Key Not Detected / Smart Key Help

A flat fob battery is by far the most common cause, and most vehicles provide a backup method — holding the fob against the start button or a marked spot on the column. Interference from another transmitter, a fob damaged by water, or a fault in the vehicle's receiver each produce the same message.

Have: the exact wording of the message on the dashboard; whether the vehicle starts using the fob's backup position; when the fob battery was last changed; whether a second fob behaves the same way. Proof of identity and vehicle ownership or written authorisation is required before any key is originated or programmed.

"Key not detected", "no key detected" and "key fob not found" are the same class of message: the vehicle is looking for a credential and cannot see one. That has several common causes and only one of them is a failed key, which is why this starts as diagnosis rather than replacement.

It is offered as mobile service across Hampton Roads, Tidewater, the Peninsula, Western Tidewater, the regional airports and Virginia's Eastern Shore. Whether a specific vehicle is eligible is confirmed before a job is treated as scheduled.

For eligible jobs, mobile service can be coordinated at many accessible locations when the owner or authorized party can approve service and site rules allow access.