Question 1

What if I need a Chevrolet key after hours or on the weekend?

Accepted Answer

Call us. Dealer service departments are closed evenings and most of Sunday. If you have an OnStar subscription it can help with a lockout or arrange a tow, but it does not program keys or handle the immobilizer side of things. The actual key work still waits until the service bay is open and staffed. We work evenings and weekends in Carlsbad and stay close to Bressi Ranch. You do not have to sit on it until Monday.

Question 2

How long does programming take once you are at my car?

Accepted Answer

For the 2000 Impala specifically, the remote programming sequence is done through an onboard procedure that does not require a scan tool. If you still have a working ignition key, adding or reprogramming a fob typically runs about 15 minutes on site. The ignition key side, if there is an immobilizer concern, takes a bit longer because the system has a built-in wait cycle before it accepts a new key. All-keys-lost situations take more time. Count on 30 to 45 minutes for that scenario. Either way, it is done in your driveway, not at a service counter.

Question 3

Can you make a key faster than the dealer?

Accepted Answer

Almost always. The dealer process means scheduling, potentially towing if you have no working key, and waiting while they source parts. Owners on GM forums have reported waiting days just to get a fob in stock. We show up with what we need already in the van. One visit, one working key, done where your car sits. For a 2000 Impala, the job does not require dealer-level access tools, so there is no reason to be sitting in a waiting room for it.

Question 4

My remote stopped locking and unlocking the doors but the car starts fine. Do I need a new fob or just a battery?

Accepted Answer

Start with the battery. The 2000 Impala remote takes a CR2032, and a worn cell can kill range and button response well before it reads as fully dead on a tester. Swap it, make sure the contacts inside the fob are clean and not corroded, and retest from a normal distance, not six inches from the door.

If a fresh battery does not fix it, the fob may have dropped out of the vehicle's memory, which can happen after a battery disconnect or other electrical event. That means running the programming sequence again. The fob itself going bad is less common but it happens, especially on units that are 20-plus years old. If reprogramming does not take, a replacement fob is the next step.

The ignition key and the remote are separate systems on this car, so the fact that it starts fine is expected either way.

Question 5

The car cranks but dies immediately after starting. Could this be a key or immobilizer problem?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Crank-and-stall with no other obvious cause is a known symptom when the vehicle security system does not recognize the ignition key. The dashboard will usually show a security-related warning when this happens. It is worth checking for that indicator before chasing a fuel or spark problem.

This is separate from the remote fob entirely. The fob handles the doors and trunk. The ignition key is what the security system reads when you turn the cylinder. If the transponder element in the key is failing or the key has not been properly enrolled, the system can cut the starter signal after the engine fires. We diagnose and handle that on site.

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