Question 1

How do I spot a fake locksmith before I get ripped off?

Accepted Answer

Three things to check before anyone touches your Audi. First, ask for the company's California BSIS license number on the phone. Every legitimate locksmith operation in the state has one and can give it to you immediately. If they stall or change the subject, hang up.

Second, ask for a firm estimate for your specific vehicle before they arrive. Scam operations quote low on the phone, show up, and then tell you the job is more complicated than expected. A real locksmith who knows Audi work can ballpark the job for a 2012 A5 without seeing the car first.

Third, check Google reviews and look at how the business responds to negative ones. Bait-and-switch outfits cycle through business names and phone numbers to bury bad ratings, but the review patterns are usually visible if you look.

Question 2

What exactly is a smart key and why does my A5 need it programmed?

Accepted Answer

Your 2012 A5 uses a proximity-style fob with an embedded transponder. The vehicle's immobilizer only allows the engine to run when it recognizes an authorized key signal. A replacement fob that hasn't been paired to your specific car will get rejected at the security handshake, even if the blade is cut perfectly and the battery is fresh.

The four-button fob also handles remote lock and unlock independently of the ignition system. Both sides, the transponder and the remote functions, have to be working and properly registered for the key to behave the way it should.

One thing to watch out for: some locksmiths who don't have the right tools for Audi will tell you it's dealer-only work. It isn't. It does require professional equipment and someone who knows the Audi programming sequence, but a qualified mobile locksmith can do this job in your driveway or a parking lot.

Question 3

What tools do you actually use to program a 2012 Audi A5 key?

Accepted Answer

Audi immobilizer work at this level requires dedicated European vehicle programming tools, not a generic OBDII reader. The 2012 A5 immobilizer communication runs through the OBD port, so when the vehicle and its security system are intact, a bench-level module pull isn't needed.

The caution here is real: using the wrong tool or interrupting the programming sequence mid-process on these vehicles can cause serious problems with the immobilizer module. That's not a scare tactic, it's something experienced Audi locksmiths on forums like r/Locksmith have documented repeatedly. Before you let anyone work on your A5, ask them specifically what tool they use for Audi immobilizer programming and whether they've done this generation before. If they can't answer that clearly, that's your answer.

Question 4

My A5 fob remote functions stopped working but the car still starts fine. What's going on?

Accepted Answer

This is actually a pretty common split failure on these fobs. The transponder side and the remote side are functionally separate. If the car starts normally but the lock, unlock, and other buttons do nothing, the remote frequency side of the fob has likely failed or the fob lost its remote pairing, while the transponder that talks to the immobilizer is still intact.

Start with the battery. A CR2032 that reads low but not dead can drop the remote range to almost zero while still supplying enough power for the short-range transponder signal the car reads at startup. Swap the battery, seat it clean, and retest. If the remote still doesn't respond after a fresh battery, the fob itself may need to be replaced and re-registered. That's a programming job, not just a battery swap.

Question 5

I lost both keys to my 2012 A5. Is an all-keys-lost situation something a mobile locksmith can handle?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All-keys-lost on this vehicle is a job we do. It requires clearing the existing key data from the immobilizer and registering new fobs from scratch, which takes longer than a standard add-a-key job because of the security reset process built into the system. Plan for more time on site than a typical one-key replacement.

The other piece is the emergency blade. Even with a working fob, you need a properly cut blade inside it for manual entry if the remote side ever fails. We cut that on site.

One thing to have ready: proof of ownership. Vehicle registration or title in your name. For an all-keys-lost job on a vehicle with no working keys, that's standard practice and any reputable locksmith will ask for it.

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