In the hustle and bustle of your busy day, there’s a good chance something is going to happen with your car keys.
- Nearly 25 percent of Americans misplace their car keys twice a week.
- In 2015, the American Automobile Association reported receiving more than four million calls from locked-out motorists each year.
There are four main types of car keys:
- Traditional car keys: This has no security features other than the unique cut of the key.
- Transponder keys: This contains an electronic chip which contains stored information through the antenna ring, ECM and immobilizer. When a key is inserted in the ignition, these all work in tandem to activate the ignition and to identify the vehicle’s owner is the one driving.
- Smart keys: These work with key fobs and allow drivers to start vehicles remotely without a key.
- Key Fobs: This is a remote or transmitter that allows you to work certain functions on your car remotely.
If you’re looking for a change and want a little more security with your car, auto key programming could be a way to go. Key technology has evolved quite a bit in recent years and more keys are becoming more technology driven. A search of “automotive key programming near me” can help you get set up with a programmable key of your own.
Here are five ways a programmable key can benefit you:
- Locking and unlocking: With a traditional key, you have to go through the process of taking a key out, putting the key in lock, turning the lock and opening the door. With auto key programming, all you have to do is hit the unlock button and open the door. You can do it while walking to your car and you can even do it from the front door of your home.
- Remote start: In the dead of winter, the last thing anyone wants to do is trudge out to the car, open the door, start the engine, turn the heat on and walk back into the house. With auto key programming, you can stay in the house and start the car from the front door or even from your couch depending on how far your key is able to go. Setting your heat controls ahead of time and combining that with remote start will give you a nice warm car on a cold day.
- Faster unlock: According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 38,000 carjacking victimizations occurred annually between 1993-2002. With that in mind, another benefit of auto key programming is the ability to unlock your car faster. If you’re feeling unsafe, having the ability to easily unlock your car makes it much safer to go to it, especially if you’re in a crowded area. Having a programmable car key removes the hassle of having to open your car the traditional way and removing the possibility of getting robbed or carjacked.
- Lights: Another benefit of a programmable keys is you can remotely unlock your car, which will automatically turn on your headlights. This gives you another layer of comfort since you can easily find where your car is and you’ll feel safer knowing that you’ll be able to know your surroundings better, especially in a dimly lit area.
- Finding your car: In a crowded parking lot or a parking garage for a sporting event, one question everyone asks in that situation is “Where is my car?”
In a crowded parking lot, a programmable key can help take away all the stress of finding your car. Having buttons that automatically lock and unlock your car gives you the ability to make your headlights light up and for your horn to honk. Rather than wandering around aimlessly, you can easily find your vehicle and be on your way.
You might be wondering, how can I find automotive key programming near me? A quick Google search of “automotive key programming near me,” should help you find a local spot with a qualified auto locksmith to make your own programmable key or get you set up with a new key fob.
There are more than 200 million licensed U.S. drivers, which means a lot of misplaced keys. Searching “automotive key programming near me” can help you keep track of your keys a lot easier.