How to extend the life of a car key?
The most important part of keeping your key in good shape is not having too many keys on your keychain. Here’s why!
The list below is consists of the biggest issues that are caused by having too many keys on single a keychain.
- Broken Keychain Loop
- Broken Car Key Shell
- Broken Ignition
- Car Key Blade Breaking
- Broken Keychain Loop: One of the most common things we see as car locksmiths is broken keychain loops on car keys and key fobs. This typically happens on many Ford and Lincoln models. The main reason this happens is because of how these keys are designed. However, the car keys life may succumb much sooner with a big keychain. For example, we’ve seen a customer’s key last 17 years without the loop breaking by not having having too many keys on the keychain. On the flip side, we’ve seen a key last less than year with an overfilled keychain. At The Key Man, we now use durashell technology that is designed specifically to prevent key loops from breaking and withstanding heavy wear.
- Broken Car Key Shell: This is another very common issue we’ve seen. Mainly for Honda remote keys breaking, especially where the small screw is located. Too many keys on a keyring causes a ton of stress on the plastic shell. There is also a screw on the shell. The screw is located in a position to give more support for holding the blade in place. The issue with this is it causes a lot of stress on the plastic holding the screw. Each time the ignition is turned, it puts pressure on the plastic causing it to eventually crack. When this situation happens, we replace the plastic shell with more durable plastic that doesn’t have a screw. We then remove the components from the old key, transfer them to the new shell and re-cut the new blade. If you’re DIY person and want to try this on your own, be mindful you will need to get the blade cut by a locksmith and be very gentle with the internal components. It’s very easy to lose them since they are so small.
- Broken Ignition: The third issue we’ve seen with having too many keys on your keyring is ignitions breaking. Think about the weight of your keychain with all keys on it. This weight is being put on both your car key and your ignition when you are driving. Inside of the ignition there small things called roll pins or wafers. These are what allows the key to turn in the ignition based on the cuts of the key. These roll pins and wafers are very delicate. When they break or get stuck, it causes the ignition to get stuck in either the on position or off position. If you try to force the ignition on or off, this is where the key can easily break inside the ignition.
- Car Key Blade: The last issue and probably one of the most important issues is the key blade cracking. When a car key blade breaks, often times it is stuck in the ignition and needs to be extracted. If the key blade is still visible, sometimes it can be extracted with a needle nose pliers. However, if it is not visible, it may require special locksmithing tools to properly remove the broken blade. This can happen when too many keys are on the key ring. The reason being is too much weight adds stress to the blade and weakens it, causing it to snap.
If you want to learn more about your vehicle and don’t have the time to research what is required for your vehicle, or just need advice about what your best possible option is for getting a car key replacement. You can reach out to us by using our live chat feature or call 843-419-5397.
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