Car Locksmith |

Fixing Broken Keys

How do you fix a broken key? Well, if you’re asking this question, you’ve certainly come to the right place for an answer! There’s many ways a key can break, and just as many ways that you can repair a broken key. Here’s a guide on how to repair various kinds of key issues, as prepared by the experts at Master Locksmith.

Keys Broken inside Locks

One usually hopes that they will be able to synthesize the two pieces of a broken key back together, but this simply isn’t possible. If your house key breaks, bring both halves to a licensed locksmith. THey will cut you a brand new key using the specific structural data coded in the grooves of your key. If you’re dealing with a broken car key, you’re going to want it get fully replaced through transponder key programming services. This might not be the quickest fix – but trust us, it’s safer and more effective than trying to tape two halves of a broken key together – which is very dangerous, as it can lead to a locking steering wheel or the sudden stopping of your engine.

Broken Bow Covers

The hard plastic shell that covers the base of most car keys – of both the rudimentary and transponder variety – can be replaced with the shell of an older key. Another fix is to replace the transponder part of the key completely. Hard shelled bows can be removed and the interior transponder components swapped out and fit inside a new shell. If you’re dealing with a soft plastic bow cover, drill new holes into it to secure it to your keychain – just make sure that you’re not drilling it through the transponder chip itself.

Drained Batteries

If you have a smart house key that’s run out of battery, it’s almost definitely a rechargeable key. In this case, the fix is super easy – simply plug the charger into an outlet and charge the opening device (usually a smartphone, sometimes an electronic token) and retest it. If you’re dealing with a drained car key battery, you will need to replace it – which isn’t always easy, as car keys use batteries with strange sizes and specific amperages. Contact a locksmith expert who can bring the necessary car key battery directly to your location.

Water Damages

If your electronic car keys have been soaked in water and no longer work, try the same method people use to help salvage their waterlogged phones – the rice method. Leave your keys submerged completely in loose uncooked rice, which will absorb all the moisture from the phone and soak it up. This might take some time, so just have patience and leave the keys inside the tub of rice for up to a day. THis doesn’t always work however, and if it doesn’t, you’ll need to have a new car key programmed for you by a locksmith expert – just don’t throw out your old key, as having it on hand will make the process of getting a new car key much more fast and efficient.

11/23/2017

Car Lockout Service FAQs

Here at Master Locksmith USA, we understand how interminably frustrating it can be to get locked out of your vehicle. Whether you’re in a rush to get to work, to get home, or simply to resume the course of your day, a vehicle lockout can be a massive headache. Luckily, our mobile locksmith service allows us to travel directly to your location in a simple matter of minutes, restoring your access to your vehicle and getting you back on the road in no time. In this blog post, the expert locksmiths at Master will cover some of the most common questions that we get asked about the Car Lockout Service that we provide our customers on a regular basis.

How fast will my automotive locksmith get to my vehicle?

At Master we pride ourselves in our rapid response times. From the moment you call our dispatcher, we will have a mobile locksmith at your location in between 15-30 minutes. Our technicians are familiar with the roads, and are dedicated to providing you speedy service.

How long does the door unlocking procedure take?

Typically, it takes around 5 minutes for us to unlock your car doors, allowing you to get back on the road in no time. However, this will take longer if your car is outfit with unique locks, or high security locks?

Will it damage my car to get it’s doors unlocked?

Absolutely not. Our locksmiths know the ins and outs of automotive unlocking service, and will unlock your car doors with zero damage to your vehicle.

Help, I can’t unlock my car door!! What should I do?

The number one thing is to stay calm and move to an area outside of traffic where you won’t be in harm’s way. We recommend staying as near to the vehicle as you can – while at a safe distance from moving traffic – until help arrives. We don’t recommend attempting to unlock your car yourself, as amateur operations can cause undue damage to your car that will cause more difficult problems than simply having your keys locked inside it.

Can you unlock cars with deadbolts?

Absolutely. Many cars by brands like Land Rover and BMW come with deadlocks as an industry standard – so we’re prepared to unlock tons of deadlocked cars – it simply comes with the territory and our training.

Can you ever NOT unlock a car door?

We’ve never found a car door that we can’t unlock. The most difficult car door unlocking services that we perform are one’s in which a car is outfit with a custom high security trunk deadlock that didn’t come standard with the vehicle. In these situations, drilling may be necessary to get the car door open – but any small damage caused by the drilling will be easily covered up by your license plate; however, it should be stated that these cases are INCREDIBLY rare, and we give you our guarantee that we can safely and efficiently unlock any car door out there.

10/28/2017