What to Do When Transponder Key is Lost

Have you ever been stuck in the middle of the night because you have lost your keys? It didn’t feel so good, did it? There is nothing that is fun about being locked out of your vehicle in the middle of the night when you are eager to get home. That’s what locksmiths are for, right? Sure. Until you call a locksmith to assist you and realize that a few hours have passed and you are still waiting for them to show up.

Transponder Keys are Special

Have you ever compared a transponder key with a regular car key? In some cases they may look very similar. But, transponder keys are a bit different from your average car key. What’s the big difference? The transponder chip. That’s it! There really isn’t much more to it than that. However, that small little chip in the key makes a world of difference. 

If you remove that chip from the transponder key, your car will never start. That’s how much of a big deal it is. Once you put that key in the ignition and turn it, the computer in the car has to receive a signal from the chip. No signal – no starting of the car. It’s as simple and as complex as that.

This is why it is such a big deal if you lose your car keys. You can’t simply go to a key cutting store and have they cut new keys for you. You have to get a new transponder key, not just a regular key. Fortunately, and unfortunately, this requires a special set of expertise and tools that not every key cutting service will be able to afford or provide.   

Can’t Find Your Transponder Key?

Nobody really ever plans to lose their keys. But, things happen. One minute you’re staring at the key, the next minute you have no clue where it is. Did it get stolen? Did you lose it? Sometimes we never really find out what happened to our key. All we know is that it is nowhere to be found when we need it and it never shows up no matter how hard we try to find it. 

Because transponder keys are not much different from regular keys, you can undergo these same things with those types of keys. Before you start to panic however, make sure that you search your surroundings thoroughly. Sometimes we lose our keys, only to find them a few hours or a few days later. If only we had looked for them hard enough. Maybe we would have found them, right? 

Think about the last place you left those keys. Are they anywhere near there? Is anything else missing? Could it be that someone stole it? Be sure before you call for help. Transponder keys are a bit special so they cost a lot more to get made or duplicated. If you find those keys, you may save yourself a nice chunk of money. 

Another thing about getting transponder keys replaced is that you are often required to prove your identity and ownership of the vehicle. These are safety precautions that help to prevent criminals from requesting or receiving a copy of your keys. Although it may seem annoying and bothersome, bear it with a smile. The system is there for your benefit.