At J.C. Manhattan Locksmiths, we stay busy around the Fayetteville area helping stranded motorists to get access to their vehicles and turn the key in the ignition.
We know that it’s a common occurrence – you lose your car keys, or you lock yourself out of your car. Here’s the thing – car keys are small and easy to lose. They’re easy to overlook as you’re hitting the door locks, too. That’s just the reality. We can help!
One important part of running a modern locksmithing business is understanding the changes that have happened in the automotive security world.
Car keys are not like they used to be. Old, simple mechanical car keys were easy to replicate and easy to use. Today’s car keys increasingly aren’t really keys anymore at all. They’re complicated fobs and electronic sensor-based wireless key mechanisms that can be very expensive and very hard to reproduce.
Let’s talk about some of the changes in the key world.
Laser Keys
Some vehicles that still operate on the traditional key ignition systems are using higher-quality laser keys for additional security. These keys are unlike the traditional mechanical keys, and they’re cut differently, so the locksmith needs to have additional resources on hand.
Transponder Keys
There’s also a major sea change toward transponder keys, where the engine computer works with a small transponder chip in the physical key. This corresponds to all sorts of technological advances in which today’s cars are much more like computers and then they are like a Ford model A.
From infotainment to safety to ignition to security, today’s vehicles operate abundantly through their digital dashboards and OBD-II ports, and key technologies are certainly no exception!
It’s not hard to imagine how different it is to be a locksmith in today’s world when you need to replicate transponder function instead of just cutting a physical mechanical key. But that’s a big part of what we do at J.C. Manhattan Locksmiths.
Key Codes
For older vehicles that may not have laser key or transponder key technologies, many of them now use a system of key codes distributed by the manufacturer. The locksmith has to know how to get these keycodes and utilize them to create a replacement key. There’s often some amount of bureaucratic process involved. And one process may be different than another, according to the dealership and manufacturer, and the age and model of the vehicle.
At J.C. Manhattan Locksmiths, we are well poised to take care of all of these types of car lock problems and we work on all major makes of vehicle. We come to you, quickly, so that you can get back on the road – and that makes all the difference!
