Transponder Cloning With The JMA TRS5000 EVO Transponder Duplicating Machine

More than 90 percent of the vehicles manufactured for the 2012 model year are equipped with transponder-based engine immobilizer systems. Of this number, approximately 90 percent can be cloned. That constitutes the vast majority of the roughly 240 million plus vehicles on the road.

The first transponder-equipped vehicles were introduced during the 1996 model year. Today, not only are the cars equipped but motorcycles, pickups, vans, trucks and even some heavy machinery are also equipped with transponder-based engine immobilizer systems. The number of thefts drop dramatically when vehicles are equipped with transponder-based engine immobilizer systems.

Over the years, transponder technology has evolved, replacing the fixed code transponders with more secure encrypted and rolling code versions. Not only have the car manufacturers increased the security on the keys themselves, but they are also making it more difficult to program additional transponder equipped keys by eliminating “on-board” programming procedures and limiting the number of programmable transponder-equipped keys.

With a transponder cloning machine, a locksmith can easily duplicate a key without having to plug into the vehicle’s central computer system. By cloning a key, you can make an unlimited number of transponder-equipped keys that can operate the vehicle. The value programmed in the original key and stored in the car’s computer and the value written into the new cloned key are exactly the same. The vehicle’s computer can’t tell the difference between the original key and the cloned key.

Cloning a transponder-equipped key requires a key blank with the correct clonable transponder.

JMA has four clonable transponders:

• The TP05 transponder is used to clone the Megamos, Nova, Philips, and Temic fixed-code transponders.
• The TPX1 transponder is used to clone the Texas Instruments fixed code transponders.
• The TPX2 is used to clone the Texas Instruments encrypted transponders.
• The TPX4 is used to clone the Philips encrypted (Crypto) transponders.

These four transponder are used to clone keys for models of domestic and foreign manufacturers including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Hummer, Jeep, Lincoln, Mercury, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Acura/Honda, Freightliner, Hyundai, Infiniti/Nissan, Jaguar, Kia, Range Rover, Lexus/Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Saab, Scion, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, etc.

TRS5000 EVO

JMA recently introduced the TRS5000 EVO transponder duplicating machine which can detect, read and clone transponder keys equipped with Megamos, Nova, Philips, Temic and Texas Instruments fixed-code transponders, and Philips and Texas Instruments encrypted (Crypto) transponders.

The TRS5000 EVO is fully integrated, requiring no attachments, add-ons or internet/PC access. The unit is compact, measuring approximately six by seven inches, about 3.5 inches tall and weighs approximately one pound. The machine has a four line by 20-character alphanumeric display that is large and easy to read. Two buttons perform the cloning procedure, “Read” and “Write.” For data connections, the EVO has one female DB9 RS-232 connector and two USB connectors.

When a customer’s key is inserted into the TRS5000 EVO, pressing the “Read” button will indicate the type and value of the transponder. The machine will also indicate which one of the four TP05, TPX1, TPX2 or TPX4 transponders to use for cloning.

Note: If a plastic head key is inserted into the machine that does not contain a transponder, the display will indicate “No Chip No transponder.”

For example, we’ll use a 2002 Ford pickup that is equipped with transponder. Inserting the key into the TRS5000 and pressing the read button, the display indicates “Copy on TPX1” and the ID. The 2002 Ford pickup uses the 8-cut lock mechanism.