Question 1

My key broke off in the ignition. Can you get it out?

Accepted Answer

Yes, broken key extraction is a standard call for me. I carry the tools to pull a broken key blade from the cylinder without tearing up the ignition housing.

On the 2000 Intrepid, once the broken piece is out, I can cut a new transponder key either from the code on file for your vehicle or by decoding the lock directly. Then the new key gets programmed to the immobilizer on the spot. You leave with a working key, not just an empty ignition.

Question 2

What exactly is a transponder key, and why can't I just get one cut at the hardware store?

Accepted Answer

A transponder key looks like a regular metal key, but there's a small chip sealed inside the plastic head. When you turn the key, the ignition cylinder sends a signal to that chip, and the chip sends back a code. If the immobilizer doesn't recognize that code, the engine either won't start or it starts for a second and then cuts out.

Hardware stores cut the blade shape fine, but they can't program the chip. You'd have a key that turns the ignition but doesn't talk to the car. The 2000 Intrepid needs both -- the right cut and a programmed chip -- before it'll drive anywhere. That's the whole job when you come to me: cut and program, done at your location.

Question 3

My Intrepid cranks but shuts off immediately after starting. Could it be the key?

Accepted Answer

That's one of the most common signs that the immobilizer isn't recognizing the transponder chip. The car cranks because the ignition cylinder is mechanical, but the security system cuts fuel or ignition almost immediately if it doesn't get a valid signal from the key.

Check whether a warning light stays on after the crank. A key-not-detected or security warning that stays lit after shutdown points in this direction. It can also happen with a legitimate key that has a cracked or damaged chip head -- sometimes the chip gets damaged by a drop or by forcing a stiff ignition, and the key looks fine on the outside but the chip no longer responds. If you have a second key, try it. If the second key starts and runs clean, the first key's chip is the problem and you need a replacement cut and programmed to match. If neither key works, call me -- that's an immobilizer diagnosis job.

Question 4

Can I program a spare transponder key myself at home for the 2000 Intrepid?

Accepted Answer

There is an onboard add-a-key procedure available on some late-1990s and early-2000s Dodge vehicles with this type of transponder system, but it requires having two already-programmed working keys to initiate the sequence. If you have two working keys, you may be able to add a third yourself using the ignition-cycle procedure specific to this system.

If you only have one working key, or no keys at all, you need a programmer and someone who knows how to run the key-learning sequence for this platform. That's where I come in. Don't buy a blank online and expect to sort it out yourself with one key -- the self-program path is closed to you at that point.

Question 5

My Intrepid is older -- do I really need to worry about the transponder, or can I just use a regular cut key?

Accepted Answer

The 2000 Intrepid does use a transponder system, so a plain cut key without a programmed chip will not let the car run normally. This comes up a lot with older vehicles because people assume transponders only showed up on newer cars. Dodge was using this technology in the Intrepid by the late 1990s.

A cut-only key will turn the ignition. The car may even fire briefly. But the immobilizer will intervene. If you've been handed a spare that "works sometimes," it may have a chip that's marginal -- worth getting properly replaced rather than waiting for it to fail completely somewhere inconvenient, like a parking lot in Old Town Goleta at the end of a long day.

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