Tired of dealing with immobilizer not reading key Mazda problems?
Your vehicle has an immobilizer, which serves as an anti-theft component. This is a more common feature in vehicles produced in the past two decades. When it functions as it should, this minimizes the risk of getting your car stolen.
However, this system may eventually have some faults. When this occurs, it can definitely be annoying and frustrating to deal with. So, if you are having trouble with your immobilizer not reading your key, keep reading this post to understand what you can do about it.
What To Do With Immobilizer Not Reading Key Mazda Issues
Your immobilizer system offers a security feature to make your vehicle to be theft-deterrent. When an unauthorized individual does not have the right key for starting your engine, this prevents him from stealing your vehicle. So, if your vehicle is equipped with this feature, then you can ease your worries about theft.
Many cars produced in the past 20 years use smart keys or key fobs. This is what you use to unlock and lock the doors, as well as to open your trunk. You may even be able to remote-start your vehicle if it has this functionality.
Your key fob also comes with a transponder chip. So, once you place the key into your ignition, this chip sends out a security code to your immobilizer system. In case the security code is a mismatch with your immobilizer’s code, this prevents your vehicle from starting.
This is a random code sent out whenever you start your vehicle. The key is the main source for generating this code. So, when you have a damaged transponder chip or you do not have the right key fob, you will not be able to disable the immobilizer. Hence, you cannot start your vehicle.
Thus, you need to get a new key from your dealership. The drawback is that it can be quite costly.
There are a few symptoms to keep in mind when you have a malfunctioning immobilizer system. It is good to pay close attention to these symptoms to resolve the issue before things get even worse.
1. Unlocking concerns
When you use the key to unlock your doors remotely, you may notice that this does not help in unlocking the doors. The difficult thing is that many newer vehicles lack those old-fashioned keyholes located on the doors. Thus, it is never an option to open the door manually with a key.
So, if you lock your door from the inside and then try to close it, you cannot get back into the vehicle. Your key is unable to unlock your doors. The only thing left to do is to have a locksmith unlock your door.
2. Locking issues
Aside from not being able to unlock your door, you may also encounter problems with locking your door. Your smart key is pretty much useless in locking the door when you cannot also unlock it.
The only solution is that you can lock the door from the inside. However, there is a high risk of leaving the keys inside the car. So, if your door is completely locked, you cannot retrieve your keys. Hence, we do not recommend delaying the repair of this problem since not only is it inconvenient but it is troublesome.
3. Engine starting concerns
Another common sign that your engine immobilizer is having problems is that you are unable to start your car at all. But there are also other reasons why your engine will not start. Yet, when it coincides with the issue of locking and unlocking the door, then it is likely a key issue.
You will have to get your keys checked and replaced at the dealership to resolve this issue once and for all.
4. Failure to turn the key in ignition
When you have a physical key, along with a key fob, yet the former does not budge even when you turn it while into the ignition, then you may be having issues with your transponder chip. Thus, it fails to send the right code to your immobilizer.
There are many reasons why this may happen such as water damage or the chip has broken because you have dropped the fob, or it has been crushed. The next thing to do is to order a new key from your dealership.
However, you may want to check if you are actually using the right key fob. You may also have a duplicate key fob that may work, so this is worth a try.
5. Car alarm issue
Next up, your car alarm may start showing some problems when you have a faulty immobilizer. This means that it may fail to sound completely, which reduces your vehicle’s security feature.
With all these things in mind, the next step is to determine some ways to get this issue with the immobilizer fixed.
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The Next Step
Some problems can easily be addressed by replacing the battery in your key fob. It is possible that it could simply be a battery problem, so a replacement may be all it takes to fix it.
However, if this does not fix the problem, then there may be a deeper issue to consider. For instance, your transponder chip may have been damaged. The best way to deal with this problem is by contacting the dealership. Then, you can request for a replacement key. It is an expensive solution but it may be your only option.
As an example, some replacement key fobs may cost about a hundred dollars to a few more hundred dollars. Moreover, if you have an expensive vehicle, the replacement key fob is also just as costly.
But it could also be a problem with your vehicle’s immobilizer system. Perhaps the wires are damaged or corroded. In this case, you may need to have these checked and fixed. Or, the sensors and the engine control unit itself may be problematic.
With all these things in mind, it is important to determine what exactly is the cause of the problem to have it addressed appropriately. This way, you can spare yourself from unnecessary costs and get the issue dealt with accordingly.