Question 1

What if I need a Subaru key after hours or on the weekend?

Accepted Answer

Call us. Subaru dealer service departments run limited hours, and most are closed Sunday entirely. If your only key stops working on a Friday evening near the bay, you're looking at a Monday appointment at the earliest, and that's assuming they have the right blank in stock and can fit you in same day.

We work nights and weekends. That's not a selling point, it's just how mobile locksmith work actually functions. Most key emergencies don't happen at 10am on a Tuesday.

Question 2

How long does the whole job take once you're at my car?

Accepted Answer

For a 2006 Forester where you still have a working key and just need a spare, the programming portion is quick once we're connected, typically under twenty minutes on-car. The decoding and cutting adds a little time, but the whole job is usually done in a single visit well under an hour.

All-keys-lost takes longer. On this generation, there's a mandatory wait period built into the immobilizer reset before new keys can be registered. It's not something you skip. Plan for the visit to run closer to an hour, but you'll drive away the same day.

Question 3

Can you make a key faster than the dealer?

Accepted Answer

By a significant margin, yes, and I come to you instead of the other way around.

Dealers on older Subaru models sometimes need to order blanks, schedule a programming appointment separately from the cut, or in all-keys-lost situations, involve additional steps that stretch the turnaround to days. One common scenario owners report on forums is being told to tow the car in first, which creates its own problem if there's no working key to release the steering lock or the car is in a spot a tow truck can't reach.

I carry blanks for this generation on every call and handle the cut and program in one stop.

Question 4

My 2006 Forester cranks but dies right away. Is that the immobilizer?

Accepted Answer

That's the classic symptom. Cranks, fires briefly, then shuts off in under two seconds. The engine management system checks the transponder chip in the key at startup. If it doesn't get the right signal back, it cuts fuel or ignition almost immediately.

Common causes on this generation: a worn key where the chip has cracked internally, a key that was copied at a hardware store without transferring or programming the chip, or a chip that was never paired to this specific car. A key that looks right and fits the ignition can still fail this check entirely.

If you're seeing that crank-and-die pattern, it points to the transponder side of things and that's something I diagnose and handle on site.

Question 5

I bought a replacement key blank online. Can you just program it, or is that not how it works?

Accepted Answer

Depends on what you bought. A lot of blanks sold online for this era of Subaru come without a chip, or with a chip that isn't compatible with the vehicle's immobilizer. The blade might look identical and cut perfectly, and the key still won't start the car.

Bring it and I'll check it. If the chip is correct and unprogrammed, it can likely be used. If it's the wrong type or missing entirely, you need a proper blank. Either way, don't cut it before I look at it. A cut blank is harder to exchange if it turns out to be the wrong one.

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