TextHow the DTS Key System Evolved
Early Production
The 2006 DTS launched with GM's PK3 Philips ID46 PCF7936 transponder in a 3-button remote head key (lock, unlock, trunk), CR2032 battery, B107 blade. The blade goes in the ignition like a normal key but the chip in the head has to handshake with the BCM every crank. Programming demands a PK3-capable tool and a clean OBD2 link.
Mid-Cycle
The 2007-2008 DTS carries the identical PK3 Philips ID46 chip and the same 3-button remote head key shell. No electrical changes year-to-year. Marco's van handles a 2008 DTS in Oceanside the same way it handles a 2006 in Chula Vista: cut the B107 blank, pair the chip, test the start, hand over the key.
Platinum and Facelift
The 2009-2010 facelift gave the DTS a fresh front clip and refreshed interior trim, but the key system stayed exactly the same: PK3 Philips ID46 chip, 3-button remote head key, B107 blade, CR2032 battery. A facelift on the body, zero change on the immobilizer side.
Final Production
The 2011 was the final DTS off the line and it kept the same PK3 Philips ID46 (PCF7936) chip, 3-button remote head key, and B107 blade as every year before it. Last call on the platform, no electronic changes. Programming workflow on a 2011 in Hillcrest is identical to a 2006.
Which Key Does Your DTS Use?
The 2006 DTS key: 3-button remote head (lock, unlock, trunk) with a B107 metal blade out the bottom. PK3 Philips ID46 PCF7936 transponder chip inside the head. CR2032 battery powers the remote. The blade is what you turn to start, the chip is what tells the BCM you have authority.
Identical key to the 2006. Three buttons on the head, standard blade, and a transponder chip inside that has to match your car's computer before it will start.
Same 3-button remote head key as the earlier DTS years on the 2009-2010 facelift. Platinum trims got chrome and leather extras inside the cabin, but the fob and chip are unchanged. Programming and cutting workflow identical to the 2006.
Final-year 2011 DTS key: same 3-button remote head, same B107 blade, same Philips ID46 chip, same CR2032 battery. Nothing changed on the immobilizer through the entire production run. Cut and pair from the van the same way every time.
The Real Cost of a DTS Key
Price includes key blank, precision blade cutting, transponder programming, and remote programming, all done curbside.
Us vs. the Dealer
Getting the DTS spare cut now from the van runs a fraction of what the Cadillac dealer in Kearny Mesa charges, and you skip both the flatbed bill and the week-long service-bay queue. Here is the side-by-side.
Skip the Dealer - Call (619) 876-1271Common DTS Key Problems
Transponder Chip Failure
Key in, turn, engine cranks but will not fire. Security light stays on. The Texas 4D chip in your key has stopped talking to the PKM module, common after a battery swap or if wet. We reprogram curbside or cut a fresh key with a new transponder.
Remote Fob Battery Drain
Lock and unlock buttons stop responding on the DTS remote head and owners assume the remote is dead. Nine times out of ten it is a worn microswitch behind the rubber pad or a cold solder joint. We swap board or shell in your Mira Mesa driveway, no programming.
PKM Module Fault
The Pass-Key Module under the dash on 2006-2011 DTS decides whether the chip in your key has authority. When it flakes (El Cajon summer heat damage is common), security light stays on, engine cranks but does not fire. We diagnose the module before keys.
Worn Ignition Cylinder
We check the ignition cylinder first when a Mira Mesa or Solana Beach customer says the key works "sometimes." High-security tumblers in 2009-2011 DTS wear from daily use; symptoms mimic a bad transponder. Key slides in but does not engage. We tell curbside.
Can You Program a DTS Key Yourself?
Yes, GM's 10-minute relearn works on every DTS year if you have at least one working key. You insert the new pre-cut key with chip, leave it in the run position for ten minutes until the security light goes out, cycle off, repeat twice. Three cycles total, thirty minutes, no scanner needed. With zero working keys you need the van and our PK3-capable tool.
How It Works
Call or Text Us
Reach us at (619) 876-1271.
We Drive to You
Wherever you are in San Diego County, from Coronado to La Jolla, we come to your location.
Cut, Program, Test
We cut your new HU100 blade curbside, program the Texas 4D transponder through OBD-II using Autel IM608 or Xhorse VVDI, pair the remote, and hand you a working key.
Related Services
San Diego Trivia
Here is the trivia: the DTS was one of the last luxury sedans to ship with a traditional turn-key ignition paired with GM's Northstar V8. While other Cadillac trim was rotating to smart keys and push-button start, the DTS held onto its VATS-derived immobilizer all the way through its 2011 final-year build. End-of-an-era luxury sedan in more ways than the obvious.
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