2016 Lincoln MKZ
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in San Diego

2016 Lincoln MKZ Smart Key Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

Out in Eucalyptus Hills, I got a call from a woman who had already done what most people try first. Fresh batteries, both CR2025s, installed correctly. The dash warning came back the same afternoon.

She had two fobs. One was working. The other was giving her a key-not-detected warning every time, except when she held it directly against the start button, which would fire the car up. That detail is important. It meant the transponder inside the fob was alive. The car recognized it up close. But the RF side, the part that lets the car detect the key in your pocket or bag from a normal distance, was gone.

She had already been to a Lincoln retailer before she called me. They scanned it, confirmed the fob was bad, and quoted her a replacement plus programming. She was told to expect a wait on the part and to come back a second time for programming once it arrived. That was not going to work for her schedule.

I drove out to her place in Eucalyptus Hills, ran the diagnostic, confirmed exactly what she described. The transponder read fine. The wireless output was dead. I had the correct replacement fob on the van, programmed it to her vehicle on site using professional Ford and Lincoln equipment, verified both fobs detected from normal distance, and walked her through the backup slot location in case she ever needs it again.

The whole visit was under an hour. She did not tow anything, did not take a second trip, and paid a fraction of what the dealer had quoted her, including the wait.

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