How Are Car Keys Made?
It’s. The. Worst. Losing your car keys can send you into a downward spiral into terror and anxiety in about a half of a heartbeat, leaving you wondering how you’ll find them, when you’ll find them – or better yet – how are you actually supposed to get into a locked car in 114 degrees without passing out, screaming or having to call an Uber for this mistake. Again. We felt inspired to explain how car keys are made, and hopefully it will give you a little inspiration to get another set and put them under one of those fancy fake rocks we’ve all thought about buying after the third time you lost them.
US Key Service has encountered this problem more times that we can count – if we didn’t we wouldn’t have a job. For our sake keep losing your keys (jokes) but at least now you’ll know what we do when we replace your lost Gilbert car keys and how they are made.
Write down your VIN number.
If you are replacing your lost car keys at a dealership you’ll want to have this information. Depending on the vehicle, you may need to provide you're the dealer with the Vehicle Identification Number in order for them to match the VIN with the car’s key code and make a key from that information. It’s usually easily found on the windshield on the driver’s side but your registration will have it also.
Locksmiths tend to not need a VIN in order to replicate a key, but if the only key you own is currently in the ignition and the windows are up as far as imaginable, good thing US Key Service has been retrieving keys for years and can do so without a scratch to Betty…or whatever your car’s name is.
Just like a snowflake.
Sort of. Keys are intended to be unique, thus the average car theft can’t just pop whichever one they have on them into the ignition and drive off in your gorgeous Range Rover. Because of the uniqueness you’ll need to provide your locksmith with the year, make and model of the vehicle. This will help them to identify what kind of key they need to replicate or reprogram to get you up and running again.
Gilbert AZ car Locksmiths are almost always faster, more reliable and more available than taking your key to a dealer to replace a key. At a fraction of the cost of what a big name dealer would charge you, locksmiths do this for a living and can solve just about any key problem you may encounter.
Making a car key is different than replicating a house key. Although you can walk into Ace Hardware and make a new set for the house sitter, it’s not that easy with a car key, especially if there isn’t one to replicate from because they've been flushed down the toilet. You never know – crazier things have happened.
So, its magic is what you’re saying.
Basically. We all want to live in Narnia, but in real life things work by science. A Key cutter uses a very small cutting wheel to chip away at the metal until the correct grooves – that eventually line up perfectly with what you are unlocking or starting. Inside the machine is a electric motor and a key aligning stop for when you have the actual key to duplicate. Without the original to base the new cut on a locksmith will use the key code, usually found within the manual or by using the VIN number (like we mentioned above) to get the correct groove pattern and get you on your way to…ice cream. You deserve ice cream after this fiasco.
Locksmiths rule.
Many locksmiths have a little more advanced technology when it comes to making keys, and are always your best bet when in this sort of situation. With more sophisticated machinery, locksmiths are able to cut new keys on site and program new key fobs (keys with the black electronic buttons on them) on spot.
Just like you’ve seen keys made in hardware stores, car keys are cut similarly. The technology that allows for hardware professionals to cut house keys is virtually the same, but locksmiths are equipped with more options, allowing them to be able to replace (especially US Key Service) any RV, automotive or motorcycle Arizona key on the spot.
At U.S. Key Service, our automotive locksmiths in the 85295 area of Gilbert are trained and equipped to handle your mobile car key replacement with ease. We also repair car door locks, and we can give you a stellar automotive ignition replacement. For more information about our professional local locksmiths in Gilbert, contact us today!
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