Car repairs are not cheap, and costs have been steadily climbing over the past few years. Data shows the average cost to maintain a vehicle hovers around $900 a year, but the truth is that number varies a lot.<\/p>\n
Routine work like oil or coolant changes might only run a few dozen dollars. But bigger problems, think transmission fixes, transfer case replacement, or dashboard repairs, can easily jump into the thousands. In some more extreme cases, drivers face repair bills topping $6,000 in a single visit.<\/p>\n
Naturally, it\u2019s no surprise then that many car owners hesitate before dropping money at a dealership or mechanic, especially when the fix seems simple and paying hundreds for it feels unnecessary.<\/p>\n
Chevy Owner Skips Dealer, Activates Key Fob Himself<\/p>\n
TikTok creator Tim Ruiz (@timruiz13) posted a video about getting a new key fob.<\/p>\n
He explains that after paying about $160 for the fob, the dealership told him it would cost an additional $260 just to program it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis guy had the audacity after I just paid $160 for a [expletive] piece of plastic to tell me it cost $260 to program it,\u201d he says. \u201cYeah, go [expletive] yourself. Go punch sand. It\u2019s not happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz then remembered he has a General Motors key fob programmer he\u2019d picked up at O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts. He decided to give it a try.<\/p>\n
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\u201cLo and behold, it worked. I\u2019mma show you where to do it, how to do it. And it literally took me 15 [expletive] seconds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For his Chevrolet Silverado, Ruiz demonstrates that you plug the programmer into the OBD port, then hold the lock and unlock buttons on the new fob until it beeps.<\/p>\n
\u201cMine took maybe five to seven seconds,\u201d he adds, before showcasing, \u201cAnd voila, done. Key is programmed. It works.\u201d<\/p>\n
He closed the video with advice for other General Motors<\/a> owners.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not go let the dealership bend you over and charge you $260 to program it,\u201d he says, concluding the video. \u201cYou can buy this thing\u2026 [which] I want to say is probably under 40 bucks. Don\u2019t fall for that dealership [expletive].\u201d<\/p>\n Does This Work?<\/p>\n Yes, it works. What Ruiz shows in the video is an OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) programmer. This is a small device that plugs into the car\u2019s system and communicates with its Electronic Control Unit (ECU).<\/p>\n While his main goal was to activate his new key fob, these devices are also used for a range of other functions, such as adjusting settings or enabling hidden features that aren\u2019t available by default.<\/p>\n Additionally, they can be used to keep tabs on the car\u2019s health by tracking things like fuel efficiency, engine temperature, and transmission data, all of which give drivers an early warning if something isn\u2019t working the way it should.<\/p>\n In the comments, people backed Ruiz up, with some sharing similar experiences of dealership pricing.<\/p>\n \u201cOk period queen,\u201d one person wrote.<\/p>\n