LOST, BROKEN, EXTRA CAR & MOTORCYCLE KEYS
Sacramento, Elk Grove, Galt, Folsom, Carmichael,
Citrus Heights, Antelope, Rio Linda, Granite Bay
El Dorado Hills, Lincoln, Roseville, Rocklin

916-233-8714

TRANSPONDER KEYS:

Extra car keys are a good thing to have! Ask anyone that has lost or broken their only car key and they will agree! It is amazing how many people lose their only car key! Also, the keys get worn out from normal use until one day it doesn't work! We get several calls everyday! Since around 1997 (some cars much earlier), all manufacturers are systematically implementing the transponder technology in the keys, in an attempt to reduce auto theft. This has added more cost to the owner for key replacement. Each car maker tends to use a different transponder technology in the keys they use, so one key can't be used in another car. Transponder keys have to be programmed into the car's computer so it will allow it to start. Many people refer to these keys as keys with a'chip'. Some make and models require a 're-flash' of the car's computer before new keys can be programmed, in the event of the loss of all keys. Others require the 're-flash' or immobilizer reset to just add keys. It happens, also, that the chip gets damaged by merely dropping the key! Don't toss your keys, as they may hit the ground and crack the chip! Although this is not a common occurance, we see it often, because of the population.

KEYLESS IGNITIONS:

Somewhere around 2005, give or take a year or so, many car makers started migrating toward the use of a keyless ignition. At first, they called it a 'twist knob' ignition where the key blade was an inserted in the bottom of the remote and the remote was either inserted into a hole in the dash, or kept on your person, depending on the make, model and year of the vehicle. Most people never knew the remote had a hidden key! In some models, this key could actually be inserted into the ignition to start the car without the remote being present. In these cases, the chip was built into the small, flat head of the emergency blade. These blades were hard to clone, because the head of the cloning key was too big to be inserted into the ignition. You could grind some of the head of the key away to make it fit. Then, shortly after the twist knob ignition, and in some cases, during the same time, other auto makers were introducing the system that allowed the remote to be left in their pocket. These models have antennas installed throughout the car so that the transponder could be recognized by the car's computer whether you were in the driver's seat or the passenger's seat, and other places around the car.

EXTRA KEY:

Get an extra car key now before your only key is lost or broken! I have had people report their key no longer worked after being dropped. The cost of an extra car key will be far less than when you lose them all or break your only one. If you have one working key, it is easier for us to produce additional keys. We will go to your place of business, your home, or just about anywhere, and make keys for your car. We are available 24-hour and can make car keys for most makes and models. Just have the information about your vehicle when you call. We need to know the Make, Model and Year. Sometimes we will need to know whether it is a 2-door, 4-door, convertible, sedan, coupe, etc.

NO LONGER DEALER-ONLY:

Many people still believe that the dealers are the only ones that can make these car keys. The automotive locksmith industry has top engineers that spend all their time reverse-engineering every vehicle to make it possible for us to make the keys and program them into your car if required. We have programmers that will program these transponder keys We have other equipment that will read the key information directly from the car's immobiliser and write it directly onto a special chip and will start the car without any other programming.

CLONING KEYS:

In most cases, transponder keys can be cloned. This means that the 'chip' in the existing key can be copied and written onto a special cloning chip. This will only duplicate your key and will have the exact same electronic signature that the original key has. In this case, if you have the original key erased from the car's memory, then the cloned key will also be erased. Most cloning keys have an internal battery that will die after a number of years. We use the type of cloner that will clone the key permanently and has no battery. The cloning keys with batteries usually have a bit larger head. The cloning keys we use are as close to the original manufacturer's key as is possible. Sometimes cloning is a better solution to adding extra keys. Some cars cannot be cloned yet. In some cases, cloning is the only choice. If your car only allows 4 keys and you want more than 4 keys, then cloning will be necessary.

ERASING KEYS:

We can erase all keys from the car's memory so that anyone that may have a key to your car cannot start the car. That's one of the benefits of the transponder technology. It won't prevent that person from opening the door, but just about anyone can do that! It WILL prevent that person from driving off with your car!! We can re-program your key and erase all other keys from memory and add new keys. Transponder keys all have a unique signature making all transponder keys different from one another. Many vehicles require that all keys must be present during the programming process in order to work, thereby erasing any key from memory that isn't present during programming. Sometimes all keys must be erased to free up space for a new key. Many of the newer cars require that all keys must be present at the time of adding a new key, otherwise they will be eliminated from the car's memory.