Hey guys I did do a search but really couldnt find anything on this.....

Does a Key have to be programmed to a 97ish lumina? How do I make a new key work?

if your current key has a black chip in it you will

You don't have to have your key "programmed" but you will need to know your VATS resistance number. There are 15 different values. You can take a digital volt meter and measure the resistance and look your number up on a chart for these. I ordered my new keys from ebay for $5 each and took them to my local hardware shop to have them cut. The guy there nearly fell over when I told him how much I paid for them. They're around $30 each at the dealer. My generics work perfect.

YA, its got a key with the little chip thingy in it.....

As long as the key has the correct resistance value, it should work with no other process necessary. If you lose the original key, you will need to do a key re-learn for the new key(s).

so how exactly do i find the resistance value...?

You can take a digital volt meter and measure the resistance and look your number up on a chart for these.

I posted this above. You should be able to find a chart on a google search to find your number.