Well the most convenient option for you is to call a professional mobile locksmith. When a locksmith comes to your home of place of business to reconfigure a set of keys, they can go about it in two ways. [...]]]> What can I do if I want to have multiple locks that are opened by the same key?

Well the most convenient option for you is to call a professional mobile locksmith. When a locksmith comes to your home of place of business to reconfigure a set of keys, they can go about it in two ways. The more commonly known method of switching keys is changing the lock. This is usually more useful when the customer’s original lock is worn out from wear and tear or frozen. However, if an individual wants to change the keys for a lock without actually changing the lock, they can opt for a service know as “rekeying”

Rekeying involves rearranging the pins inside a lock’s latching mechanism. What this allows the technician to do is to synchronize the same key mold to unlock multiple locks. This means that you can share keys with roommates or loved ones. Also you can configure I set of keys to 1 group of locks, and another set to another.

Rekeys are also ideal when you want to change your keys without the hassle of changing your locks, especially if there’s a high volume. For example, let’s say a landlord wants to switch out the keys for his entire building- a rather costly and cumbersome feat if the locksmith were to try to change out all the locks! So instead of having to spend a  whole bunch of money on new locks that he really doesn’t need… he can elect to just have the keys reconfigured, which is all he really needs in the first place.
If a lock is damaged to the point that it is no longer functioning, can I use it if I have it rekeyed by a mobile locksmith?

Sometimes, after years of use and wear and tear, a lock may begin to freeze, jam, and eventually actually break, rendering it unusable. Once this occurs, it is usually very difficult and at times not even possible to repair the lock. The most likely course of action to be effective is to simply remove and replace the damaged lock. Rekeying the lock will have no beneficial effect on the attrition that the lock has undergone. Once a lock is changed, however, the lock that the technician reinstalls can be rekeyed to be accessible through a key or keyset that the customer already owns. This way you can have the lock you originally wanted rekeyed rekeyed- and have it changed at the same time!

I know that mobile locksmiths can make me a new ignition key- but I’m on a tight budget. What type of factors would determine the pricing of making me an ignition key?

Well, an ignition key, in its most basic form, is still a key that opens a lock- which is the ignition slot. What will determine the cost of a mobile locksmith making a customer a new key is the complexity, time expenditure, and manufacturing cost of the key itself. Once the technician arrives, they can determine the specific course of action they will need to take to forge that key. This is not only based on the year and model of the vehicle and type of key, but also the condition of the ignition itself due to accumulation of wearing.

Certain ignition keys contain what is referred to as a transponder chip, which is a computer chip that is programmed to activate the ignition for solely that particular vehicle. This is to ensure that an individual with a similar key or a pick can’t jimmy the ignition on and steal your car. Transponder keys tend to be much more difficult to make, and they require specialists that are equipped to reprogram them. It is much more time consuming to make transponder keys, and often requires tiny parts that cost more to order. It is for this reason that ignition keys with transponder keys in them often end up costing the technician themselves, as well as the customer, more to make.

Another factor that will determine the cost of making an ignition key is whether or not it also opens the car doors, and if not, whether or not the customer requires door keys made for the car as well.  The more material the technician needs to use, the more it will cost him. Also, it requires a substantially greater deal of labor and time to mold two keys as opposed to one. To further compound the expense of such a service, the ignition key of vehicles with separate keys from the doors typically do house a transponder chip. This is because the door key/ ignition key ensemble are typically components of what is called a VAT system. VAT stands for vehicular anti-theft (system). VAT systems are designed to ensure maximum security and are more complicated to steal because their original keys are specifically engineered to match the cylinders of that particular car only. For this reason, the keys are also much more difficult to replace once lost.

The final factor that would increase the overall cost of an ignition replacement job is what actually needs to be replaced.  From time to time, it’s not the key that’s not functioning properly- it is the ignition itself. Due to high mileage and on road agitation of the ignition and engine, an automobile can accrue a large amount of internal damage. It is much more expensive and difficult to change out the entire ignition of a car than to simply mold a new key. But regardless of the time of day, you can rely on 24 hour mobile locksmith services like BestBuyLock and they can help you with your ignition trouble.