2021 Mazda CX-5
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in San Diego

2021 Mazda CX-5 Smart Key Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

Out in Casa de Oro, a guy called me about his 2021 Mazda CX-5. He'd bought it used and it came with one key.

That single key was fine until it wasn't, and he started getting a key-not-detected warning on the dash even when the fob was right in his hand. He figured the battery was dying, swapped it out himself, and it helped for about a week. Then the same warning came back.

He called the Mazda dealer. They told him to bring it in, said to plan for a couple of hours, and quoted him a number that made him pause. He went looking for another option and found me.

I met him at his place in Casa de Oro. First thing I did was open the fob and check the battery he'd installed. CR2032 instead of CR2025. Close enough that he hadn't thought twice about it, but thick enough that the contact wasn't sitting flush. I swapped in the correct cell, reseated everything, and the intermittent warning cleared immediately.

Since he still wanted a spare, we did a second key while I was there. Decoded the door lock, cut a new blade, programmed the fob through the OBD port, and walked every function: lock, unlock, trunk release, panic, and both door handle sensors. Start and stop confirmed. Total time was just under 40 minutes, and he had two working keys for the first time since he bought the car.

The dealer quote came up at the end of the conversation, almost as an afterthought. He'd saved a good chunk and never left his driveway.

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