Help, I Lost My Car Keys!

Losing your car keys can be a very stressful experience. If it happens to you, it can take a lot of time and cost you a great deal of money to regain access to your vehicle.

What are the different types of car keys?

Looking at the different types of car keys is like reviewing the history of in-car security. Early cars had door keys, but no ignition key. Once you unlocked the door and got in, you would start the car simply by pushing an ignition button on the dashboard.

Metal ignition keys: In 1949, Chrysler introduced a key for the ignition, which was rapidly adopted by the rest of the auto industry. For many years, cars came with two different keys: one for the ignition, and another for the doors and trunk. Their blanks for these keys were readily available, so that any key maker could make a copy from your original key. Later, cars began to come with one, all-purpose key that opened everything, plus a “valet” key, which would start the car but could not open the trunk or other locked storage areas.

An evolution of these conventional keys, which had one (or later both) edges cut with a unique pattern, was the “sidewinder” key. These keys had a flat rectangular blade, with a unique wavy groove cut into the flat part of the blade. These keys required special machines to make duplicates, so this provided more security against theft than the conventional edge-cut keys.

Later, remote unlocking of the doors and trunk became a feature on some cars. This was done by pushing a button on a fob, which was a separate unit from the conventional key that was still used to start the car.

Electronic car keys: The transponder key was the auto industry’s next step, in an attempt to combat a growing wave of auto thefts. Inside the key or the fob, a microchip communicated with a sensor in the ignition, allowing the car to start if the right key had been inserted. This was also known as an immobilizer, and this feature became commonplace on cars during the 1990s.

Smart keys: These systems completely eliminated the need for a physical key to enter or start your car. A smart key first appeared on the 1998 Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan. Operating on a specific radio frequency, a smart key takes the form of a fob that you can keep in your pocket or purse. Through an antenna, your car can sense that the smart key fob is in the vehicle, and it will permit the car to be started, usually by a push of the “start” button. The smart key systems on some cars will also enable your personal settings for the seat, mirrors, steering wheel, climate control and stereo.

What can you do if you lose your car keys?

If you don't have a spare key, the next step depends on what kind of car keys you have lost. Let’s run down the list:

If you lost your old-school metal keys: These are the easiest car keys to duplicate, because they operate 100% mechanically, and have no electronic systems to interact with. Your best bet is to call an automotive locksmith, who can drive to where your car is and make you a new key for it. If you also lost your fob for unlocking the car, the locksmith can probably replace that as well.

If you lost an electronic car key: Now things get complicated. Your new transponder car key will need to know the right “password” to connect to your car and start it. This requires your new key to be reprogrammed for your specific car. Your first call should be to an automotive locksmith, who will tell you if he or she can handle the job on your vehicle. If not, you may have to have your car towed to the nearest dealer, who could be the only one with access to replacement keys, and the equipment to reprogram them. This could get expensive.

If your car came with a valet key, you can use it to start your car. If your car is under warranty, a key replacement, or at least the reprogramming, might be covered. Ask the service manager nicely and see what happens. Alternatively, check your car insurance coverage. If you belong to an auto club, they may provide you with some type of locksmithing service as part of your membership.

If you lost a smart key fob: The process for a lost smart key fob will be similar to that of a lost transponder key. First, call an auto locksmith to check if they can work on your make and model. If not, you will be left to the mercies of your local dealer, who will very likely relieve you of several hundred dollars for a new fob and the reprogramming required. Don’t forget the cost of the towing.

If you are an auto club member, you may be covered for the towing – check your coverage.

How can you avoid all this hassle?

Most people find themselves in the lost-car-keys mess simply because they do not have a second set of keys. Perhaps they bought their car used and only got one set, or maybe the other set got lost somewhere along the way, and was never replaced. So here’s your wake-up call:

Never be without a second set of keys!

Just think of how easy it would be to go home and grab your extra fob or keys from the kitchen drawer. Now you can get into your car and get to where you need to be. No time wasted dealing with it, no stress, and no towing charges. Now you have time to search thoroughly for those lost keys (they probably will turn up), get a Bluetooth-based key-finder tag so it doesn’t happen again, or at least find a less-expensive source for a replacement key or fob online.