When people think of calling locksmiths in Oak Lawn, IL for auto lock service, most will imagine calling for help for getting back into a car after locking the keys inside. Re-entry service, however, is just one of the services locksmiths provide that have to do with cars. Here are some of the other reasons locksmiths work with car locks and keys:
Providing New Keys
This isn’t the simple “cut a copy of a key” service that used to be done for car keys. Now, many keys have electronics inside them that work with car alarms. If the key’s electronic signature isn’t detected, the car alarm will go off. This helps to thwart would-be thieves with cheap copies of the key, but when the system’s battery finally goes dead after about 10 years, it makes it so that you can’t use your own car without the alarm wailing away. These alarm systems also make it so that you can’t back up your own keys with cheap copies. Instead, you’ll need to either go to the dealer or have a locksmith like Keyway Lock and Security make you fully-featured new keys complete with their electronic aspects.
Ignition Switch Repairs and Replacements
When you have the right key, complete with electronics, but you still can’t get the ignition switch to work, it’s time to have the switch repaired. Going to a standard mechanic may not yield results because many of them have experience with the larger mechanical parts of a car rather than locks or electronics. Using a locksmith to fix this lock is the obvious solution. Most switches can be fixed, but if this turns out not to be the case, the locksmith will be able to replace it in short order.
Broken Key Extraction
It is surprisingly easy to break a car key off in the lock of a car door or trunk. Trying to turn a frozen lock with brute force is just one way to do it. Hitting the key with a falling purse, heavy shopping bag, or other such object can also shear it off right at the edge of a lock. Locksmiths can get the key shard back out of the lock so that it can be used once again. Visit Keywaychicago.com for more information.
