Recent educational accomplishments at Steve’s Lock Out:
Back in September 2009 both Steve and Andrew took an automotive locksmith class. They learned how to easily make keys for cars when no working key is available. Both have received a certificate for completing the class. Congrats guys!
Steve posted about the new rubber remote covers the other day…..but I thought I might show you just how cool they really are! They are great if you have multiple remote/key sets that look alike.
Imagine this remote:
Transformed in to this:
As you probably can see in this post there are several colors to choose from!
We also have Remote Skins (bottom left)….they are excellent not only for protecting your remote, but also very handy when the hole where the key ring goes through breaks on your remote! Check out this one in use…..
*please note that Not all remotes are compatible with the remote skins or remote covers.
At Steve’s Lock Out we have built quite a reputation for keys that work right the first time. We’ve won over many customers with that simple fact.
Why do our keys work? Our staff has been cutting keys for over 10 years. We use high quality duplicating machines and they are frequently checked for accuracy. We also carry a huge variety of keys. Over 2400 different keys. Chances are that we have the correct key for your application.
So not only do they work. They are very accurate. Why is this important? A key that is not cut correctly can be very hard on locks. What’s worse is they can get stuck in or break off in a lock which translates to further frustration and more expense.
2400 keys? Why so many? So we have the correct key for your needs. Believe it or not 2400 is still a long ways from having all the possible keys, however, it covers our market pretty well. Why is having the correct key so important? Many home stores and other retailers use keys that cover several applications to minimize the number of keys they have to carry. This is seldom a good idea. Some of these keys are milled much thinner to pass multiple keyways making them much more prone to breaking and twisting.
Since June of 1999 Steve’s Lock Out has cut over 32,000 keys. Most of those have been in the last 4 years. Out of that 32,000+ we’ve had less than 45 returned. That’s about a 99.85% success rate.
Next time you need a key cut consider giving us a try. Or if your not in the Parsons, Kansas area give your local locksmith a try. You might be pleasantly pleased with the results.
Steve’s Lock Out is located at 1806 Main Street in downtown Parsons, KS.
I sometimes feel like a nay sayer with many of the articles I write, however, I feel like I need to inform the general public of situations where they could be taken advantage of.
My topic for this article is remotes and “chip” keys.
First I want to clear up a few things on what a chip key is. They can and are called many different things by vehicle owners, manufacturers and dealers including some four letter words when priced by the consumer who just wants an extra key and didn’t even know their key contained a chip. Some terms you may have heard are transponder, chip, immobilizer, smart key, computer key, security key, anti-theft, PATS, Sentry key and there are many others. Irregardless of what they are called they are a key with a transponder in them. Below is a key we stock that you can see right through the head of the key. It happens to be a Ford key. And to the right of that a close up of a transponder. Many people are unaware that their is a transponder in their key because it is house in plastic and not visible.
What is a transponder? The word Transponder itself is a combination of two words; transmitter and responder. Occasionally abbreviated TPDR, TR, XPNDR or XPDR. When you put your key into your ignition and turn the key. An antenna either on, around or near your ignition transmits a signal to your key. They key then needs to “respond” back with the appropriate signal to let the car know its ok to start.
What is the purpose of a transponder? Simply put, to make your vehicle harder to steal. Forcing the ignition will not allow the car to run like it would on many non transponder vehicles. There are other systems that deture this as well, but I’ll save that for another article.
Clear Ford Key Showing TransponderA Close Up of a Transponder
VATS Key
Feel free to contact us with any additional questions you might have.
Steve’s Lock Out sells and programs chip keys and remotes in the Parsons, Kansas area. Feel free to drop by for an estimate at 1806 Main.
This is Steve signing off.
Sometimes it pays to listen to your Locksmith and compare the pros and cons and prices before making a decision. Today I’m referring to Auto Locks. Ignitions, especially, when they fail. There are some vehicles that failed ignitions are quite common. We try to keep the most ignitions in stock, but sometimes they aren’t available or you are one of several customers that has called us and they haven’t been restocked yet. So that means ignitions are sometimes out of stock or are not a regular stock item, however, we can usually have them overnighted if your in a pinch.
The price we quote you includes:
We suggest doing it this way. Why? For many reasons. Here are a few.
If you decide to shop around, make sure to ask the individual what all is covered in the fees. Does your vehicle need towed to their location? Will the replaced ignition be new and set to your original key? What, if any, additional labor charges are involved.
I hope this article will help you out in making a decision if you personally ever have to deal with this problem.
For Dodge and Chrysler
Needing to replace a remote head key can be exspensive problem. Whether the problem is a worn or broken key blade or broken shell we can fix your problem economically. Steve’s Lock Out is now providing replacement remote shells for Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth remote head keys for a fraction of the cost of a new remote head key.
These are the shell and blade only. There is no chip or remote contained in these. The board and buttons will have to be removed from your key and placed into the new shell and the blade cut to your key to work your vehicle. Shells are available for 3, 4, 5 and 6 button remotes head keys.
If a new shell can’t fix your problem we also can provide, cut and program new remote head keys. We also sell the new ”Pod” keys as well as a plethora of other auto keys and remotes.
These cool little remote skins are out newest product at Steve’s Lock Out. With the growing request for some way to
fix a broken remote when it can no longer be put on a key ring. Here’s the solution!
These cute little skins:
They will work for most GM, Ford and a Universal (which fits many of the Import auto remotes). They can also work for most Remote Head keys.
It’s quick and easy to put them on your remote too! They have an overlapping flap in the back allowing you to slip your remote in and out with ease.
Too many keys? Ya, too many keys….hanging out of your cars ignition.
We’ve touched on reasons for auto ignition failures before and heres another bit of information to make your car that much more worry free.
Heavy or or overstuffed key rings are probably the largest contributor to auto ignition failure. Imagine if you would taking 2 pieces of metal and rubbing them together for a couple of minutes. OK not much happens here. Now take those same pieces of metal and rub them together a couple of hours a day and do that every day for a couple of months. Notice anything now. Not that you are really going to do this, but imagine what would happen to them if you did. You would most likely see substantial wear on them. Much the same thing happens in your car’s ignition and key when you have a heavy key ring. Fixing the key isn’t too bad. Most locksmiths can cut you a key back to factory specifications and have you on your way in a reasonably short amount of time and at not too much expense. If you have a “chip” key the cost can go up substantially. However, when an ignition fails it can be a whole new ball game. Ignitions, even ones that don’t use chip keys can be quite expensive. Most brands of autos use the same ignition for cars with and without chip keys. The difference is the antenna near the ignition that picks up the signal from the key.
Locksmiths are not the only ones who fix ignitions. Some mechanics do as well. The difference is most mechanics will put in a randomly keyed ignition and you end up with 2 keys to what should be a one key car. A locksmith, well I can’t say all, but most will key the new ignition back to the original key so you still have a one key car.
I will admit that there are several autos out there that have ignitions in them that are prone to premature failure no matter how careful you are. And failure doesn’t necessarily mean that the ignition will not turn on. I’ve replaced many GM ignitions that failed due to a sensor in the lock. In this case the key will turn on, however, you get a “no crank” situation and a blinking “theft” indicator on the instrument cluster.
Some ways to keep from causing to much wear on your ignition are.
Quick Release Key Ring
We do not advise simply leaving your key in the ignition in your car. This is just inviting auto theft and many insurance companies will not cover a claim when an auto is stolen in this situation.
…there are a few other places you can put keys too, however, there are several places that they should not be put as well. This may sound a little gross, but one place they should not be put is in your ears. In my business I re-key, fix and replace many locks and have personally fixed and replaced several that failed due to……….ear wax. I’ll be the first to admit that the first time I came across this and realized what this was that clogged the lock up I felt rather nauseous. It still do, but like everything else you deal with from day to day you build up a tolerance for it.
Automobile ignition locks are the only place that I come across this problem. Customers will sometimes ask “What was wrong with my lock?” Our reply is normally that we found a waxy substance in the lock prohibiting the movement of the tumblers and advise them not to put their keys anyplace but their pocket or in the lock. Even though I’ve really thought about it I’ve yet to give the reply, “The problem is you clean your ears with your keys.”
As funny as it sounds its really no laughing matter. Ignition lock fails can leave you stranded at the worst times and cost hundreds of dollars to fix. The best way to keep this from happening is to only use your keys for what they are intended for, operating a lock. Not cleaning your ears, scraping dirt, opening cans ect. If you realize that you have gotten something on your keys, stop, don’t put it in the lock. Use a clean cloth or paper towel and wipe the key off. If its sticky and won’t come off by wiping it use a mild cleaner on the blade of the key only. I do not recommend cleaning the electronic part of remote head or electronic keys with any kind of cleaning solution. Follow these simple rules and they can help you avoid some costly repairs.