2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in Ventura County

2002 Dodge Grand Caravan Transponder Key Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

I was parked off Rice Road in Meiners Oaks when the call came in. A woman had a 2002 Grand Caravan that would crank but immediately shut off. She had already tried her second key. Same result. She thought the van was mechanically broken and had a mechanic on the way.

I asked her one question before she committed to a tow: when did you last have a key made, and where?

Hardware store, she said. About two months ago.

That told me everything. The van was fine. The transponder in the copied key had never been programmed to the immobilizer. The van saw the key turn, let the starter run, and then cut the engine the moment it confirmed the chip was not enrolled. Classic symptom. The hardware store machine copies the cut perfectly and ignores the electronics entirely.

I got there before the mechanic did. Pulled up the PIN through the OBD port, programmed both keys so she had a working original and a properly enrolled spare, and tested three cold starts on each. The van ran exactly the way it should have been running for two months.

She canceled the mechanic. The tow never happened. Job done in her driveway, Meiners Oaks, no drama.

BSIS Licensed

LCO#6792

CA Bureau of Security & Investigative Services

NASTF Certified

National Automotive Service Task Force

Fully Insured

Liability & vehicle damage coverage

Google Guaranteed

Verified & backed by Google