Need a spare car key? We cut and program the copy

What this covers

Car key duplication is for the driver who still has a working key and wants a second one before the first goes missing. We make the new key from the one you have, and when the original carries a chip, the copy is set up so the car recognizes it too. A spare kept at home turns a lost key into an inconvenience instead of a bigger job, which is why this is worth doing while a working key is still in your hand.

How we approach it

We start with the key you have: a plain metal key, a key with a chip in the head, or a key with remote buttons. That decides what the copy needs. The blade is cut to match and tried in the door and the ignition. If the key has a chip, the copy is programmed to the car and checked by starting the engine, not just by turning the lock. The work is done where the car is parked.

Where it stops

A copy can only be as good as the key it is made from. If your only key is badly worn, bent or cracked, we will say so and talk about making a fresh key instead of copying the damage. Duplication also stays with the key itself. Faults in the car's wiring or its security electronics belong with a mechanic or a dealer.

The best time to get a spare is before you need one. With a working key in hand, the job is a copy. With no key left at all, the car needs a new key made from its own information, which takes more work and more paperwork. That difference is the whole argument for a spare, and it is why a driver down to one key should think about a copy now.

A key can look plain and still carry a chip in its head. A copy cut at a hardware counter may open the doors and still leave the car unable to start, because the car does not recognize the new chip. When we duplicate a chipped key, the copy is programmed to the car, and we check it by starting the engine before the job is finished.