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Crenshaw Lock

Transponder Key Programming in San Dimas · 24/7 mobile

Transponder Key Programming in San Dimas, CA

Crenshaw Lock Company provides mobile transponder key programming in San Dimas, California, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We come to your vehicle and program chip keys to its immobilizer, so you never have to tow it. Call (323) 997-8867 to get started.

  • Mobile to your San Dimas location
  • Available 24/7
  • Price quoted before we start
Call (323) 997-8867or tap to call — we answer 24/7
Car key being programmed with a handheld programmer inside a car
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A modern car key is more than a cut piece of metal. Inside the plastic head sits a small transponder chip that talks to your vehicle's immobilizer, and if the car does not recognize that chip, the engine will not run no matter how well the blade turns the ignition. Transponder key programming is the work of teaching the car to accept a new or replacement key. In San Dimas, where most households depend on a car for everything from the Foothill Freeway commute to weekend trips up to Bonelli Park, losing the only key or watching a worn one fail can stall a whole day.

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County since 1987, and we are fully mobile. There is no shop to drive to and no storefront to visit. We bring the equipment to wherever the vehicle is parked, whether that is a driveway on a quiet ranch-style street, a hillside home in Via Verde, or a parking spot along Bonita Ave in Old Town. Our owner and lead technician, David Shar, built the business on the idea that people in a car-key jam want straight answers and a working key.

This page explains how programming works, what shapes the cost, and what to expect if you call us from San Dimas. Every vehicle is different, so we do not quote guesses over the internet. We ask a few questions about the car, then tell you honestly what is involved.

How it works in San Dimas

  1. 1

    You call and describe the situation

    Phone us at (323) 997-8867 any hour. Tell us the make, model and year, whether you still have a working key, and where the car is parked. That tells us whether this is an add-a-spare job or an all-keys-lost situation, which changes the approach.

  2. 2

    We come to the vehicle

    Because we are fully mobile, the work happens where the car sits. That might be a driveway near San Dimas Canyon, a lot off Arrow Hwy, or a curb by Bonita Ave. You do not need to arrange a tow.

  3. 3

    Confirming ownership

    Before programming a key to any vehicle we ask for reasonable proof that you own it or are authorized to use it, such as registration and a matching ID. It protects you, and it keeps keys out of the wrong hands.

  4. 4

    Cutting or preparing the key

    If you need a new key, we cut the blade to match your vehicle, or prepare a smart or proximity key where that applies. We match the chip type to what your car's immobilizer expects.

  5. 5

    Programming to the immobilizer

    We connect diagnostic equipment to the vehicle and register the new key with its computer. Depending on the model, existing keys may be kept or the system may be reset so only the keys you want remain active.

  6. 6

    Testing everything

    We start the engine, test the door and remote functions, and confirm every key you hold works before we leave. If something does not behave correctly, we fix it on the spot.

Need transponder key programming in San Dimas?

24/7 Mobile Locksmith across Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County. We answer 24/7.

Call (323) 997-8867

What affects the price

  • Make, model and year of the vehicle, since some manufacturers use more complex immobilizer systems than others.
  • Whether you have a working key already (adding a spare) or have lost every key, which usually takes more steps.
  • The type of key: a basic transponder blade, a flip key with remote, or a push-button proximity key each involve different parts.
  • How many keys you want programmed in one visit.
  • Whether the key blade must be cut as well as programmed, including high-security laser-cut blades.
  • The time of day and the vehicle's location, since we serve around the clock across a wide service area.

Why San Dimas chooses us

  • Fully mobile service: we bring the programming equipment to your car, so nobody has to tow a vehicle to a shop.
  • In business since 1987, with owner David Shar leading the work rather than handing it off to unknown subcontractors.
  • Available 24/7, which matters when a dead key strands you late at night after an event at Raging Waters or a drive back on the 210.
  • We explain what is involved and what affects the cost before work begins, without quoting numbers we cannot stand behind.
  • We check ownership before programming, a safeguard that protects vehicle owners.
  • We test every key, door function and remote before finishing, so you are not discovering a problem the next morning.

Transponder Key Programming across San Dimas

San Dimas has a mix of settings that shape how car-key problems show up. In Via Verde, the hillside planned community in the 91773 ZIP code, many households park in garages and driveways on steep streets, and a family often has several vehicles with different key types. A spare transponder key programmed ahead of time is far easier to arrange there than after the only key disappears. We can come to your driveway and handle it without anyone leaving home.

Near San Dimas Canyon and the larger lots by Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, vehicles are often trucks and utility vehicles that live outdoors on gravel or dirt next to barns and gated drives. Keys get dropped, bent or lost in places that are hard to search, and a work truck that will not start affects the whole property. Because we are mobile, we can meet you on the property and program a replacement right at the vehicle.

Downtown and Old Town San Dimas, with its western-facade buildings along Bonita Ave, draws shoppers, diners and business owners who park on the street all day. If a key fails there, or a key is lost after a visit to Puddingstone Reservoir or a drive along Foothill Blvd or San Dimas Ave, call (323) 997-8867. Whether you are near the SR-57, the 210 or the 10, we work across Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County, and San Dimas is part of our regular area.

Locked out or need a locksmith now?

24/7 Mobile Locksmith across Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County. We answer 24/7.

Call (323) 997-8867

Other San Dimas locksmith services

See all of our San Dimas services, or our citywide transponder key programming page.

Transponder Key Programming in San Dimas — FAQs

What is transponder key programming?
It is the process of registering a key's electronic chip with your vehicle's immobilizer so the engine will start. Without that match, a key that physically turns the ignition will still not run the car. Call (323) 997-8867 if you need a key programmed in San Dimas.
Can you program a key at my home in San Dimas?
Yes. We are fully mobile and come to the vehicle, whether it is in a Via Verde driveway, on a ranch-style lot, or on a street downtown. There is no storefront, so there is nothing to drive to.
I lost all my keys. Can you still help?
In many cases yes. An all-keys-lost situation involves more steps than copying from a working key, but it is often doable on site. Call (323) 997-8867 with your vehicle details and we will tell you what to expect.
Is it cheaper to add a spare before I lose my only key?
Generally, adding a key while you still have a working one is simpler than starting from nothing, which can reduce the work involved. We do not quote prices online, but we can explain the difference when you call.
Do you work at night and on weekends?
Yes, we are available 24/7. If a key fails late at night or on a holiday, you can reach us at (323) 997-8867.
Do I need to prove I own the car?
We ask for reasonable proof of ownership or authorization, such as registration and ID, before programming a key. It is a standard safeguard for your protection.
Will the old lost key still start my car?
Depending on the vehicle, we can often set up the system so lost keys no longer work. This is worth asking about if a key may have been stolen rather than just misplaced.
Can you program keys for trucks and work vehicles on rural properties?
Yes, as long as the vehicle uses a supported immobilizer system. We can meet you at a barn, gate or outbuilding area near San Dimas Canyon and work right at the vehicle.
DS

Reviewed by David Shar — Owner & Lead Technician

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County since 1987.

Last updated 2026-10-12.

Call (323) 997-8867 · Open 24/7