How do Car locksmiths re create a key without the original just using a VIN number?
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The manufacturer will have records of the key codes, the heights of each cut in the key, or for electronic ones, the codes stored on them.
For a physical key, they’ll either need to get the key code (cutting pattern) from the dealer, or they can in some cases pick and decode the physical lock.
For electronic keys, whatever body controller handles it will have a list of which valid key codes can be used. Often there is about 10 slots available, the first few come with the car, and the remainders are for spares. This list of keys will be in the car, and also on the dealer’s database.
Order from a dealer, and they’ll look up a valid code and program it into a new key.
They don’t have them ready made and trays of spares for each car, they’ll be made from blanks if and when they are needed.
For the aftermarket, they’d go into whatever module has the codes, find a valid set and program into a new key too.
There are databases of what keys were assigned to which car from the manufacturer. The manufacturers give access to some locksmiths. This access is audited so if your car is reported stolen the manufacturers will be able to check if any locksmith have accessed the information lately and report this findings to the police.
There are also ways to decode the lock to get the shape of the key. You first pick the lock and then with a guage check how long the pins in the lock is. These measurements can then be transfered to a key blank which then gets cut to the shape that fits the lock. For the electronic lock there are usually ways of reprogramming the car using the physical key. Of course this does not work on modern cars without physical keys, only electronic ones.
There are a lot of ways that this works. Sometimes they’re just looking it up and seeing what the manufacturer says it should be. Other times they’re just looking at the lock cylinder for the profile ANY the code printed on the cylinder itself. If you’ve replaced the cylinder it may even be written down by the helpful guy who did it previously to make sure that any future locksmith could figure it out real fast.
This is for physical keys, if you mean just electronic keys those are pretty generic. You need the right kind of key but there aren’t many of them and it’s pretty well registered. If you have an electronic key controlling everything(IE if you have the same key as another car but yours won’t work in their vehicle, now you know why), they’re just connecting to the car to register an ‘official’ key with the right code. You’ll know they are doing this if they call a dealership or they have to plug something into the communication ports of the car.
The keys are pretty standard in length/shape/etc and these are well known and documented. There are even devices for physical locks that can probe and tell you what the correct cut would be for a specific key.
True story…a friend borrowed my vehicle and I used their’s to go to Ft. Lauderdale from Louisiana. Lost the keys on a boat tour. When I got back I called the local Honda dealership, gave them the VIN, and by the time I could get a cab to the dealership, the key was ready. $3. Great deal and no ID required.
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