The Art of Car Key Programming for Your Business
Discover the Benefit of Updating and Maintaining Your Vehicle’s Keys
Like most technological advancements, today’s car keys offer benefits and challenges. Known as transponder keys, they allow users to open their cars remotely and start cars while remaining in one’s pocket or purse.
The downside, of course, is that technology doesn’t always work. One day, an employee walks up to their company vehicle, pushes a button, and finds it’s not working. Suddenly, this handy wonder has become a slight nightmare for the person finding themselves locked out of their car.
That’s where Greeley Lock & Key comes in. We can often program transponder keys onsite, saving time, frustration, and money. We also program duplicates at your Greeley, CO, business, ensuring your staff can access their cars when technology fails.
Here, we’ll explore how these keys work and how companies use car key programming to their benefit.
SEE ALSO: Why a One-Stop Shop for Locksmith Services Is Best for Your Business
Today’s Types of Keys
There are about four different types of keys in today’s automotive world. Transponder keys look like regular keys with a plastic head that contains a programmable chip. While the chip is required, you still use the key’s “blade” to unlock and start the car. A remote/key combo also offers remote capabilities.
More common today are the key fob and proximity fob. The former requires pushing a button to open and start the vehicles, while a proximity fob requires you to be a certain distance from the car to unlock the doors and start it up remotely.
No matter the technology upgrade, some of the tried-and-true principles apply. For instance, it’s always a good idea to have a spare. A key origination, required if you lose a key without a replacement, can cost significantly more than making a duplicate.
How Today’s Car Keys Work
These newer keys come with transponder chips. Much like a mini-computer, these chips store data. In the case of a car key, this data is a password. Using radio frequency (RF), they communicate with the vehicle’s receiver, sending the microchip’s code to your car. If the code matches, the car performs the requested action, whether unlocking the door, opening the trunk, or starting the car.
How Car Key Programming Works
Our knowledgeable locksmiths connect a key programming computer to the vehicle’s OBD port. Then, they follow a programming sequence to “connect” the new transponder chip, whether a key or a fob. The programming software within this system enables our team to add and remove keys.
This ability is critical in a commercial setting, ensuring only specified keys work. If lost or stolen, we can remove them via the software, ensuring they can no longer unlock or start the vehicle. Some cars only allow a certain number of keys to be programmed at any one time, providing a secure, easily maintained system.
Working with Greeley Lock & Key
At Greeley Lock & Key, we’ve been helping businesses with their automotive and onsite security needs for almost 50 years. We’re there for our customers 24/7, offering fast service at rates often much lower than dealerships. To learn more about car key programming or to schedule onsite service, contact Greeley Lock & Key today.