Just like with house keys, it’s a good idea to have a backup set of car keys at home or at work. This week, Amalgamated Locksmiths talk to you through everything you need to know about car key duplication.
But first — we’ve written previously about what to do if you are locked out of your car. To recap: if you are locked out of your car, our mobile locksmiths may be able to help. Our mobile automotive locksmiths are able to gain entry into 95% of Australia’s vehicles without causing any damage. So if you have locked your keys in your car, lost your keys, or need our mobile automotive locksmiths to cut a replacement car key in an emergency, call us today.
Emergency Car Key Replacement
You can call us if you have lost your car keys or are locked out of your car. Before driving out to you, our car key service specialists will take down your details, including your car’s make and model. We do this so we can decode your model’s unique transponder chip.
Most cars after 1996 have a transponder chip, an extra security measure that lets you start your car. We need your transponder code to reprogram your car key. Most car manufacturers release the transponder codes for makes and models more than a year or two old and we have the resources to look these up. Otherwise, your car dealership may have written your transponder code down in your car manual.
Car Key Replacement Solutions
Our mobile car locksmiths are professional, efficient and work as quickly as they can, but reprogramming and cutting replacement car keys can take time. If you are locked out of your car and need to be somewhere quickly, it may be easier to find another means of transport and return with your spare set of car keys. Alternatively, if you have a spare set at home or at work, calling a friend, coworker or relative to bring them to you may be a cheaper, faster option.
This is why we recommend…
Getting a Car Key Duplication
Getting a spare set of car keys cut is a simple, smart way to prevent yourself from being locked out of your car. You may remember that last month, we wrote about our key duplication services. Our car key locksmith services work just the same, only car keys with transponder chips take a little bit more time: our car key services take about half an hour at our Collingwood store. Keeping a spare car key cut from the original is one of the cheapest, safest and most hassle-free ways to prevent getting locked out of your car.
Mobile locksmiths can cut keys, but we recommend coming into our retail store if it isn’t an emergency. A duplicate car key service will take about half an hour. We would certainly rather spend that half an hour with our Smith St neighbours than on the side of the road!
Spare Car Key Tricks and Tips
So now you have a spare set of car keys, the next step is knowing where to keep them.
The majority of our clients keep their car keys on the same keyring as their house keys, so losing their keys means they have lost access to both car and home. If you keep your house and car keys on the same ring and you call one of our mobile locksmiths to regain entry to your car, before they leave make sure you will have access to your home. Call a housemate, or a friend, neighbour or relative who may have a key to make sure that you will be able to open your front door. Otherwise, you may be calling one of our friendly mobile locksmiths out twice!
Another solution is to keep your spare car keys in your key safe. Key safes are secure, waterproof key boxes that can be built into walls, attached to doors or locked onto posts, pipes and fences. We often recommend key safes to clients as spare key hiding places for their homes or businesses.Keeping your duplicate car key in your key safe means that friends, neighbours or family members without access to your home will be able to pick up and deliver your spare car key to you without having to find a way into your home and search through drawers, cabinets and cupboards.
Where Next?
While waiting for your spare car keys to be cut, why not read some of our other blog posts? We have been ranked one of Feedspot’s Top 100 Locksmith blogs in the world, and have posts on all your automotive, domestic and commercial locksmith needs, from car fobs to code tips, neighbours to restricted key systems. For all your domestic, commercial, automotive and emergency locksmith and security needs, contact Amalgamated Locksmiths today.
