Back in the day, knowing how to hot wire a car wasn’t just a technique used for stealing cars. It was also a technique that mechanically-minded car owners may have learned to get themselves out of a bind if they lost their car keys and didn’t have access to a phone. But now that you have a cell phone, chances are, you don’t have a car that can be hot wired, because most later model cars use transponder keys.

Transponder keys have cut way down on car thefts, but unfortunately, transponder keys can get lost just as easily as other keys.

The reason transponder keys are so much more secure is that they provide your particular car with a wireless, real-time identification signal using radio waves. Transponder keys usually function around the 125 kHz frequency, and their range is only a few inches. Your car keys are the only ones that can start your car. That’s great, unless you lose them.

If you’ve retraced your steps and know that your car keys really are lost, what do you do? You can call your car dealer to have replacements made, but they can’t always do it right away, and it’s expensive. Luckily, you can call an automotive locksmith to replace lost car keys, including transponder keys.

Say you’ve lost your Ford transponder keys. A properly equipped locksmith will have the blank keys and the hardware and software necessary to make a new one for your car, often at a fraction of the price your car dealer would charge. It’s a matter of cutting the key physically, and programming it to communicate with your car’s computer system to let it know that it is a legitimate key.

So if you’re on your way home from taking the kids to the Shedd Aquarium and discover that your car keys have disappeared, you want to be able to call a Chicago locksmith who can get to you quickly, make your car key replacements, and get you on your way in short order. If you don’t know anything about any local automotive locksmiths, you should at least take the time to call three or four of them to get an idea of their rates and the time frame in which they can get there.

The best bet is to find a good locksmith before you’re in an emergency situation and program that number into your phone. Better yet, have a set of replacement car keys made and store them in a safe place that’s accessible to someone you trust, or give a set of spare keys to someone you know you can count on. If you’re not rushed or stressed, you’ll have a much better time asking around and finding a locksmith that you can trust and who won’t gouge you on price just because you’re in a difficult or vulnerable situation.

Losing your car keys is definitely stressful, particularly if you’re in an unfamiliar part of town. You can help yourself out tremendously if you take the time now to check out local locksmiths and find one you can trust.

Author Bio: Jason Bacot – Have you lost your car keys? Are you looking to get them replaced, or you just need some options to look at, then I suggest you check out the best Locksmith Chicago and actually, the only Chicago Locksmith.

Category: Automotive
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