Everyone faces various issues with their car lock and keys throughout their day—to—day lives, which can be stressful. A reliable automotive locksmith can help swiftly ease the headache of your issue, whether it is replacing a car key you mysteriously lost or being unfortunate to be locked out of your car.
Can Locksmiths Make Car Keys?
With their specialized knowledge, a locksmith for cars can make car keys for any model while utilizing the original key or even without it. You will be required to provide the VIN of your car and your personal ID to prove your car ownership.
How Do Locksmiths Make Car Keys?
The following is a very simplified summary of the process of making car keys:
The locksmith begins by figuring out the key blank. A key blank is a key that has not been cut yet. To find the right key blank, the locksmith utilizes specialized computer software to determine the car’s model, make, production year, etc.
If the car has a transponder key, the locksmith tries to figure out the transponder chip to program the transponder with their specialized tools. New vehicles tend to have transponder keys as it has become an industry standard. For older vehicles, a key code is inserted into specialized computer software to generate the details required to cut the key blank.
After cutting the key with the generated information, the testing phase begins. Testing and confirming the proper functioning of your newly made key is an important part of quality assurance.
Why You Would Need New Car Keys
If your car key is no longer working, a locksmith can make a new car key by duplicating the original key.
Locksmiths are also capable of making car keys even if you do not have access to the original key. Unfortunately, it is common to lose car keys. According to a RAC survey, 2 million drivers lose their car keys within a year in the UK alone. But a locksmith that can make a new car key will be able to help you resolve this common issue by utilizing their expertise and tools.
Even if you have access to a functioning key, you should consider hiring a locksmith to assemble a spare key to avoid inconvenience. Only keeping a single key can be risky and a double headache in the future if you end up losing it.
Can Locksmiths Open Cars?
Locking yourself out with a key inside the car is another common occurrence. It is stressful to be unable to find your way inside your vehicle. However, you should not attempt to forcibly break in on your own as it can risk damaging your car.
Instead, you should seek the services of automotive locksmiths. A locksmith for cars has tools to unlock car doors without posing or risking damage to your car in a matter of a few minutes, or less than half or one hour in complex cases.
How Do Locksmiths Open Car Doors?
A locksmith may make use of a variety of tools to unlock your car. These tools include long—reach tools that unlock the car by reaching inside the car without inflicting damage. MCOT tools and slim jim are some of the long—reach tools, which are carefully slipped inside through the space between the car window glass and weather stripping. They are then lowered towards the lock and expertly manipulated to open it.
If your car key broke in the lock, then the locksmith would likely use a Broken Key Extractor to dislodge the broken key parts from the lock. It is a long metallic tool inserted into the lock, with its sharp end hooking into the teeth of the broken key. It is turned and pulled, which can grab and take out the broken piece of key from the lock.
Can a Locksmith Change Car Locks?
An automotive locksmith’s capability to help solve your vehicle issues is not just limited to car keys. If your lock is damaged, they have the tools to replace it with a brand new lock.
Additionally, if your lock has been compromised due to a stolen key, you should seek locksmith services to replace your car lock to ensure the security of your vehicle.
Should You Use a Dealership or a Locksmith for Car Locks and Keys?
It is best to choose a locksmith over a dealership whenever you can. A locksmith can cover everything a dealership can give you, all with better experience and costs.
Here are 3 notable pros you can have by choosing a locksmith rather than a dealership.
- Cost Efficiency: Dealerships are infamous for charging much heftier than locksmiths due to overheads for pretty much every service. If you hire a locksmith, you can save a lot of costs.
- Faster Response: Time can be priceless for the car key matters. If you lose access to your key or you are locked out, professional help must reach you promptly.
Unfortunately, a dealership’s response rate can be slow, which can exacerbate your situation. However, you can trust that locksmiths have a fast response. They have 24/7 schedules that ensure they are readily available to provide solutions anytime, even if it may be 3 AM on a weekend. - Specialized Expertise and Equipment: Dealerships provide diverse solutions, while locksmiths are specialized in locks.
Experienced locksmiths have knowledge of all car keys and a diverse range of tools to solve issues. They also know their way around the latest security technology encoded into the keys.
In some cases, a locksmith might not be able to make a key for your car. Some car companies might not share the tools required for key duplication with locksmiths. In that case, the only course of action would be to choose your dealership.
Where Do I Find a Locksmith Near Me for Cars?
We understand how frustrating and distressing the issues with your car keys can be, and that time is priceless in these situations.
Faster Locksmith is a top—rated locksmith company specialized in automotive locksmith services for 5 years. Our qualified technicians are ready to swiftly provide excellent services to resolve your car key issue anytime, whether you need help with car keys, locked doors, or lock replacements.