What to Do When You’ve Lost Your Transponder Key

If your transponder key falls in the wrong hands, you could wind up with a missing vehicle. As long as a car thief has their hands on your actual transponder key, they will be able to drive off in your vehicle. The only way to prevent a car thief from taking your car is to make sure that you always know where your keys are located. Your transponder key is a fantastic invention to experience. If you use a transponder key for your vehicle then you know just how convenient they are. There is a chip in your key that can only be identified with the correct transponder key. Only one vehicle per transponder key is possible. This means that the person who is the owner of the vehicle should be the only person who holds the keys. Unless the key is programmed to start when aimed at your vehicle, you will not be able to start the engine or unlock the car door. Whenever you begin to look for a new vehicle, you will likely be introduced to many vehicles that require the use of a transponder key to operate. You may be reluctant to buy one at first but once you discover the benefits of having a transponder key, you’re sure to feel more comfortable in purchasing one that uses it. Although car thieves are adapt at breaking into cars, they are not so smart that they will know how to compromise a transponder key.

It is easy to lose a key of any type. When there are a lot of things happening at once, it increases your chances of losing your keys. There are screaming children, chores, and a lot more that can distract a person. When this happens, it is easy to misplace your keys. When and if you should happen to lose your transponder key, the first thing that you should do is contact a local Thornton, CO locksmith, such as the ones that you’ll find at Thornton Secure Locksmith. They might not be instrumental in locating your transponder key but they can certainly provide you with a new one and program it for you. If you call on the services of a locksmith, it is important that you mention that the key that you have lost is a transponder key. If you fail to mention this then they may arrive to your location without the appropriate equipment to program a new transponder key for you. While this is definitely the most practical way to deal with a lost transponder key, here are some other practical things you can do.

Avoid Auto Theft – The best thing you can do is prevent theft is to make sure you report your missing key to a locksmith as quickly as possible. When the thief has your keys in their possession the chances of them stealing your vehicle is increased. The sooner you contact a locksmith the sooner you’ll be able to have a new one programmed. As soon as the new key is programmed the old one will become inoperable. This means that the old key will not work to start the engine of your car.

Report Your Missing Key – When you report your key missing, a locksmith will come to your aid immediately. This is because they understand that if your keys fall into the wrong hands, someone could steal your vehicle. It doesn’t take long for them to get to your location to bring you a new key and to program it for you. The benefit of calling a locksmith is that they come to where you are and you don’t even have to have your vehicle towed. This is an extra expense that is avoidable by contacting a locksmith. While an auto dealership can also provide you with a new transponder key, they will often charge you more than is necessary. A locksmith only charges you what is necessary since they don’t have to cover overhead expenses like an auto dealership.

Replace Your Chip – Our Thornton locksmiths have helped thousands of motorists with their transponder key simply by replacing the chip in their key. Unfortunately, the chip looks very similar to a small battery. The problem with this is that many motorists have mistaken their chip for a battery. If they have dropped their key several times and the back is loose, rather then immediately replacing it, they tape it up. They may assume that if they lose it that it’s no big deal because they can just buy a new batter. The motorists who think this way have to find out the hard way that this is not the case. If your chip is in jeopardy of falling out, do something about it right away before it happens. Call on a locksmith to replace and reprogram your chip today.

Spare Keys – This is the most logical thing that any motorist can do. If you should happen to lose your transponder key, having another one is a good idea. However, it can be expensive to get another transponder key, as they are usually $100 and more. The best time to get a spare key is to negotiate it when you are purchasing a vehicle. The dealership will often throw it in simply to get you to purchase a vehicle. This saves you money and gets you a spare key.

If you use a transponder key then you have to realize that the possibility of losing it is the same as if you had a standard key. The best thing to do is know how you will respond if you should happen to lose your key. We hope you will heed our advice, as those who do never have to worry for too long before they are back on the road again. Its possible for you to experience a problem from time to time and when you do, we hope that you’ll think of utilizing the services of a qualified locksmith.