Lost your key fob? Here are ways on how to solve that problem!

Reason 1: Lost car key. Imagine leaving late for work and you go to your car only to realize that you can’t find your key. At this point, you would have to spend precious minutes to look for that key.

And you better do it fast or your boss might fire you for being late… AGAIN. That’s when you realize that you should have kept a spare key.

To avoid unfortunate events like this, have a spare one ready. Get a duplicate. If you find the original one, then use one of them as a spare, just in case another mishap occurs.

Reason 2: Malfunctioning car key. Keys, like all other things, experience wear and tear. Remote control car keys, in particular, are vulnerable to this. There are some cars that use the keyless entry technology wherein the car scans wireless codes etched in the key to ensure safety.

Although this is an amazing advancement in technology for consumers’ security when it comes to their vehicles, these codes could be damaged after a while.

Additionally, the most common problems that car owners go through is when they have the key, but the remote that it comes with does not work anymore. This just makes it seem like a normal key that functions just to manually lock and unlock the car.

Imagine having parked your car and you walk to your office when you realize that you forgot to lock your car. You would have to run back to the parking lot just to lock that car instead of just pushing a single button on your car key remote control. If this is the case, make sure you check the remote’s batteries. Don’t treat it as a trivial issue if you want to avoid a security crisis.

Now that you’re sure that you have to replace that key, here are 4 tips on how to go about it:

Tip 1: Look for your vehicle’s VIN. Before you get that key replaced, you have to get your vehicle’s identification number or the VIN. The VIN includes the identifying code (17 characters) for a specific automobile. It is placed in the dashboard or engine bay of your car. Make sure to take note of the details of the vehicle: the year, model, and exact make. If you are having a hard time looking for the VIN, check the vehicle’s papers.

Tip 2: See if a locksmith can unlock your vehicle. This applies especially on older car models. Newer cars have a more advanced security which makes it harder for a locksmith to work on them but it’s still worth a try.

Tip 3: Have the key programmed. These days, locksmiths have to keep up with the times too. Check to see if the locksmith can program your key. If they cannot, the next best step is to have the locksmith make the key, and then have the dealership program it.

Tip 4: Visit your dealer. If by unfortunate circumstance, the tips above bring you to no avail. It may be time to go directly to your vehicle’s dealer and have the key replaced. However, this option may be a little on the expensive side.

Having your keys replaced can make you sacrifice some of your time and money. And if you ignore the possibilities and don’t prepare, you may face security and safety issues sooner or later, not to mention the inconvenience it poses. Do your research ahead of time and it will save you from a massive headache later on.