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Car Key Guides: Straight Answers From a Mobile Locksmith

Everything we get asked in the driveway, written down. Real prices from our own price list, no dealer myths. Automotive keys only.

Written by Marco Levy, founder of EZ Car Keyz·24 guides·BSIS LCO#6792, NASTF VSP

Cost and pricing

What car keys, fobs and lockouts actually cost.

Cost and pricing How Much Does Car Key Replacement Cost? Prices by Key Type Real ranges from our own price list for every common key type, what moves a quote up or down, and how to make sure the number you are quoted is the number you pay. 8 min read Cost and pricing How Much Does Key Fob Replacement Cost? OEM vs Aftermarket Before you pay for a new fob, find out whether yours needs a battery, a new case, a resync or a full replacement. Real ranges for each, from our own price list. 8 min read Lockouts Locked Out of Your Car? What to Do First and What It Costs A calm, step-by-step plan for the moment the door shuts with the keys inside, written by a licensed mobile automotive locksmith. 7 min read

Lost keys

What to do when every key is gone.

Lost keys Lost Your Car Keys With No Spare? Here Is What to Do The all-keys-lost playbook from a mobile automotive locksmith: what to do first, what to have ready, and what happens when we reach your car. 7 min read Lost keys Lost Your Push-to-Start Key Fob? What to Do With No Spare A proximity key works differently from a regular key, and so does replacing the last one. Here is what to do, what to have ready and what to expect at the car. 7 min read Lost keys Why You Need a Spare Car Key, and What One Costs A spare key is insurance against an all-keys-lost call. Here is why it matters, what it costs for your type of key, and how to keep it useful. 7 min read

Key fobs and smart keys

Dead, wet, desynced or bought online.

Key fobs Can a Locksmith Program a Key Fob? Yes, and Here Is How How fob programming works, what a mobile locksmith needs from you, what it costs, and when we send you to the dealer instead. 7 min read Fob troubleshooting Key Fob Not Working? Check These Things in This Order A troubleshooting ladder from the cheapest fix to the most involved, so you do not buy a new fob you did not need. 7 min read Dead fob battery Key Fob Battery Dead? How to Start Your Car Anyway How to get in, get the engine running and get a fresh battery in, without a tow and without buying a new fob. 7 min read Fobs bought online Will a Key Fob Bought Online Work With Your Car? What to check before you order, what we verify before we program, and your options if the fob will not pair. 7 min read Key fobs Key Fob Got Wet? What to Do Now and How to Save It The first-hour checklist for a fob that went swimming, plus how to dry it, test it, and know when it is time for a replacement. 7 min read

How car keys work

Transponders, laser-cut blades, EEPROM.

How car keys work Types of Car Keys Explained: Which One Do You Have? How to identify your key in under a minute, what is inside each type, and why the type decides what a replacement costs. 8 min read How keys work How Do Transponder Keys Work? The Chip Inside Your Car Key What the chip in your key actually does, why a hardware store copy opens the door but will not start the engine, and how a new chip key gets made. 7 min read How keys work What Is EEPROM Key Programming and When Does a Car Need It? The advanced route for cars that will not accept a new key through the diagnostic port: what it is, when you need it, and what the job looks like. 7 min read

Dealer vs locksmith

Honest comparisons, including when the dealer wins.

Dealer vs locksmith Dealer vs Locksmith for Car Key Replacement: An Honest Look Where a mobile locksmith wins, where the dealer wins, and how to decide in a couple of minutes, from a locksmith who sends some jobs to the dealer on purpose. 7 min read Dealer vs locksmith Mercedes-Benz Key Replacement: Why We Send You to the Dealer A straight answer from a locksmith who sends Mercedes key work to the dealer: why we do it, what the dealer will ask you for, and the two Mercedes jobs we still handle on site. 7 min read Dealer vs locksmith How Long Does Car Key Replacement Take? Times by Key Type On-site times from our own service catalog, how long the whole visit takes from the first call, and the handful of things that make a key job run long. 7 min read

Troubleshooting

Stuck, broken or stubborn keys and ignitions.

Troubleshooting Car Key Stuck in the Ignition? How to Get It Out Safely The checks that free many stuck keys in a couple of minutes, the moves that snap keys, and what a locksmith does when the key still will not come out. 7 min read Troubleshooting Broken Car Key? What to Do First and How It Gets Fixed A snapped blade, a piece stuck in a lock, or a cracked shell: what to do in the first few minutes, what makes it worse, and how each one gets fixed. 8 min read Troubleshooting Car Key Won't Turn in the Ignition? Causes and Safe Fixes Work through the causes in the order worth checking, from the steering wheel lock to worn wafers, and know when to stop before a stiff key turns into a broken one. 8 min read

Practical

Paperwork, scams, insurance, motorcycles.

Paperwork Do You Need the Title to Get a Car Key Made in California? What a licensed locksmith needs to see before making a key, and what to do when the car is registered to someone else. 7 min read Scam warning signs How to Avoid Locksmith Scams: Check the License First How to check a locksmith before anyone drives to your car, and the warning signs to watch for once they arrive. 7 min read Insurance Does Insurance Cover Car Key Replacement? What to Check Where key coverage tends to hide, what to ask your agent, and the paperwork that makes a claim or reimbursement go smoothly. 7 min read Motorcycles Lost Your Motorcycle Key? How a Replacement Gets Made How a new bike key gets made at the bike, what changes when there is a chip in the key, and what to have ready when you call. 7 min read

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