What Is the Right Number of Substitute Keys to Have for Your Vehicle(s)?

car safety and locks Tucson

Did you recently misplace your car keys? Should you find yourself in such an unfortunate situation, the most probable reason this happened is either one of two reasons. You either did lose your key and cannot find it or someone took your key for whatever reason and will not return it.

Whatever the case, the easiest thing to do is to get substitute keys for your vehicle. Most car manufacturers include a spare key with the purchase of a vehicle. However, sometimes these keys may also get lost rendering you keyless.

Substitute keys are a set of replacement keys that can carry out all the functions of your original keys. You can use substitute keys to start your car’s ignition as well as open and lock your car doors without a problem. Not every automotive locksmith service can offer this service since vehicle key development equipment is quite expensive.

How many car keys should you have?

If you bought your car straight from the manufacturer’s showroom, chances are that you have the main key and a spare key. However, if you bought it from a dealership for second-hand cars, you will likely have only one key.

Having just one key for your vehicle is not an ideal situation to be in for various reasons such as:

  • Convenience:

It’s convenient to have more than one key if two drivers usually use the same car regularly. Some setting such as side mirror levels, AC temperature, the level of your seat, and so on, are programmed into the keys. When you unlock the car with your key, your settings are automatically activated.

  • Security:

Should you lose your copy of the key, you can easily send for another copy to be dispatched to you. Our automotive locksmith service ensures that you have a set of substitute keys for such an eventuality

  • Peace of mind:

It is reassuring to know that even if you lost the keys to your vehicle, you have a spare set to fall back on. Can you imagine losing your car keys while on the road and when out of state?

  • Accessing locked keys

Sometimes children could lock themselves in the car with the keys in it. You may also put yourself in this unfortunate situation. Without a spare key, you may be forced to break a window to regain entry into your vehicle.

For these reasons, we recommend that you have at least two keys for one vehicle. Should you lose both of these keys, you can search for an “affordable locksmiths near me” to get a pair of substitute keys designed and cut for you.

car keys

Why do dealerships give only one key?

If having at least two keys per car is so important, why do most dealerships issue only one key per car they sell? Well, the most obvious reason could be that the previous owner misplaced a key and had only one in their possession when they sold the car.

For your peace of mind, ensure that you look for a reputable automotive locksmith service to create substitute keys for you. This will save you the trouble of getting brand new keys and reconfiguring your entire vehicle’s program to accommodate the new key if you lose the original key.

Different types of car keys

Nowadays, different car keys are not made equal; far from it actually. There are different types of car keys with different functions based on the type and make of your car. Our automotive locksmith service has reconfigured various types of these keys including the following:

  • Basic key or key fob:

This is the original type of key that vehicles have always had. They resemble a regular key and usually have a plastic knob with the manufacturer’s insignia on it.

  • Transponder keys:

This type of key became popular in the ’90s. They contain a microchip that communicates with the car to lock, unlock, and start the engine.

  • Laser-cut keys:

Such keys are distinctively thicker than most keys and have a signature sideways carving. Most automotive locksmith service providers do not have the equipment to cut these keys and only the manufacturer can provide a replacement.

  • Switchblade keys:

These keys, as the name suggest, switch in and out of their hidden socket in a plastic casing. They are easy to replicate.

  • Keyless remotes:

These are remotes that allow you to lock, unlock, and start your car’s ignition while they are in your bag. They are quite difficult to replicate.

How much is a new car key?

Replicating keys to create substitute keys for your car is not a service that every automotive locksmith service offers. This is because the equipment that is needed to design and cut car keys is quite an investment.

With that said, is it affordable to get a new set of substitute car keys for your vehicle?

Well, the price of getting a new key varies with the make and model of the vehicle. The price is dictated by the type of key and the technology that it uses. A basic manual key without a transponder costs the least amount of money to replicate with the keyless remote being the most expensive key to replicate.

But whatever the price of getting a new set of substitute keys for your type of car, it cannot beat the peace of mind that comes with the knowledge that you have a fallback plan should you ever lose your car keys.

 

Can an automotive locksmith service program a key fob?

OR Locksmith not only designs and cuts substitute keys for your vehicle, but we also program these keys if they need to. Some key fobs have a microchip installed in them which must be programmed to be in sync with the car’s computer program. Failure to do this will render your new substitute keys useless.

Final thoughts

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you have lost your only set of car keys? Or have you locked your vehicle’s keys in the car and had no spares? This can be an inconveniencing situation to find yourself in. However, all is not lost. You can contact our Tucson automotive locksmith service and our locksmiths will come to your location within minutes! Look us up for affordable and fast services today.