I just got my first car (used). I want to get a replacement key but my partner says I have to go to the dealership. Why can’t I just rekey my existing key at Home Depot? What’s this chip thing in keys that I heard about?
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A lot of them have chips inside them for the immobilizer.
So for vehicles where you don’t have the key at all you would have to order one from the dealer and have it programmed. This prevents someone from attempting to copy a key and steal the vehicle of course there are ways around this but it makes sense.
Tb is JD power link goes into a lot more detail on the subject [here](https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/how-to-program-a-car-key-chip)
Well… The big question is what car do you have? Like specifically, what year and model? You don’t necessarily need to tell us, but it is something you can google.
Because if you have an older car with a simple metal key, that’s just a piece of metal that can be copied and cut. It’s not a big deal.
If your key does have a “chip” inside it, that means it has some kind of electronic anti-theft mechanism built into it and the key is “talking” to the car electronically. So if you want a replacement key, it’s not as simple as getting the metal key cut… You also need the chip part that talks to the car programmed.
Depending on the year/make/model, you don’t necessarily need to go to the dealer. A competent locksmith can often do this, but it’s still a real thing.
Most cars built in the last 15 years have an RFID chip in them as an anti-theft measure. When you turn the key to start the car, electronics in the car attempt to detect the chip to verify that the key is legitimate and the car isn’t being stolen. If the chip is not detected, then it will not allow the car to start.
You can look up the procedure to program your key online, and for many cars it is incredibly simple, especially if you already have a key that works. What you will need to do is have a new, correct style, key cut by a locksmith, auto parts store or hardware store.
There is a device in the car that “reads” a code broadcast by a chip in the key. If it doesn’t get the right code, the car won’t work properly. It’s to prevent people from forcing the key cylinder or hotwiring it and driving off.
You have to be able to look up the right code based on the VIN to produce a key with the correct code in the chip.
Quite a few cars more than just the dealer can do that, but the dealer always can and other vendors can sometimes be a bit sketchy so people tend to just go to the dealer despite the expense.
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