Keeping Up With Your Car Keys

Keys are one of the most important things in your car, but it can also be the weakest link in your car security. You should also treat them like how you treat your own money. Maybe you don't want to stuck in a situation where you lost your car keys and your money was left inside the car. Frustrating right? There are common reasons to call locksmith services, you can call an Atlanta locksmith if you're just around the area, but what if it is impossible on your own part?

Almost everyday, a lot of cases of carnapping and burglary are reported. Here are some instances where keys are included:

• Stolen keys while the owners are sleeping at night.
• Stolen while the owner is out even just for 5 minutes or went to the garden.
• Through open window fan lights or 'fished' through the letter box.
• Stolen from  a family's house while the owners were on an out-of-town trip.
• Stolen from gyms, workplaces and changing rooms.
• From snatched bags or pick pockets.
• Stolen by force or threats

Types of Keys

 Most modern car keys are usually three in one.

1. A mechanical key to release the steering lock
2. A high-tech 'coded 'electronic transponder chic' read by the car when the key is inserted into the cognition.
3. A remote control to unlock doors and turn off the alarm.

Master Keys

Before, many cars were supplied with a 'master-key' which is not intended for normal use. The dealer uses the master-key to program a replacement or new key for the car. The downside is that if you  lost  your master-key, it will cost you a lot. You also have to replace the whole engine system. 

Since technology changes at a rapid pace, car manufacturers have stopped using master keys. They now have a car specific security information which the dealer uses for key replacement and reprogramming the car.

Transponder Keys

Chips which are electronic and coded in the plastic body of the key. It doesn't need a battery so it's passive. The code is read when you turn the key in the ignition. The main concern is that when the chip is broken or damage , you cannot start the engine. The unit will be reprogrammed if you want to get a new one.

Rolling Codes

Before, it is very common among drivers because it's almost impossible to copy the code. Keys with rolling codes, changes every time the key is used. Some offer improved security, but it is very expensive and can cost you a lot.

Remote Controls

Nowadays, new cars are supplied with a remote control to turn off the alarm and even unlock doors. This kind of system is very convenient for drivers. Others use infrared but most uses a radio transmitter, to send a coded signal to a user on the car.

We use our keys in our daily life, but we never understood its value. The value of keys will only be understood when we lose our valuable things. That's how important it is.

photo credit: Thehigh cost of losing your car keys(Matt Campbell)