Car Key Types Explained
In short: What your key contains determines what replacing it costs. Mechanical keys are cut. Everything since the late 1990s also has to be programmed.
Mechanical keys
A plain cut blade with no electronics, found on older vehicles and still on many motorcycles, trailers and classic cars. Cheapest to replace because there is nothing to program.
VAT and resistor keys
General Motors' Vehicle Anti-Theft System used a resistor pellet in the blade. The vehicle reads its resistance value. Still supported, and still cheaper than a modern transponder.
Transponder and chip keys
From the late 1990s onwards most vehicles carry a transponder chip that answers the immobilizer. If the chip is missing or unprogrammed the key turns the lock and the engine will not start. This is why a car key costs more than a house key.
Remote head keys, flip and switchblade keys
A transponder key with the remote built into the head, either fixed or spring-loaded. Same programming requirement, plus pairing of the remote functions.
Proximity fobs and push-to-start
No blade is inserted. The vehicle detects the fob nearby and a button starts it. Most still hide a mechanical emergency blade inside for a flat battery, and most have an emergency start position — worth locating before you need it.
Why all-keys-lost costs more
With a working key, a new one can often be added quickly. With none, the key has to be originated from the vehicle's own data and the immobilizer taught from scratch, and some systems impose a security wait.
About this guide
Written by A 24 Hour Locksmith, a licensed Sacramento locksmith. California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services License No. LCO 6830. License numbers can be verified on the California BSIS public license lookup. Nothing on this page is a priced offer; call (916) 244-3934 for an estimate for your situation.
Common questions
How do I tell which key I have?
A plastic head usually means a transponder. A button pad means a remote. No blade at all means proximity. Year, make and model settles it definitively.
Can a hardware store copy my car key?
It can cut the blade. It generally cannot program the transponder, so the copy will open the door and not start the engine.
Is a spare worth it?
It is the single cheapest insurance in this trade. A spare cut now costs a fraction of an all-keys-lost call later.
Questions about your own locks?
Call and you will get a straight answer, whether or not it turns into a job.
Call (916) 244-3934