What to Do If You Lose Your Car Keys

what should you do when you have lost your car keys

Never let your car keys go missing or be the victim of theft. The possibility is that it will occur when you are travelling or otherwise out and about, which may be disastrous if you have to rush to go to work or drop the kids off at school.

If you were about to leave the house but couldn’t find your keys or you got locked out of your car, what would you do? We will outline your alternatives for dealing with the problem, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Beginning with If Your Keys Are Stolen

You must contact the police if you realize your keys have been taken but you are still in control of the vehicle. To report your keys stolen, you should dial 101 unless there is a threat to your life. Once you’ve done so, you’ll need to replace your car key and have the engine control unit of the vehicle erased so that the stolen key can no longer be utilized. This is due to the fact that the key will include a chip that is specific to your vehicle. To prevent someone from stealing your automobile, it’s critical that you complete this as soon as you can.

Try To Find a Spare

The majority of individuals have an extra vehicle key, whether it’s a remote or a manual key. You should always try to see if you can locate it. In order to keep your automobile safe when you lose your car keys, you should always try to call an auto locksmith near you in Chicago to deprogram any lost keys.

Review Your Insurance

If your car key is stolen or lost, you may be able to make a claim with your auto insurance for the cost of a replacement key. You must determine if the cost of replacing a car key is automatically covered by your auto insurance company before purchasing a policy.

Make a breakdown service call

If you want to be back on the road as soon as possible, we don’t advise choosing this option because it can be the slowest for you. Many breakdown services can’t promise an arrival time, and if they don’t deem your situation an emergency, you won’t be high on the list for assistance.

Use a nearby garage

The issues you experience at a dealership and local garage are the same. It’s doubtful that they’ll have the extra keys and tools needed to effectively replace your automobile key. This is particularly true if you need to quickly change the key.

What We Suggest

As you can see, if your vehicle keys are lost or stolen, hiring an auto locksmith in Chicago will be the quickest, cheapest, and finest course of action for you. In a single visit, they ought to be able to reset your automobile and replace a car key. This allows you to go on with your day as soon as possible.

Is it possible to make a vehicle key without the original?

The answer is that you may get a duplicate car key using the VIN of your vehicle. A 17-digit number, exclusive to your car, is called the VIN. This should be situated on the chassis of the car, in front of the dashboard on the driver’s side. The V5C document, which is often included in the vehicle logbook, can also be used if you are having trouble finding the VIN.

Can a Car Key Be Reprogrammed?

An auto Chicago locksmith’s expertise and equipment are needed in order to reprogram a car key. Auto locksmiths in Chicago may re-program vehicles with the following methods:

  • Remote keys or keyless entry
  • Keys with transponder chips included
  • Flip a coin

The make, model, and year of your car will affect how much it will cost to get your key reprogrammed. This then determines the procedure needed to reprogram your key, although generally speaking, newer, more costly autos cost more!