Lost your only car key? How chip keys, remotes and FOBs actually work

What the chip inside your key does

Most cars built since the late 1990s won't start on a metal key alone. Tucked inside the plastic head of the key is a tiny transponder chip. When you turn the ignition, a coil around the lock wakes the chip and asks it for a coded answer. If the car's computer recognizes that code, the engine is allowed to run. If it doesn't, you usually get an engine that cranks and then dies, or one that won't crank at all.

That's why a hardware store copy of a chip key opens the door and then does nothing. The blade can be perfect while the chip is blank. A working replacement needs a correctly cut blade and a chip that has been programmed to your specific vehicle. Valley Lock & Key lists chip key programming among its auto services.

Remote or FOB: they aren't the same thing

People use both words for anything with buttons, but the shop's remotes and FOBs page draws a clear line between them. A remote locks and unlocks your doors and sets the alarm. A FOB does all of that and is also required to start the vehicle. Both need to be programmed to the car, and the shop notes that a programming fee is required for either one.

So if your key fell off a boat dock and you drive a push-to-start truck, you're shopping for a FOB, not a simple remote. If you have a separate metal key that starts the car and a remote that only handles the doors, a remote is probably what you need. Check what you have before you call, because it changes the conversation.

The shop lists factory vehicle remotes among its auto services and invites you to contact them for remote and key FOB replacement. Bring the old unit even if the case is cracked or the buttons are dead. The shape, the markings on the back, and the battery type often tell the person at the counter exactly which one you need. If a remote only works some of the time, try a fresh coin cell battery before you pay for a replacement.

High-security laser cut keys

Some keys don't have the familiar jagged edge. Instead, a smooth track is milled into the flat side of the blade, and the cut follows that track. These laser cut or high-security keys are harder to pick and harder to duplicate with ordinary equipment, which is the point. They're also a common reason a quick key-copy kiosk turns you away. Valley Lock & Key says it cuts high-security laser cut keys, so bring the old key if you have one, or tell them the make, model, and year if you don't.

When you've lost the only key

Having zero keys is a harder job than having one to copy, and it's the reason to act before the last key disappears. The shop lists key originating and lost keys among its services, meaning a key can be made when no working key exists. Exactly what that takes depends on the vehicle, so call ahead and ask what to bring. Expect questions about the make, model, and year, and expect to be asked to show the vehicle is yours.

If the problem is simply that the keys are locked inside the car, that's a separate call. The shop's list includes auto lockouts, and a lockout is usually a quicker fix than rebuilding a missing key.

Not just cars: RVs, motorcycles, UTVs and trailers

Yakima Valley garages are full of vehicles that don't look like a sedan. Valley Lock & Key lists keys for RVs, motorcycles, UTVs, and cargo trailers right alongside its car and truck work. If a toy hauler has been sitting since last season and the key is nowhere, it's worth a phone call before you assume it means a new lock.

A few things to do today

• Find out whether your car uses a plain remote or a FOB, and whether it's push-to-start.
• Note the make, model, and year, and locate the registration or title before you call.
• Order a spare while you still have one working key, because copying is easier than starting from nothing.
• Keep the spare somewhere that isn't the same pocket, drawer, or bag as the original.

The shop sells remotes for most makes and models of cars and trucks. Call (509) 575-3631 and describe what you drive, or come by the counter at 3402 W Washington Ave #118 in Yakima, Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM or Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.