2003 Renault Espace ignition key card reader does not respond

I can unlock the car with the key card. It disables the alarm, the lights go on in the car. The dashboard show, "Put the card in the card reader". When I put the card in the card reader there's no response whatsoever. No reponse of the key card is not starting the vehicle. Can I change the reader with a new one, without having to re-program the reader or key card? Opinions vary and the people I've asked don't really know if it has to be re-programmed by Renault Only. The local car electrician could not find the problem. The computer diagnostic connection did not provide any power to his computer eighter. So he could not establish where the fault was. Before I'm going to let me be stripped by Renault, I thought to give the forum a go. Fraglactic