Problems with Transponder Keys

While not a common thing, problems with transponder keys do occur and when they do, you KNOW about it! It’s well known that there are pros and cons to just about everything. Sugar is sweet and offers energy and taste but too much of it can lead to sickness and eventual death. Knives can spread peanut butter on a child’s bread but they can also be used for malice. Transponder keys have their issues, as well. While the pros to transponder keys greatly outweigh the ‘bad’ there are still some issues that you may want to be aware of. Here at Cumming Quick Locksmith we work with automotive transponder keys on a regular basis so we know and understand both pros and cons. If your keys need any kind of repair, replacement or extractions, call us. If you don’t live here in the Cumming, GA metro region, look to a local full service automotive locksmith near you. Do this over calling your dealership and you’ll enjoy money savings, peace of mind and enhanced convenience!

Do I have a transponder key? How can I tell?

Good question and it’s easy to answer! Just think about the age of your car. Is it new or newer? If your auto is a 1990 model or newer, you most likely have one that uses transponder chip keys for starting the ignition. Older vehicles (pre 1990) use the ‘regular’ car keys that are rapidly going the way of phone booths and yellow page books. There’s a reason for this. The non-transponder type keys were so easy to duplicate. If you wanted a car key copy made for a friend, family member or child, you simply took it to your local convenience or hardware store and paid a dollar or so for a fast, pretty accurate copy. Need a spare; get two or three! It was so simple back then but that was actually part of the problem. Car theft was also easy due to people making spare keys that could be used at the drop of a hat. A way had to be found to cut back on fast and easy car theft and the transponder key was that answer!

What a transponder key is

Try taking your transponder key to the gas station for a copy. It won’t happen. In fact, your gas station clerk will instantly tell you that they can’t copy them and to take it instead to your dealership. Only some car dealerships are authorized by the car manufacturers to duplicate and program these specialized car keys. Oh, and some locksmith shops are too but more on that a little later! What makes your transponder key so hard to copy? The word transponder means transmitter and that is exactly what this key does. Each proper transponder key has a chip embedded in the rounded or rectangular head of the key. The metal blade is pretty much the same as ‘normal’ keys as it consists of a grooves and jagged cuts that differ from key to key. Your car’s dashboard computer must recognize the signal sent from your transponder key when you turn the ignition; if it does; your car starts. If not, it won’t; simple as that. It is expensive, time consuming and complicated to duplicate these chips as they must be matched to your car’s onboard computer. This leads to our first problem with transponder keys; they are expensive to replace once stolen or broken.

Lost chips

Another issue with transponder keys is that the chips can fall out if the key is dropped, thrown or banged about. Let’s say you are through shopping and are just leaving the store. As you cross the parking lot to your car, you accidentally drop your keys. You grab them up quickly to get out of the way of passing cars but you didn’t notice that your transponder chip fell out and was still left on the asphalt. Your car door opens but the engine will not start without that chip.

Broken off keys

It’s easy to think of car keys as indestructible. They are made of metal and are often used like boy scout tools to open boxes by puncturing them with the sharp end or slashing through tape with the jagged blade. Ripping and puncturing are only two MacGyver type methods people use transponder keys for. We’ve even heard of popping open bottles, beer cans and using the blade as a letter opener and screwdriver! Keys are not indestructible and they can and do break. Now, the problem is intensified as you not only need transponder key duplication and programming but you also need key extraction for the broken off part!

Missing keys

It’s easy to assume that if your keys are missing that they are stolen. Often, the problem is simple human error. If you live in a house with other drivers or work in a place where transponder keys are tossed onto a desk, they can get easily confused and mistaken for the wrong keys. They can also be dropped accidentally by you or by a child or pet that happens to be playing with them. Kids and dogs love to play with keys and these keys can wind up buried, dropped, hidden or even eaten! The end result is the same; no keys!

What to do if your transponder keys are in trouble!

Don’t worry; you don’t have to walk on ‘egg shells’ with your car’s transponder keys. Just be aware of where you put them and don’t be too rough with them. If a problem does occur; remain calm and call our automotive locksmiths or one near you that you feel comfortable working with. Doing so will save you high fees that your dealership will charge as well as tow-charges that are needed to get your car to the service area for them to work on it. Call for price quotes and compare the difference. Your dealership will charge several times more than your locksmith will and we come directly to you and work on location.