I see how easy it is to go to the local locksmith and make a duplicate of my house keys. When we have our car checked or repaired at repair shops or autobody shops and they asks for the key to the car, is it safe to hand them the key? Can they make duplicates?
"I want you to fix my car, but I'm taking the keys with me." LOL Sure they could if they want to. Don't go to a repair shop that you don't trust.
What car are you referring to? Many newer cars have chipped keys that can't be easily copied.
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In many areas, thieves tow cars away. No keys needed.
from a repair shop Art?
Yes, they can easily make a copy, some shops even have the required equipment in house to do so. You really don't have much choice though. If you are worried about them duplicating your house keys, then take them off the key ring first. Give them the car key and nothing else. Simple.
What's the alternative? How are they going to move the car without it?
Ya, from a repair shop. We've (where I was before) also had stereos stolen, parts taken off cars, etc.
Where I am now, they just shoot the cars with BB guns...
You need to re-read his question. He is worried about the repair shop duplicating his keys and later, when the car is no longer in the shop, driving it off.
If you really want something to worry about, in Iraq, repair shops plant remote control bombs in cars. You drive off with the repaired car and they follow you and when you get to a high traffic area they blow you up.
Don't give them any ideas!!!
You know, may not be such a far-fetched idea after all.
There was an independant car stereo/electronics shop here in the Western Mass/central NE area that would take in cars, load them with really expensive sound and video equipment, copy the keys and then find the cars and remove the systems at a later date.
They got caught when a cutomer who had made some slight modifications to his system went back with the insurance money to purchase another one and saw his unit in the demo display...
I have a friend with a Porsche 944 and one day he discovered the spare and the jack and all the Porsche tools missing from his trunk. Turned out all of it was stolen by his repair shop some time ago but he didn't notice until much later, and consequently could not remember which repair shop performed the thievery.
Ned
So how did he know it was a repair shop that stole it??
LB
Who uses keys for homes any more? Really... around here its all keyless entry...
You only need to give them the key if you expect them to fix your car. They will probably need to drive it from the parking area to the service bay, around the block on a test drive, and back to the parking area. Odds are good they will need the key to do this.
Yes, they can make duplicates. Do they really want to make duplicates? Probably not.
Frankly, if you can't trust your mechanic, you should get another mechanic.
Still in the ghetto, eh? No keys needed, just kick in the door.
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My '98 Avalon's molded keyhead -- and that of all later Avalons, I believe -- includes an embedded resonant chip wihtout which the car either will not start or will start and quickly stall. Duping the key will not lead to success.
Your Toyota dealer can make a dupe, but only if you know the keycode number that came attached to the key when new. The owner's manual warns you to record the number in a secure place.
I see how easy it is to go to the local locksmith and make a duplicate of my house keys. When we have our car checked or repaired at repair shops or autobody shops and they asks for the key to the car, is it safe to hand them the key? Can they make duplicates?
I leave them only the valet key, they can open the door and move the car around , can't get into my trunk. Yes, they have my address, I don't know if they can dupe a valet key, maybe they can come to my house and steal my car. I know this, if it happens I will report my car as stolen. I'll miss it.
Yes, they can make duplicates. It is not easy to make a duplicate that will start the car if the key has the transponder chip but they can open the door.
A Toyota dealer doesn't even need your original key to make a duplicate because they can cut one by code.
You can take comfort in the fact that of the thousands of cars they see every year, it is unlikely that any are stolen by their employees. I don't know what kind of car you have, but if the emeployee is going to risk going to jail for stealing a car, that employee would probably steal a nicer car or truck.
They can dupe valet keys or they can make a master out of the valet key with a key cutter.
I know this, if it happens I will report my car as
If you are that paranoid about your car getting stolen, consider a theft recovery device/service like LoJack or an immobilizer. That would deter amateur thieves and leave your vehicle vulnerable only to pros.
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