2003 Toyota 4runner
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in Ventura County

2003 Toyota 4runner Transponder Key Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

The Presidio neighborhood in Santa Barbara is mostly tight residential streets, and I pulled up behind a 2003 4Runner that was parked in a driveway with the hood up. The owner had already convinced himself it was a dead battery because it cranked strong and just died. He had jumper cables out.

I asked him to try his key one more time while I watched. It fired, idled for maybe two seconds, and shut off clean. No rough running, no stumble. Just gone. That is a specific pattern, and I have seen it enough times to know exactly what it means.

He had lost his only working key a few weeks earlier and had a copy made at a hardware store. The blade was cut correctly. It turned in the ignition just fine. But the transponder in that key had never been registered to the vehicle's immobilizer, so the system killed the engine every time.

I connected my programmer at the OBD port, registered the new key to the vehicle, and had him try it again. It started and stayed running. He held onto the steering wheel for a few extra seconds like he was waiting for it to change its mind.

The dealer had told him it would be a multi-day job and a lot of money. He called me instead and was driving again before lunch.

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