Lost Car Keys in Lincoln

I know how it feels because I’m forever losing my phone and keys. So this week we’re looking at how to fix the problem of lost car keys in Lincoln. But first a very brief history lesson so you understand the problem of losing car keys.

About 25 years ago, cars were stolen easily, ‘Hotwired’ by very simply breaking off the ignition lock and then joining a few wires together and off you go.

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You’d wake up the next morning and your car, or van was gone. The idea of a ‘chipped’ key was introduced to stop this happening. If the person trying to start the car didn’t have the correct chip in the car key, the engine won’t start, even if the car is hotwired.

On paper it’s a great idea. It stopped car theft on new cars overnight. However, it introduced a problem for everyone with a chipped key. How do you replace the special chip and get your car to start?

The problem of lost car keys in Lincoln became a frustration for everyone and a problem for the average locksmith. For a while, only the dealer could make chipped car keys. Thankfully that’s changed now, although many of the vehicles are still a challenge. 

So with this in mind, here’s our best advice for when you’re stuck without car keys. We can help, but how quickly you’re driving again depends on the make, model and how much paperwork you have. 

Don’t Panic. If you’re locked out there’s no point making things worse. Breaking into the car might make you feel better, but think about the damage. We’re called out to scratched cars, with bent doors or a smashed window! So be patient, before you start feeding coat hangers through the door, take a pause and read on.

They’ll turn up. We believe that over half of all lost car keys are found withing seven days. Let’s face it, we all lose things all day long. Popular places that car keys are found include.

An old gardening, decorating or scruffy coat. Have you done something out of the ordinary? Often car keys are used on a run to the tip, or clearing out the garage. So if you have an item of clothing that you don’t normally wear, this may explain your lost car keys in Lincoln.

Childrens toys. Many of us give our car keys to our children to keep them occupied while strapping them in. (You really shouldn’t because this is a really common cause of children locked in cars). So we shouldn’t be surprised when our children pick them up in the house and move them.

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Pet detective. Yes, somehow pets seem to be involved in car keys getting lost. Whether it’s dog baskets, bowls, or rabbit hutches, it’s worth a look.

In the car. Although this is unlikely, many people believe hat if they can’t find them anywhere else, they must be in the car. Most of the time, if the car is locked, then this isn’t the case. However sometimes they turn up under the seat.

The rubbish bin. Yes it’s disgusting but we all believe they must have gone into the bin. It’s a grim job but worth it.

You have a couple of choices. Either you call the Main Dealer or an Auto Locksmith.

Neither choice is correct or incorrect, but as you’d expect, you’ll probably pay more at the main dealer. The main dealer is usually the only option if you’re dealing with BMW, Mercedes, Volvo. There are good companies in the UK that can do these brands. However, they are not simple vehicles to work on and we hear horror stories of companies leaving these cars ruined. This is why we cannot replace lost car keys in Lincoln for these brands.

Next, for the very latest Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda or Audi, you probably also need to order direct from the dealer. They have made life very hard for the average Auto Locksmith so the equipment is so years behind.

Here at Lincoln Car Key Man, the first thing we’ll do is give you the best free advice we can. Rather than spending money on keys and codes you may not need, it’s important to look at your options.

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A good Auto Locksmith can usually help you with all the other main brands including Ford, Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot etc. Here at Lincoln car Key Man, we regularly replace these keys on brand new vehicles, so the age of the car shouldn’t be a barrier. When you call us we’ll need the following information.

• Your Name and a contact number. Often we’ll need t check prices of parts and this can take up to an hour.
• The vehicle registration number.
• The address, or at least the city or town that the vehicle is. The answer ‘it’s on my drive’ doesn’t help anyone much!
• Any problems with any of the locks. For instance, does the door lock work? Is it a different key for the door and ignition?
• Has anyone else looked at it or tried to make keys for it? Or is there damage to the vehicle from someone trying to help you? Damage includes a drilled lock, smashed window, an attempted ‘hotwire’!

Once we have this information we’ll try and give you several options.

On some vehicles, we can’t order you a key unless we have a log book (V5) Also, on a few vehicles we need special codes and these may be in your plastic or leather wallet. They’ll look something like this and if you have these codes you’ll save us time and yourself money.

If you go to the dealer, they can only sell you what the parts catalogue will let them. So for instance, if you had lost car keys in Lincoln and owned a 2016 Ford Fiesta with an alarm, they’ll only be able to sell you a flip remote key. These cost about £300. However, if you know the keys will turn up and are just in the house, then you just need a way of using the car for a few days until they turn up. In this case, an Auto locksmith can sell you a cheaper version of the remote key, or even a key without buttons.

This will help you get up and running much cheaper.

Likewise, if you had a Peugeot 308 and the keys vanish, the dealer would have no option other than waiting ten days for a remote key from France. However, at Lincoln Car key Man, we can get your car running the same day. We can supply a cheap basic key with no buttons and this will give you time to track down the missing keys, whilst managing to get to work.

Damaged or broken key?

This is where we specialise. So maybe the key has broken and the blade has got lost. Or, the chip has fallen out of your key and it won’t start. Well in our eyes you’re half-way there! We can probably do something with what you’ve got and save you money.

It’s much easier to give you all the best options when we can speak to you in person. So please, if you get chance, pop into us on Tritton Rd and we’ll do the best we can for you.

That’s it! We hope this has been helpful. Remember, our advice is free and what no matter how bad it feels, we’ve seen most things before. We hope we get the chance to help you.

Steve & Simon

The Car Key Men in Lincoln

01522 514141