You would probably think locking yourself out of your car is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry much anymore because whether you left your keys in your locked car or cannot access your vehicle for some other reasons, there are car locksmiths ready to help you.
Technological advances in the car industry have made car locksmiths the go-to people for anything car-key or car-security-related issues, making the demand for such experts rise. So in this article, you will learn the main tasks of locksmiths.
The 3 Things Auto Locksmiths Offer
As you may know, a car locksmith’s job is to unlock a vehicle. But they can do other tasks like replace or duplicate your keys and remove broken ones.
Unlocking Cars
People will typically hire an auto locksmith if they have locked themselves out of their car. How do they do it? There can be several ways they can break into someone’s car. And it can depend on the type of car and lock.
The typical strategy is “jimmying” to open the car lock. The process involves taking a thin piece of metal or slim jim and sliding it between the weather stripping on the car door and the window to gain access to the lock.
The modern slims Jims are safer and have a lesser chance of vehicle damage. But when the going gets tough, almost anything can be used as slim jim. Jimmying is best for older cars that still need keys and have no modern alarm systems.
If you have a modern car with a state of the art of security system, you may no longer use keys to open it. For unlocking such a car that uses “keyless remotes,” locksmiths can reprogram the code to gain access to your vehicle.
Removing Broken Keys
It’s rare, but car keys can snap off because of natural wear or when you turn them the wrong way.
If your key snaps when you open your car door or during ignition, car locksmiths can utilize the exposed parts to remove your keys with their specialized extraction tools.
Car locksmiths will use a small, thin piece of metal that has two little hooks on its end to connect with a key. They will sometimes use a thin plier-like tool to grasp both sides of a key.
People will want to remove their keys on their own to save money. But it’s not recommended, especially if the key is in the ignition. If something goes wrong with your extraction process, you could do more damage, costing you more to repair your car.
Duplicating or Replacing your Keys
Car locksmiths will typically work with two types of car keys. The first ones are those not attached to an electrical piece or fob. Duplicating or replacing such keys is a straightforward process similar to when you want a duplicate house key from a residential locksmith.
It gets tricky when there is a fob attached to your car key. Most of these have transponder keys, meaning it has a chip inside them, which is programmed uniquely for your car. Without the chip, your car will not start.
You can hire a car locksmith to duplicate the key part of your car keys. But if it has a transponder, you will need an expert.
Conclusion
No one wants to be locked out of their car. Fortunately, you can always call a car locksmith to help out. Because of the modernization and innovation of the car industry, car locksmith services have also grown and become more complex, like car locksmith Phoenix. So if you know anyone wondering what car locksmiths can do, share this article with them.
