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We all had one of these days. You are in a hurry to get somewhere and suddenly when you insert your key into the car door lock; you realize that the key is not working. When you are embarrassed outside your car, ideas jostle in your mind as to the causes of this problem. Often the answer comes easily to your mind, while other times you will think long and hard about what the cause may be.
We have all gone through a hard time like this. To alleviate the headaches these problems can cause, we will review some reasons your key is not working.
In order to diagnose the source of your problem, you need to know the type of key you have and how it works with your vehicle. There is a misconception that since the keys are used to operate a car, they must all be the same. Right? Unfortunately, no.
Although car keys are similar in several respects, they are all unique (which is why they resist the key-to-hit method). So, it is important to understand your type of auto key in order to diagnose your key problem properly.
Previously, the most common key was a physical key that engaged in your lock and acted on your contact.
It is very likely that if your vehicle was manufactured before 1995; you have this type of key.
After 1995, most car manufacturers released chip keys. The transponder key is essentially a more secure way to link your key to your vehicle. There is a transmitter embedded in the key that transmits a signal to a receiver housed in the vehicle. For the car to start, the transmitter and the receiver must exchange a series of signals which are used to verify that it is the correct key.
Today, the majority of modern cars are designed with this transmission device introduced by smart keys. This led to keyless entry systems.
A keyless controller contains several buttons that each contain a function. The key sends commands to your vehicle to perform various actions. The chip key serves the same functions as a traditional key except that everything is done with press buttons.
8 Reasons Your Auto Key Does Not Work – Part 1
It is useful to remind you at first that if your key is broken in the lock, the following text will be of no use to you.
However, contact a locksmith who knows how to extract a broken and/or stuck key in a lock. Let’s start:
1. Damaged lock
If your car key does not work when you try to unlock your car, there is a possibility that the lock itself is damaged.
If you are driving a relatively new car, you are less likely to have this problem due to the presence of keyless entry systems.
On the other hand, if you have an older car model that requires unlocking with a physical key, you will experience this problem.
It is likely that your car key is not working due to a faulty or damaged lock.
Car locks work in tandem with the keys, which results in simultaneous wear of the lock and the key.
This is not the only way to use your lock. Since the locks are on the outside of your vehicle, you should not underestimate the impact of environmental factors on the condition of your locks. This means that your lock can become blocked by the accumulation of debris and dust. On the other hand, beware of collisions that can cause great external damage.
2. Damaged key
One of the main reasons for the malfunction of your key is the wear of your key. When we think of damaged keys, the image of a key split in four comes to mind.
It is an exaggerated perception which does not do justice to reality. However, a damaged key is not always broken. If you look at how your car doors work, you can see why. The notches in the key correspond to internal mechanisms of the lock or contact.
Keys are physical components that do not stand the test of time. Most of us do not pay attention to how much wear and tear the keys and locks undergo over time. We add to the wear a lack of maintenance and we have a perfect recipe for a damaged key.
If the notches in your key deteriorate over time and the key is no longer able to operate the internal mechanism of the lock, it is potentially damaged and this is the reason why your car key does not work. more.
3. Defective Contact Cylinder
Your key is not only associated with your door locks, it also works in accordance with the engine contact.
Car keys have several functions.
For each key that exists, there is a lock or mechanism that works with it.
If your car key does not work when you insert it in your contact, that does not mean that your car key is necessarily damaged or defective.
Sometimes we are faced with a symptom of a larger problem: a faulty contact with your car.
Cars are units of mechanical components that are always mobile. All of these components degrade over time and contact is no exception.
4. Auto Key Batteries Are Dead
ometimes you have to look no further than the batteries in your transponder key or electronic key chain. It is a common problem with an equally common solution.
Batteries die over time, so diagnosing this problem is relatively simple.
If you notice that your vehicle is not responding to commands and signals sent to your vehicle, there is a good chance that the batteries have run out of juice.
However, keep in mind that this may not be the only reason that your battery will no longer work.
When you realize that your chip key is no longer working due to the batteries, the easiest solution is to find the right batteries and replace them. Once this is accomplished, your key should work like new.
If you find yourself caught in any of the scenarios we’ve described above, the best thing to do is call a phoenix locksmith near you to help you out. We discuss more of these in part 2 of this series.