Guessing is expensive
The most expensive thing in this trade is replacing the wrong part. A new key for a car whose receiver has failed, a new barrel for a car whose problem was a worn blade, a new module for a car that needed a five pound antenna ring. All of that happens, and it happens because nobody looked first.
A diagnostic scan takes minutes and tells us which part of the chain has broken. You then pay to fix that, rather than paying to find out by elimination.
What the scan covers
- Immobiliser system: stored fault codes, whether your key is being read, and whether the module and the ECU still agree
- Key and transponder: whether the chip responds and whether the car recognises the code it sends
- Remote and central locking: receiver health, fuses and whether the fob signal is arriving at all
- Ignition and steering lock: electronic steering lock faults and barrel switch failures
- Battery and voltage: low voltage causes an enormous number of faults that look like something worse
The faults we find most
| What you notice | What it often turns out to be |
|---|---|
| Cranks but will not start | Immobiliser not reading the key, or a cracked antenna ring |
| Neither key works the locks | Receiver module or a blown fuse, not the keys |
| Intermittent no start | Worn transponder or poor connection, worse when cold or damp |
| Started after a jump start | Corrupted stored data, needs resynchronising |
| Key turns, nothing happens | Ignition switch behind the barrel rather than the lock itself |
Why low voltage matters more than people think
A tired battery causes chaos in a modern car. Modules drop offline, stored data gets corrupted mid write, and the dashboard fills with faults that have nothing to do with the real problem.
We check voltage first for that reason. There is no sense reprogramming a key on a car that cannot hold eleven volts while cranking, because the same fault will be back inside a fortnight. If the battery is the underlying cause, we tell you, even though it is not a job we charge for.
An honest second opinion
We are called out fairly often by people who have already been quoted for an expensive part elsewhere and want to know whether it is right. Sometimes it is, and we say so. Sometimes the scan shows the fault is somewhere cheaper, and that conversation saves people hundreds.
Either way, you own the information afterwards. We tell you the codes, what they mean and what we would do next, whether that is key programming, immobiliser work or something outside our trade entirely.
What we do not do
We are auto locksmiths, not a general garage. Engine management, sensors, emissions and mechanical faults are somebody else's job, and we will tell you plainly when a car needs a garage rather than us.
What we know inside out is keys, locks, immobilisers and central locking. If the fault is in that world, we find it and we fix it in the same visit wherever we can.
At your car, anywhere in Leeds
The van carries the diagnostic equipment, so this happens where the car is. Work car parks in Morley, driveways in Horsforth, the retail parks around Kirkstall. If a repair is possible on site, we do it there and then rather than booking you in again.
Second opinions across Leeds
A fair share of our diagnostic work comes from people who have already been quoted somewhere else and want to know whether the quote is fair. We do those in Morley, Middleton and everywhere else, and we will tell you plainly when the original quote was right.
The other regular call is the car that has stood for weeks and now refuses to start. We see a lot of those after holidays and long spells of bad weather. In most cases the security system has lost its bearings rather than anything having broken, and a scan sorts out which it is before anybody spends money.
Questions about key and lock diagnostics
How long does a diagnostic scan take?
Usually 20 to 30 minutes, including reading the codes and testing the key side.
Do you charge for diagnostics?
Yes, there is a charge for the scan, and we agree it on the phone. If we then carry out the repair, it is a single job rather than two separate bills.
Can you diagnose a car that will not start at all?
Yes. We can communicate with most vehicles as long as the battery has enough charge to power the modules.
My key works sometimes. Is that worth scanning?
Definitely. Intermittent faults are exactly what a scan is for, because the stored codes remain even when the fault is not happening at that moment.
Will you tell me if it is not a locksmith job?
Yes. If the car needs a garage rather than us, we say so and you have the scan results to take with you.
Do you come out at night?
Yes, 24 hours a day, though a non urgent diagnostic is usually cheaper booked during the day.
Can you fix it in the same visit?
In most cases, yes. Key, lock, immobiliser and central locking repairs are all done at the vehicle wherever possible.