What to Do If Your Transponder Key is Lost or Stolen

Losing a key is always a stressful situation. You may be lucky and find the key after you search around for a while. However, sometimes it turns out that your key is well and truly lost. If the key in question was your transponder vehicle key, the fix is not just as simple as going to the hardware store and having a new copy made. Transponder keys are so named because they feature an electronic antitheft security chip inside the head of the key that communicates with your vehicle’s computer when inserted into the lock.

Before you panic, we’ve compiled the following information into a guide to help you determine the best course of action if your transponder key is missing. By keeping a level head and following these tips, you’ll navigate this stressful situation with ease. You may even be able to prevent it from happening in the first place. Regardless of whether or not you’ve lost your transponder key, you may find this information helpful.

Is My Car Key a Transponder Key?

First, let’s go over what exactly a transponder key is so that you can know whether or not your vehicle has one and what it means. A transponder key is a vehicle key that usually has a plastic head, inside of which is an electronic microchip. This microchip is the transponder chip, responsible for transmitting and receiving electronic signals to and from your engine’s computer, respectively.

A unique, one-in-a-million numerical code is sent from your key to the engine and the engine responds. If the numbers match, the vehicle will be allowed to start up. If not, the engine will not recognize the key, and the engine will not start. Even if the key physically matches the pins and tumblers inside of the ignition lock, it won’t work without the proper transponder programming.

Ford was the first vehicle manufacturer to use a transponder key system, which they called Passive Anti-Theft System (or PATS) in 1996. It quickly spread among vehicle manufacturers who found transponder keys highly effective and affordable to implement. Even with keyless entry becoming the new standard for vehicle security, many remote key fobs also feature some form of transponder chip. So even if the item you’ve lost is not a physical key but instead a remote fob, it will probably need to be programmed by a locksmith or other certified professional.

Preventative Measures

Before we explain which steps you should take upon losing your transponder key, let’s start by giving a rundown of smart preventative measures you can take to lower your risk of losing your key to begin with. These are simple steps you can take that make losing your transponder key far less likely.

• Establish a Routine Involving Your Keys: Establishing a habit of checking that you know where your keys are when you’re not using them is a crucial part of ensuring they never get lost.
• Have a Spare (or Two): All security professionals, including the experts on our local locksmith team, recommend that everyone have at least one spare key made for each important lock in their life. This includes spare keys for each of your vehicles, your home, and your business.

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Pro Mobile Locksmith - What to Do: Ignition Cylinder Problems

You want to be able to trust your car. You want to know that it will start every time you insert the key in the ignition and turn it. After all, you depend on your car in great measure. You probably drive to work, pick your kids up from school, and go shopping using your car. This is why it is very important to make sure the car is in tip top shape. Most people mostly focus on the mechanical parts, on the tires, and on the electric system. Few people realize that there is one little part that, in case it malfunctions, can prevent your car from starting. In case you haven’t guessed already, the part we are talking about is the ignition cylinder. If the ignition of your vehicle fails, you will have absolutely no way to start the car. And this is a very big problem because you can’t even get the vehicle to a mechanic without paying a small fortune on towing services. Well, know that there is a way to solve the problem even without a mechanic. But we’ll talk about that a bit later. For now, let’s see how you can figure out that the ignition cylinder is about to fail and what to do when you have ignition cylinder problems.

Common Signs of a Failing Ignition Cylinder
As with all problems, an ignition cylinder failure comes with many warnings. In most cases, you should be able to detect that there is a problem and replace the old part. However, most people simply don’t pay attention to these signs. This is why so many people in Snellville, GA have requested assistance from Pro Mobile Locksmith when their ignition cylinders suddenly failed. Here are the signs to keep an eye – or ear – on:

• The key gets stuck in the ignition cylinder from time to time. This may not seem like a big problem, but it really is. Because of wear and tear, the key is increasingly difficult to insert into and extract out of the ignition. The key is rarely to blame when this starts to happen. In most cases, the cylinder is worn out and prone to failing at any time. If the problem gets worse, the key will be almost impossible to remove from the cylinder. This is already a very serious sign that the ignition on your vehicle is about to break.
• The engine of your car starts to fail while you drive your car. This may sound like a mechanical or electrical problem. However, know that an old ignition cylinder may be at fault. Low contact and a loss of voltage inside the cylinder may cause your car to misfire or stumble. In some cases, the engine cuts out completely as if no key was inserted into the ignition. We don’t have to tell you how dangerous this situation is on a busy highway.
• You will start to have trouble powering the vehicle on. Certain positions of the key may not work correctly. For example, the car will not detect when you turn the key once or twice. In some cases, the car won’t start at all when you turn the key to start the vehicle.
• You hear strange noises coming from the ignition when you turn the key inside the cylinder. Squeaking or screeching sounds are never a good sign. It means that the cylinder is malfunctioning and that it is worn out. It is time to change it or risk being stranded on the side of the road one night.

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Pro Mobile Locksmith in Snellville- Transponder Key Problems

You may not be aware that the car key in your hands is more complex than you think. Inside of it, there is a small chip that has a very important function, called a transponder chip. The keys of most cars built after 1995 contain a transponder chip for improved security. The transponder chip communicates with your vehicle’s immobilizer and tells it to disarm so that you can start the engine. Basically, the transponder in the key sends some codes to the car. Of course, these codes need to be correct in order for the vehicle to allow you to start it. If the transponder does not send the codes or if the codes are not correct, your vehicle will not start, no matter how hard you try.

Malfunctioning Transponders: Serious Problems
In most cases, people think that the car is at fault when it refuses to start dues to a malfunctioning transponder chip. They tow the car to a mechanic and pay him to fix their car. Even though the problem is so simple, people can lose hundreds of dollars on towing and repair services. Of course, let’s not even mention the fact that you lose a lot of time and begin to be stressed by the problem. You won’t be able to drive your car to work until the problem gets solved. But what causes a transponder to cease working? Let’s find out!

Common Transponder Key Problems
Your car key looks pretty sturdy. It looks like it can take a beating. In fact, you have probably dropped your car keys on the floor several times already and nothing happened. The reality is that the transponder chip – just like any electronic device – is quite sensitive to shock. It can break the next time you accidentally drop your car key. When the transponder chip is damaged, it will stop sending the codes. Consequently, the vehicle will not receive a code and will not start when you turn the key in the ignition. The simple and effective remedy for this problem is to call a locksmith and ask him to replace the transponder chip or to duplicate the entire key.

Another problem can be caused by the battery inside your key. As any electronic device, the transponder in your key needs power from somewhere. The power is supplied by a small battery inside the key. If the battery dies, so does your transponder chip. Again, the chip will not be able to send the codes to the vehicle without power – and the vehicle will not start. This problem can be solved pretty quickly simply by replacing the battery in the key. A trained locksmith can help you do this, or you can do it yourself. If you attempt to replace the battery yourself, be careful not to damage the key or the transponder chip inside of it.

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