. They know most people don't realise there's an alternative, so they charge accordingly. Here's a real-world example:

BMW 3 Series smart key:

• Dealer price: ~$1,800 (including programming fee, which they charge separately)
• Quick Car Keys price: ~$700
• Saving: ~$1,100

That's not a typo. And BMW isn't even the worst offender. Some Mercedes keys at the dealer crack $2,000.

We use the same programming protocols, the same chip technology, and the same frequency bands as the dealer. The key works identically. The difference is we don't have a showroom in Southbank to pay rent on.

Smart Key Battery vs. Full Replacement

Not every smart key problem needs a full replacement. Sometimes the battery just dies.

Signs your smart key battery is low:

• Reduced range: you have to be right next to the car for it to detect the fob
• Intermittent response: works sometimes, doesn't others
• Warning light on the dashboard saying "key battery low"
• Buttons feel less responsive

Battery replacement is simple and cheap. Most smart key batteries are CR2032 or CR2025 coin cells, a few dollars at any chemist. On a lot of fobs, you can pop the case open yourself with a coin or small screwdriver.

When you need a full replacement:

• Fob is physically damaged (cracked, water damage, crushed)
• Electronics have failed (no response even with a fresh battery)
• Key is lost, you need a new one programmed from scratch
• Buttons are worn through or non-functional

If you're not sure which situation you're in, call us. Buzz can usually diagnose it over the phone based on what you're experiencing. No charge for the advice.

Our 3-Year Warranty

Every smart key and proximity fob we supply comes with our 3-year warranty on parts and labour. Given that these are the most expensive keys to replace, that warranty matters.

Three years. Not the 90-day token gesture you get from some locksmiths, and not the "we'll look into it" non-commitment from the dealer. If a key we've supplied and programmed develops a fault within three years, we come back and sort it.

The Spare Key Argument (It's Even Stronger Here)

Because smart keys are more expensive, the financial argument for having a spare is amplified. Getting a spare smart key programmed while your current one works is significantly cheaper than an emergency lost key replacement.

We're talking hundreds of dollars in difference on European smart keys. Get the spare. Seriously.

Need a smart key sorted? Call Buzz on 0456 013 246 or contact us. Mobile service across Melbourne. 3-year warranty on parts and labour.