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.
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