Question 1

How do I spot a fake or unqualified locksmith before I waste my time?

Accepted Answer

A few things give it away fast. First, they dodge a firm price on the phone when you name the exact vehicle. Second, they show up with no visible company branding and no clear ID. Third, and this is the one that really tells you, they cannot explain the actual procedure before they touch anything.

For a 2000 Infiniti G20 specifically, a qualified tech should be able to tell you upfront that this car uses a transponder chip in the ignition key, that programming goes through the vehicle's immobilizer system, and that cutting the blade and programming the chip are two separate steps. If someone shows up, stares at the key cylinder for a while, and then tells you they need to "call someone," walk away.

Ask what tools they carry for Nissan and Infiniti work from this era. A real answer takes about ten seconds. A vague one tells you everything.

Question 2

What exactly is a transponder key and why does the 2000 G20 need one?

Accepted Answer

The transponder key has a small chip embedded in the plastic head. When you insert it and turn the ignition, the car's immobilizer reads that chip. If the code matches what the system expects, the engine starts and stays running. If it does not match, or if there is no chip at all, the car cranks and stalls almost immediately.

On the 2000 G20, this system was Nissan and Infiniti's answer to rising theft rates in the late 1990s. A hardware store copy of the blade will fit the cylinder and turn it, but the engine will die within a second or two because the chip is missing or unprogrammed. That is the immobilizer working exactly as intended. Programming the replacement chip is what makes the key a real working key, not just a metal blank that fits the lock.

Question 3

What tools do you actually use to program a key for this car?

Accepted Answer

For the 2000 G20, the job calls for a professional key programmer that supports late-1990s and early-2000s Nissan and Infiniti immobilizer systems, plus a cloning or transponder-writing tool depending on the situation. The programming on this generation communicates through the OBD port.

The 2000 G20 is older enough that it does not require the more involved security access procedures that come with later Infiniti platforms. No gateway bypass, no 40-digit PIN extraction headache. But you still need proper equipment that actually supports this generation. A lot of newer-focused tools skip coverage for vehicles this age, which is its own problem. I carry equipment that covers both ends of the range.

Question 4

I bought a replacement transponder key online. Can I program it myself at home?

Accepted Answer

Not on the 2000 G20. There is no owner-accessible add-a-key sequence for this vehicle the way some older domestic cars have. The immobilizer on this generation does not have an ignition-turn relearn that a regular owner can run without tools.

If you already have a working key, a professional can add the second one at the OBD port without erasing the existing key. If you have no working keys at all, that is an all-keys-lost situation and it takes a bit more work, but it is still a standard job. Either way, the chip in that key you bought online is blank until someone with the right programmer writes to it.

Question 5

My G20 cranks fine but stalls right after starting. Could this be a key problem?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and on this generation it is one of the first things to check. A crank-and-immediate-stall on the 2000 G20 is a classic sign that the immobilizer is not recognizing the transponder chip in the key. The engine fires on the initial crank, then the security system cuts fuel almost instantly because the chip handshake failed.

This can happen if the chip inside the key head has gone bad, if someone used a non-transponder copy of the blade by mistake, or if the key was never properly programmed to begin with. It can also point to something on the vehicle side, so I diagnose it on site rather than assuming one cause. But if your key is worn, old, or was ever replaced cheaply, that chip is the first suspect.

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