A Little History Of Transponder Keys

By Jason Bacot

The history of transponder keys can be traced to post-Berlin Wall Germany, when the number of stolen cars skyrocketed from around 30,000 in 1989 to 141,000 in 1992. Throughout Europe, over a million and a half cars were stolen per year! In 1993, the Allianz Insurance Group made the German automotive industry adopt immobilizer transponder chip key systems on cars and motorcycles. By 1994, many German and non-German models started field testing transponder keys, with all other models following by around 1998.

Transponder keys contain a small transponder chip, each of which has a unique code frequency that the computer in the car needs in order to start the car. The chip has to be fairly close to the car’s ignition barrel to be able to start the car, and the transponder key system can’t be removed from the car by someone intent on stealing it.

The radio signals used with transponder keys are encrypted, and the chance of finding the right code and getting a car started without a properly programmed transponder key is about 1 in 100 billion! Many people think that the remote that comes with their keys is the transponder, but that is not the case. The transponder is located inside the plastic case of the key head.

That means that today, if you have to replace lost car keys, you won’t be able to use your car until a professional reprograms the vehicle for a new key. If the professional doing this is your car dealer, you can expect to pay several hundred dollars for this service, and there is no guarantee that they can get to you right away. A reputable car locksmith, however, can do the exact same job, can usually dispatch someone right away, and will charge you half or less of what your car dealer will charge.

A Chicago area locksmith that advertises automotive services will have the hardware and software necessary to get you rolling again quickly. But you have to be sure that you’re dealing with a reputable locksmith, because there are some dishonest ones out there. As you may have already guessed, this is one of those “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” situations. Getting a spare set of car keys made before you ever need them is the best way to ensure you don’t get stranded by lost car keys.

Automobile locksmiths will come to you and most of them will fix your problem professionally and charge you a fair price. But you don’t want to be in the position of being desperate for a locksmith and having to start calling at random, because there’s no telling if you’ll get a good one or not. If you have a spare set of keys made and for some reason lose yours and can’t get to the spare keys, if you were satisfied with the service you got when you bought the replacement set, you know who to call, and you don’t have to worry about being taken advantage of.

Most car key locksmiths are upstanding, but you’re best off finding a good one before you ever need their services.

About the Author: Jason Bacot – Are you looking for an Automotive Locksmith? Then I suggest you check out the best

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Source:

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