There are many ways for originating and duplicating an automotive key. Normally to originate a key there is a need to retrieve a code either from one of the vehicle's lock or from a software that has a large data base of most makes and models in the market. For most newer vehicles or those who were manufactured in the late 90's until today, making or duplicating the key does not end with cutting it. There is programming involved which require the locksmith technician to have the right equipment which is normally expensive. These types of keys called transponder keys which not all locksmith technicians have the equipment or the skills to service them.I go a call recently from a customer who had a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix and he wanted his main key duplicated since he didn't have a spare key for it and wanted to have one in case of an emergency. Luckily, I just got my device that is used in order to program transponder keys on vehicle. Normally this type of equipment cost a significant amount of money, but I got a good deal on a used one.
Once I arrived to the customer location, the first thing I needed to do was cutting the spare key for the customer. Luckily, I did not have to pull out any codes in order to cut it since I had the machine where I could just duplicate it using the original key the customer had. Once I had the key made, it was programming time. As I connected the machine to the vehicle OBD connector I noticed that I couldn't get any read on the screen. Normally, it can mean two things. Either the OBD connector is bad or the device I was using, but since Iv'e tested the device on my vehicle successfully, I came to determine that the OBD might have an issue.
