A spare key, or a car with no key at all
These are two different jobs, and it helps to know which one you have before you call. We do both, for cars and vans.
A spare key is the easier one. You still have a key that works, so we cut a new blade to match the car and teach it to accept the new key alongside the old.
When every key is lost, there is nothing to copy. A new key is cut to the car’s locks and coded to it from scratch. It takes longer than a spare, and the car has to be here for it, so call us first and we will talk through getting it to us.
Why a cut key may not start the car
Almost every car made since 1998 has an immobiliser, and its key is three things in one: a metal blade, a transponder chip and, usually, a remote.
The blade turns the locks and the ignition. The chip tells the immobiliser that this key belongs to this car, and the engine will not run without it. The remote locks and unlocks the doors.
A key copied at a key-cutting kiosk is only the blade. It opens the door, but the engine will not start. We cut the blade on our own machine, standard or laser-cut, then code the chip and pair the remote to your car, so the new key does all three. Keyless fobs, the kind that stay in your pocket, are coded the same way.
Genuine or aftermarket, and the price
We supply both. A genuine key matches the original exactly. An aftermarket key costs less.
The price depends on the car, the type of key and whether any keys are left. We tell you the price of each option before any work starts.
Is it the key, or only the fob?
A remote that has stopped working does not always need a new key.
A flat battery, a worn button or a cracked case can often be repaired, and the key keeps its coding. We check it first and tell you whether it can be fixed.
What to bring
The car, and every key you still have for it.
On many cars, coding a new key makes the immobiliser relearn all of them at once. A key that is not here when that happens can stop starting the car, so bring the spare from the drawer too.
Bring the V5C logbook and photo ID in the same name. We do not cut or code a key without them, because a key is what lets someone drive a car away. For a company or lease vehicle, bring the owner’s written permission as well.
A lost or stolen key can be removed
If a key has gone missing, whoever has it may still be able to start your car.
When we code a new key we delete the missing one from the immobiliser, so it no longer starts the engine. On some cars the old blade will still turn the locks, because the locks are mechanical. We tell you when that is the case.
When it has to be the dealer
Most cars can be done here. A few makes, and some recent models, only accept a new key through the manufacturer’s own system.
Give us the registration when you call. We check the car before you come in, and if it is a dealer job we say so before you book rather than halfway through.
Keyless cars
If your car unlocks and starts with the key in your pocket, the key answers any signal that asks for it, including a thief’s relay device held near your front door.
Keep the keys, spares included, away from doors and windows and in a signal-blocking pouch. Test the pouch now and then: with the key inside, the car should stay locked as you walk up to it.