Losing your car keys is something that thankfully doesn't happen often. In most cases on average people tend to lose their car keys 1-2 times in a lifetime.
So what should you do when this situation accurse?
The first thing you need to do is not panic, instead you need to search online for a local reputable automotive locksmith. After you find a locksmith, you'll need to provide him with the year, make and model of your vehicle. Once you provide the locksmith with this information he will know what kind of key your car requires.
4 common procedures to create a key in a 'lost key' situation
Create a car key via the vin number
Creating a new key using the vin (vehicle identification number) is the simplest way of creating a car key. The locksmith will arrive to the location where the vehicle is located and take down the vin number. Once the locksmith has the vin, he will then send it to a key code company that he works with. After sending the vin number he will receive a code which then he will translate it into cuts for the key. He will then cut the key and program it to the vehicle if there is a transponder (chip) needed.
Creating a car key using a wafer reader tool
The second common way of creating a new car key is by using a wafer reader tool. This is a method that requires a bit more skill. For this method the locksmith will insert the wafer reading tool into the door lock or trunk lock, in order to decode the wafers and determine what cuts your key has. Finally when he has the cuts in order he will cut a new car key and program the key if it requires programming.
Creating a car key by removing the door lock Cylinder
The third way of creating a car key is by removing the door panel to release the lock Cylinder. This method is more advanced than the previous 2 methods. Removing the door panel is a bit of a cumbersome job, it takes knowledge and patience. After the locksmith carefully removes the door panel he will release the lock Cylinder and decode it manually in order to reveal the key cuts. When the locksmith has the cuts he will then proceed to cut the car key.
Creating a car key by removing the ignition lock cylinder
There are some incidents where the locksmith will not be able to obtain the key cuts from the door or trunk lock Cylinders. In this case he will need to approach an even more advanced method which is removing the ignition lock Cylinder.
This method is something that only a knowledgeable and skilled locksmith should attempt to do. Once the locksmith removes the ignition lock cylinder and correctly decodes the lock he will obtain the key cuts. Using these key cuts he obtained he will cut the new car key.
Key Programming Procedure
As mentioned above, when searching for an automotive locksmith you should always aim to find a local reputable locksmith. You want to make sure the correct key will be cut and programmed to your vehicle. This is extremely important when it comes to getting transponder keys and smart keys. If the locksmith is not extremely knowledgeable in the automotive department or doesn’t have the correct programming devices this could create unwanted issues. Your vehicle security system could get locked and that will result in the system blocking any new keys from being introduced into the ECU (Electronic Control Unit).