Parts of a Key

Examine the components of your key to determine why you require auto key replacement. You will have a better notion of what vehicle key replacement services you require if you can tell what is damaged. Call United Locksmith if you'd prefer to leave this diagnostic to an expert.

1. Bow

The thumb and index finger are placed on this area of the key to operate it. The bow is frequently formed like a circle or rectangle. If they are part of the same item, your key fob buttons may also be found on the bow. If your bow has a plastic coating, it is likely that it has a transponder chip. There is no place to hide the chip when your key is just a length of metal.

2. Bitting

The thumb and index finger are placed on this area of the key to operate it. The bow is frequently formed like a circle or rectangle. If they are part of the same item, your key fob buttons may also be found on the bow. If your bow has a plastic coating, it is likely that it has a transponder chip. There is no place to hide the chip when your key is just a length of metal.

3. Wards

The wards on a key are what keep it from fitting in different keyways. These are cut on the key that does not affect the internal components at all. It is just to keep the Toyota key from fitting in a Mercedes lock. The warding requires you to purchase key blanks from the car manufacturer.

4. Blade

The majority of the action takes place in this region of the key. The biting, tip, and wards are all held by the blade. It either finishes at the key's shoulder or the bow (whichever comes first). When the correct key's blade is fully inserted into the appropriate lock, turning the key opens the door and/or starts the car. The blade is everything that is not inside the lock when the key is fully inserted.

5. Tip

The tip of the key is the end that goes into the keyway first. It's at the other end of the key than the bow. To insert a key, align the tip with the keyway. Because nearly every car key is designed to be inserted in two directions, the tip just needs to be orientated such that the blade fits horizontally or vertically in the lock. It is rarely possible to place the key upside down because both ways are theoretically correct.

6. Shoulder

Many vehicle keys lack a typical shoulder. This is the section of the key that prevents it from being inserted too many times. It exists to help the user know when to stop pressing the device further by orienting the key in the keyway. Most of the time, this shoulder is created by the key blade broadening as it reaches the bow. At times, the shoulder is simply an elevated piece of metal larger than the keyway.

Different Types of Car Keys

1. Wafer Car Key Replacement

Keys that are designed to unlock wafer locks have grooves on both the top and bottom of the blade. The multiple serrations allow the key to be inserted in two separate ways. Most wafer locks found on autos, on the other hand, have wafers on both the top and bottom of the lock. That is, the biting on these keys raises some wafers and lowers others. These locks function in the same way as a regular pin tumbler lock.

The wafers are spring-loaded and may be lifted to various heights by biting on the key. The height to which they must be lifted is proportional to the size of the wafer. The deeper the groove, the longer the wafer. The groove will be shallower if the wafer is shorter. The wards are located on the sides of these keys. Because the key must work in two separate ways, these wards will be mirror versions of one another.

These locks' security isn't particularly great. There are numerous tools available that will unlock the lock without the right key. Jiggle keys, Marshal keys, and wave keys can all be inserted into the keyway to open the lock. These skeleton keys operate in a variety of ways. Some must be moved around in the lock, but others must simply be placed and turned as if they were the correct key.

Security can be improved by adding features to a traditional wafer key. A transponder chip inserted in the plastic covering of the bow, for example, will prevent the car from being started with one of these keys. A transponder chip, on the other hand, will not prevent a burglar from unlocking your automobile door. If you need a wafer key cut for your automobile key replacement, make sure you also check to see if you need a transponder chip.

2. Slider Car Key Replacement

A slider key is a key that moves sliders. These keys are easily identified by the snake-like trail carved into the sides of the blade. This design will nearly always appear on both sides of the key, allowing it to be inserted in two different ways.

These routes, like wafer locks, are utilized to elevate or depress the lock's interior components. The lock's sliders follow the route carved into the key, and when the key is fully inserted, all of the sliders should be at their proper height. The slider lock will have different gates than the sheer lines of a wafer lock.

Each slider must be installed in a gate so that it is out of the way and allows the lock to turn freely. That is, the deepest gate is always the actual gate. Multiple superfluous gates are added to the lock for security. These are known as false gates, as they do not give enough depth for the slider to leave the lock unimpeded.

If the lock has no false gates, these devices will be exceedingly simple to pick or rake open. Most automobile owners need not be concerned because relatively few criminals pick locks, and even fewer car thieves pick locks. Furthermore, most slider keys serve merely as a backup. They are the preferred key for most smart key systems and will not start the car without the fob.

These keys are frequently hidden within the fob and slide out when a button on the fob is activated. When this button is pressed, the key can be extracted. Remember to replace this key until it clicks and locks into place.

If your auto key replacement necessitates the creation of a slider key, this is no problem. All you need is a laser key cutter. Dokey Locksmith Services can cut that key and return you to feeling secure in the knowledge that you will always have access to your vehicle.

3. Car Key Fob Replacement

A key fob, also known simply as a fob, is the electronic component of a key. A key fob is frequently referred to as a remote control. With the press of a button, you can unlock your doors. The fob is required to start the vehicle on modern push-button ignition vehicles. The fob can function as a security token when equipped with proximity sensors. In the field of electronic locks, a security token is a phrase.

That is, a fob is a gadget used to authenticate the user and enable them access to something that would otherwise be secure. Instead of having to be swiped against a lock, this token may send a signal to the car. Bluetooth, infrared, or near-field communication will be used to accomplish this (NFC).

The fob will open the door locks merely by approaching some autos. Smart Keys are fobs that allow you to simply open the automobile door with the key in your possession. This is the same technology that enables the car to start by pressing a button. The remote start is one of the newest trends in key fobs. That is, your key fob can be used to start the automobile before you get inside.

Similar to how your doors can be opened or locked while you are long-distance away, certain autos now offer the same capability for starting the car. This capability would be incomplete without the ability to turn off the vehicle remotely.

The key fob serves several functions. It could be your only way to start your car or simply a convenience. It could be on the key itself or a separate device. Whatever the case may be, there is no better place to go for this type of auto key replacement than United Locksmith. Our mobile auto locksmiths can come to you and do most jobs on the spot.

If this is an emergency locksmith request, or if you need a service tech to diagnose the problem before you know what it is, the necessary parts may need to be retrieved before the task can be finished. However, if you make an appointment and describe your requirements, we can have all of the essential materials available for automobile key fob programming by the appointment time.

4. Transponder Car Key Replacement

A transponder key employs two key systems that work in tandem. First and foremost, there will be the traditional key, which will be either a slider or a wafer key. This key functions exactly like any other key. It is fully inserted and turned into the locks. The doors, trunk, and ignition all operate in the same way. The transponder chip is the second system that comes into action.

The term transponder is a combination of the words "transmitter" and "responder." It is a non-volatile memory electrical chip. This prevents the chip's programming from being erased when power is disconnected from the device. When the key is turned in the ignition cylinder, the car generates a small electronic field that provides electricity to the chip. The transponder chip uses this energy to deliver a message to the car's transceiver.

The transceiver is located in the key ring that wraps around the ignition cylinder. The car will start if the signal is right. The transponder (key) is male, while the transceiver (key) is female (key ring). Both pieces must be functional for the car key replacement to work.

If an unprogrammed or misprogrammed key is used, this sort of security is designed to deactivate fuel injection and/or the vehicle's starter. The distance between the transponder chip and the transceiver varies. It is the exact distance from the key ring to the bow of the key once the key is fully inserted in some vehicles. This can be as imprecise as only in the car's front two seats.

If you lose a transponder key, you must replace it with a new one that has not been programmed. Your car key replacement must comprise a properly cut key and a chip that has been properly programmed. Transponder Key Programming is a service that Dokey Locksmith Services offers along with our stable car key replacement services.