How Are Replacement Car Keys Made?
While traditional vehicle keys are easy to duplicate, key fobs are more complicated. If you have a late-model vehicle, the head of the key likely has a transponder chip. We utilize key cloning & programming equipment, McCormick Auto Care is capable of manufacturing your car keys from scratch. It doesn't matter if all your car keys have been lost or stolen; we can get you a key replacement quickly!
Newer vehicles often use car key fob technology, while older, standalone automotive keys are usually made with steel, brass or a mixture of nickel and brass. The car key fob replacement process might involve programming the new car key fob using a specific combination that will allow the transmitter to respond to your vehicle. The car key programming process varies depending on the year, make and model of your car.
Standard keys are cut with a key duplicator machine. The original key is positioned on one side of the machine and lined up with a specialized cutting tool to serve as a template for the new key. A blank key is positioned on the opposite side of the machine where a key guide keeps both keys in alignment. The duplication process sees both keys move simultaneously across the machine, resulting in a duplicate key that perfectly matches the original.
Most Common Types of Automotive Keys
No matter which type of car key your vehicle uses, it's always good to have a spare. With a variety of automotive keys available, having a better understanding of the basic differences between the most common types can be helpful.
Traditional Keys – Traditional automotive keys are usually found on older models and don't require specialized encoding. They can be cut from a variety of different key blanks and are usually cheap to make.
Laser-Cut Keys – These keys have thicker shanks than basic auto keys. Laser-cut keys come with built-in transponder chips that must be programmed for the specific automobile.
Car Key Fobs – Most modern vehicles today use key fobs. The automotive keys are equipped with an internal transmitter or remote and serve as the main devices used in keyless entry systems.
Key Fob Batteries – We stock most key Fob batteries and have them available at our shop.
Get your next vehicle replacement keys at McCormick Auto Care in Skokie
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