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Key Squad — mobile automotive locksmith, Louisville KY

Service

Push-to-Start & Keyless System Repair in Louisville

Car won't detect the key or the start button does nothing — diagnosed at the module level.
(502) 557-1219Text us
$160–$680
Typical range
1–2
hours
24/7
Answered every day

"Key not detected." It is one of the more frustrating dashboard messages, because the key is right there in your pocket and the car is insisting otherwise.

Keyless systems depend on a chain of components — the fob, several low-frequency antennas distributed through the cabin and bumpers, a receiver module, the start button itself, and the steering lock. A failure anywhere along that chain produces the same symptom.

Replacing the fob is the common guess, and it is frequently wrong. Key Squad tests the chain so you replace the part that actually failed.

What’s included

Antenna diagnosis

Most vehicles carry four to six low-frequency antennas. One failed antenna can create a dead zone where the key is not detected in a specific seat position — a very diagnosable pattern.

Start button and steering lock

The button is a switch and switches wear out. The electronic steering lock can also refuse to release and block the start sequence entirely.

Receiver module faults

Where the receiver module has failed we can replace and program it, including writing your existing keys back in.

Test before you buy

We confirm the fob is transmitting at correct strength before recommending a replacement. Plenty of these calls end with a coin cell and an honest bill.

How the visit goes

  1. 1

    Verify the fob

    Signal strength and battery voltage are measured directly rather than assumed.

  2. 2

    Scan for stored faults

    Keyless faults log in the body and comfort modules, which is exactly where a generic code reader does not look.

  3. 3

    Map the dead zones

    We test detection from every seat position and outside the vehicle. Where it fails tells us which antenna is at fault.

  4. 4

    Repair and confirm

    After repair we test cold-start, walk-away lock, and detection from every position.

Push-to-Start System Repair — common questions

My car says 'key not detected' but the fob is in my pocket. What is wrong?

Something in the detection chain has broken. Most likely in order: a weak fob battery, a failed low-frequency antenna creating a dead zone, RF interference from a phone or a second fob sharing your pocket, or a receiver module fault. The useful diagnostic clue is whether holding the fob directly against the start button works — if it does, the immobilizer backup coil is fine and the problem is in proximity detection.

The start button does nothing at all. Is it the battery?

Check the obvious first: brake pedal fully depressed, transmission genuinely in Park. If those are fine and the dash lights normally, the vehicle battery is probably healthy and the fault is in the start circuit, the button itself, or the steering lock.

Is this worth fixing or should I just use the emergency start method?

Holding the fob against the start button is a designed backup for a dead fob battery, not a repair. If you are relying on it daily, an antenna or receiver has failed and it will eventually leave you stranded somewhere inconvenient.

How much does this cost to diagnose?

Diagnosis is $95 in the Louisville metro, and we credit it in full against the repair if you have us do the work. You will get a clear answer about what failed either way.

Related services

ECM / ECU Programming

Engine and body control module cloning, flashing, and immobilizer alignment — the work most locksmiths send away.

from $250

Stuck right now? Let's get you moving.

Tell us the year, make, and model and we'll give you a firm price on the phone — before anyone is dispatched.

(502) 557-1219Text us the details

Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — including holidays.

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