2017 Kia Optima
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in San Diego

2017 Kia Optima Smart Key Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

I got a call from a graphic designer out in Fernbrook, in Ramona, parked on a steep one-lane residential street that a tow truck had already declined to navigate. The tow driver took one look at the hill and the lack of any turnout and passed. The dealer's answer was to get the car to them first, which he couldn't do without a working key. That was the whole problem.

I left my van at the bottom of the hill and walked up with my bag.

The job was a smart key replacement on his 2017 Optima. Four-button fob, push-button start, the transponder chip inside has to be enrolled to that specific vehicle before the engine will do anything. I had the right shell, a fresh CR2032, and current diagnostic equipment. I ran the enrollment on site using the OBD port, confirmed the new fob was communicating with the immobilizer, and tested every button before I handed it over.

His car never moved. He never had to tow it anywhere. The dealer comparison came up after, almost as an aside, when he mentioned what they'd quoted. He saved a good chunk.

That's usually how it goes on the hillside calls. The job itself isn't the hard part. Getting there is.

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