The craftsmanship of a locksmith has evolved quite a bit over the last couple of decades. With the strides that are made every day in science, it goes without saying that cars are always finding new features to add and different accessories to incorporate into the designs. One of the parts that we as locksmiths deal with on a regular basis, and had to evolve alongside, are the ways that keys have changed. While standard keys made it pretty easy to understand a model and make and determine what the best plan of action for opening the car would be, that’s just not the case anymore. For the most part, there are a few cars that had their keys made in the transitional period of these keys, so while the make may be newer, the key still has the older design. Here are the different types of keys that we work with and how to determine whether or not this is the type of key that your car uses.
Mechanical Key
A mechanical key is the most traditional form of car keys that we work with. These keys look very similar to your house key in the way that they have the teeth of a key and one major part of plastic or metal at the head of the key. If it’s a mechanical key that you’ve lost, you’re in luck, because they are the easiest to replace as well as the most cost effective. While most newer cars are using different types of advanced and electronic keys, there are a few automotive brands that are still using this particular type of key.
Smart Key
If you’re driving a fairly new car, then there is a good chance that you have a smart key. These are created in the form of a fob, meaning that they don’t have any teeth to insert into a lock. These fobs can be carried in a purse or left in a pocket and still unlock, and lock, the car doors. Once inside the car, a simple push of a start button is all that it takes to get the car’s engine started. These keys are definitely going to cost a bit more to get replaced, and do make it much more difficult to get the car unlocked because of the hard wiring that is a component in the design of the car and they key.
Transponder Keys
These keys are not determined by the way they are cut, rather the chip that is placed inside the key. The chip is found inside the handle of the key and can make replacing these types of keys much more difficult. In these instances, the chip is required in order to open the car, so a replacement key that is simply the teeth of the key is not going to provide the required means to get your car running. The only way that you’ll be able to get the chip replaced is by going to a locksmith that can handle the task.
Now that you have a better idea of what your car key looks like, you can call the team at 24/7 Emergency Locksmith for any questions that you may have or any help that you need getting into your car. We do our best to provide you with the speedy and thorough services that you need, when you need them. Call our locksmith today for any questions you may have about your car key.
