TextHow the tC Key System Works
1st Gen (AGT10): Transponder Key - San Diego
First-gen tC (2005-2010) takes a TOY44 high-security blade with a Toyota 4D-67 transponder chip. No buttons on the base key. The immobilizer is a standard Toyota system, programmable through OBD with the Autel. This is also the generation with the famous ignition cylinder binding issue.
1st Gen Facelift (AGT20): Remote Head Key - San Diego
Second-gen 2011-2013 tC moves to a 3-button remote head key (FCC: MOZB52TH) with a CR2016 battery and the same Toyota 4D-67 chip in the head. Programming requires OBD through the Autel, which Marco handles curbside in San Diego.
2nd Gen (AGT20): Smart Key with Push-Button Start - San Diego
2014-2016 tC upgrades to a Toyota G chip (still in the TOY44 keyway) with the HYQ14ACX 3-button remote head. The G chip is more resistant to cloning attacks, but the OBD pairing routine is similar. Marco carries both blanks and both chip types on every San Diego call.
Which tC Key Do You Have?
Plain TOY44 high-security blade with a 4D-67 chip molded into the plastic head. No buttons. First-gen 2005-2010 base trim. Twist in the ignition, chip authenticates, engine fires.
MOZB52TH 3-button remote head key for 2011-2013 tCs, lock/unlock/panic buttons in the head, CR2016 battery, Toyota 4D-67 chip inside. One unit handles starting and remote functions.
HYQ14ACX 3-button remote head key for 2014-2016 tCs, lock/unlock/panic buttons, CR2032 battery, Toyota G chip inside. The G chip generation, more secure but still pairs through OBD with the Autel curbside.
tC Key Pricing in San Diego County
Every price includes the key blank, cutting, transponder programming, remote pairing, and on-site testing at your location in San Diego County.
EZ Car Keyz vs San Diego Toyota Dealers
Toyota of El Cajon wants the tC towed in, the cylinder swapped without diagnosis, and a $600+ ticket because they don't know the cars the way an independent does. Marco diagnoses the binding cylinder vs the bad chip vs the dead immobilizer curbside in San Diego, cuts the TOY44 blade to your Toyota code, and pairs the chip through OBD with the Autel. Half the cost, real diagnosis, no tow.
Skip the Dealer - Call (619) 876-1271Common tC Key Problems in San Diego
First-Gen Ignition Cylinder Binding
2005-2010 tC has a documented cylinder binding problem: wafer wear and weak springs that stick the key at run. Marco sees it constantly in San Diego, El Cajon and Spring Valley. Force the TOY44 blade and it snaps. Marco rebuilds the cylinder curbside.
Remote Fob Battery Drain - San Diego
Switchblade conversion kits on Amazon for $40 and tC owners try the swap themselves. Chip transfer wrecks the antenna; the key won't authenticate to the immobilizer. Marco fixes botched conversions weekly in San Diego: fresh blank, chip, OBD-II reprogram.
Immobilizer ECU Sync Loss - San Diego
Dead 12V or a sloppy jump knocks the Toyota immobilizer out of sync with a good key. Engine cranks but won't fire, security light flashes. Marco plugs the Autel into OBD-II in San Diego and runs the Toyota relearn to resync.
Smart Key Antenna Failure - San Diego
MOZB52TH and HYQ14ACX remote head shells crack at the seam carried on a heavy keyring, common in San Diego where owners hang a dozen things off the key. Cracked shell shifts the chip antenna and authentication fails. Marco swaps the shell or cuts fresh.
Can You Self-Program a tC Key in San Diego?
No to the chip programming, yes to the remote button pairing on some 2011-2013 tCs. The chip programming for any generation requires OBD with professional tools. Some 2011-2013 tCs let you re-pair the remote buttons on a working key through a door-cycle dance, but the chip itself still needs Marco. Call (619) 876-1271 and it all runs curbside.
No DIY procedure exists for chip programming on any 2005-2016 tC. The Toyota 4D-67 and G chip both require OBD pairing with professional equipment like the Autel IM608. Marco handles it curbside in San Diego, including all-keys-lost with TIS PIN when needed.
No. 2014-2016 tCs run the Toyota G chip with HYQ14ACX remote heads, and both require OBD programming with TIS PIN authentication. There is no key-dance or door-cycle workaround for these. Marco runs the full procedure curbside in San Diego.
How It Works
Call or Text Us
Text or call (619) 876-1271.
We Come to You
Marco rolls anywhere in San Diego County, from Oceanside down to Imperial Beach, with TOY44 blanks, 4D-67 and G chip stock, MOZB52TH and HYQ14ACX shells, all loaded on the van.
Cut and Program Your Key
Marco cuts the TOY44 to your Toyota code, programs the right chip through OBD with the Autel IM608, pairs the remote buttons if you've got a remote head, and tests the ignition (especially on first-gens) before he leaves.
Related Services
Did You Know?
The Scion tC's platform is the Toyota Avensis, a mid-size European sedan that never sold in the US. Toyota chopped a coupe roof on it, dropped in a Camry-spec immobilizer, and shipped it to American Scion dealers. The key blade is TOY44, the chip is Toyota 4D-67 through 2013 then a G chip from 2014 forward, and the FCC is MOZB52TH for the 2011-2013 remote head. Marco still pulls a few tCs a week out of Carmel Valley and Mission Valley driveways. The first-gen ignition cylinder binding is so well-documented Marco can diagnose it over the phone.
KEY REPLACEMENT ACROSS ALL OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY
We come to you, anywhere in San Diego County. No shop visit, no towing. Our mobile locksmith arrives at your home, office, or roadside.
Watch Us Work
See a real Scion key replacement in action
Need a Scion Key? Call Now
Mobile locksmith serving all of San Diego County. We come to you.
