Car Proximity Remotes and Remote Head Keys – OEM, Refurb, and Aftermarket Car Remotes Explained

A good friend of mine gave me some advice growing up and it always stuck with me. I was trying to order some parts for my first car and the local car dealer was charging more than I felt the car was worth. It was a shock for my inexperienced brain. This old timer sat me down and gave my some sage advice.

He said, “Kid, the car dealership is not your friend. The car dealership will give you information that is not entirely the truth. The car dealership will charge you as much as they can get away with.” While these statements are true, the car dealership has the best product from the car manufacturer.

OEM Car Remote Keys and Smart Fobs

The car dealership has OEM car remotes and smart fobs. OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. It’s the car key from the dealer and the part information is sourced off the vehicle identification number (VIN) from the dealer super computer. If you buy the remote from the dealer at List Price, and then pay car dealer service fees to have them program the car remote fob, it can get pretty expensive.

The good news is that you can buy OEM parts from other sources besides the dealer. There are many online companies that make a decent profit buying and reselling OEM car keys, car remotes, and smart fobs. You still need a locksmith that can program the key. The car dealership may tell you that they are the only ones that can program your car remote key to your car without damaging the computer. This is simply not true. We live in the 21st century. In this exciting technological age, there are many electronics companies that sell programming tools that can program car keys. Automotive locksmiths buy these key programming machines, and use them to program keys all day, every day.

Refurbished OEM Car Remote Keys and Smart Fobs

There is also a “refurbished” car key market. What does that mean?

A refurbished car remote is a fancy way to say a used OEM part. It once belonged to a specific car and for whatever reason, someone has gotten a hold of it, and is reselling it. Used or refurbished OEM parts cost less than a brand new part and that’s great news!

There are some things to look out for when buying refurbished car keys.

Locked Remote Fob A big one is that some car keys lock to the car. What that means, is that when the car remote was new, it was in a virgin state and once it has been programmed to a car it cannot be reprogrammed to another car, until it has been unlocked. A good example of this is some of the Nissan proximity keys. Car proximity keys can be unlocked, and usually are unlocked, if they are being resold by a reliable source. The remotes on auction sites, however, may be a bit more suspect. Unlocking is not required for all car remotes. Most car remote fobs are reuseable without needing to unlock them. Do some independent research, and see if that is the case with your vehicle. When I say independent research, I don’t mean call the car dealership and ask them. They may not be completely honest with you about such things.
Visible Wear and Tear Sometimes, refurbished car remotes will be scuffed up and might not impress your cool friends. Who’s really looking that close at your car keys? If your friends are being judgey about the aesthetics of your car keys, you might think about reevaluating some those friendships and maybe get some new friends. Experienced sellers will reshell their car remotes with a new plastic casing and these car remotes will look brand new. They may not have the car brand logo on them. Good websites will rate refurbished car remotes with an A grade or B grade rating to indicate what condition they are in.

Aftermarket Car Remotes and Proximity Smart Fobs

Then you have the ocean of aftermarket car keys. Aftermarket car keys are more like the Garbage Patch in the middle of the ocean. Aftermarket car remote keys are not my favorite.

Aftermarket car remote keys, while often more affordable than those from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), can present a variety of issues. Here are some common problems:

Limited Functionality: Aftermarket keys might not support all the functions that an OEM key does, such as remote start, trunk release, or panic buttons.
Complex Programming Process: Aftermarket keys often require professional programming, which can be more complicated than programming an OEM key. Some vehicles require specialized tools or software that aren’t readily available.
Frequent Reprogramming: Even after successful programming, some aftermarket keys may lose their programming over time, requiring frequent reprogramming.
Poor Build Quality: Many aftermarket keys are made with cheaper materials, making them less durable and more prone to wear and tear, such as buttons wearing out quickly or cases cracking.
Battery Life: The battery life in aftermarket keys is often shorter, leading to frequent replacements.
Reduced Security Features: Aftermarket keys might lack advanced security features present in OEM keys, such as rolling codes that change with each use to prevent cloning.
Potential for Cloning: Some aftermarket keys are easier to clone, which could increase the risk of car theft.
Void Vehicle Warranty: Using an aftermarket key could potentially void certain aspects of the vehicle’s warranty, especially if the key causes damage or malfunctions.
Lack of Support: If something goes wrong with the key, getting support from the manufacturer can be difficult, as aftermarket key manufacturers often offer limited customer service and warranties.
Range Issues: Aftermarket keys might have a shorter range for remote functions, meaning you need to be closer to your vehicle for the key to work.
Interference Problems: These keys can sometimes be more susceptible to interference from other electronic devices, leading to inconsistent performance.

That being said, there are companies that put out a consistently good aftrmarket product. ILCO, the grand daddy of aftermarket keys in general, do make a solid aftermarket key for many cars. The only problem that I’ve run into with their product is some require that you use proprietary software to program them. Some automotive locksmiths may not have the software to program their aftermarket key. Call ahead to make sure that their software is compatible with the car remote that you have purchased.

While aftermarket car remote keys can save money upfront, they come with a range of potential problems that might not make them the best choice for everyone. If reliability, full functionality, and security are top priorities, investing in an OEM key might be worth the extra cost. There is another quote that comes to mind when thinking about aftermarket car remotes. “You get what you pay for.”

I get it. The dealer is expensive. That’s putting it nicely. It has been my experience that the best route to save money on car remote keys is to get a refurbished unlocked OEM car remote from a reliable source and have it programmed by an experienced automotive locksmith at their local shop.

We do just that sort of thing at our Pacific Beach locksmith shop in San Diego. We are located at 1478 Garnet Avenue, San Diego CA 92109. Give us a call at 858-750-2224 and we can schedule an appointment. Bring your car in with all the keys you have for for the car and the new remote key you want programmed. Dup-A-Key locksmiths can program your keys and off you go. We also have a huge selection of car remotes and smart fobs in stock. Save yourself the hassle of searching online for the correct part and let us handle the entire process. You are in good hands with Dup-A-Key. Give us a call and schedule your appointment today!

Elusive San Diego Car Locksmith Reluctantly Returns From Lengthy Hiatus

It was raining when he arrived. The locksmiths were huddled under the overhang in front of the locksmith shop, watching it come down in buckets. The unsanctioned morning locksmith meeting was in full effect. The usual suspects were present, talking shop, cracking jokes, and downing their morning coffee. There was a crispness to the air. The smell of ozone and geosmin was ripe. Rain splattered the concrete, washing away the ice cream drippings and grime from the parking lot. The mood was light and almosy giddy. A morning rain was the promise of a slow day.

Cars plunged through the puddles, struggling to get along. San Diego drivers aren’t known for their rain abilities. Drivers chirped at each other with heated voices and the occasional horn. Wet yoga girls, clutching their mats and water bottles, made a run for the studio. A hobo was screaming at the barbar shop guys that all the cigarette butts were wet. The locksmiths just leaned back and watched the show.

Unexpectedly, a dark figure rounded the corner at the alley behind O’Reilly’s, approaching from the south. A messenger bag was slung across his back and a black baseball cap was cocked low on his head. A grey paisley bandana was tied around his neck, bandit style. He looked out of place, as he approached the intersection. His clothes, too nice to be a vagrant. New Levi’s and Timberlands. He waited for traffic to clear at Haines Street, but didn’t wait for the light to change. As soon as the last cars passed through the intersection, he glided across Garnet at a slow, even gait. He didn’t seem to notice the rain. He was staring hard at the locksmiths and was walking right towards them. “Who’s this guy?”, quipped the rookie. All penetrating eyes shifted to look. It was hard to see his face in the rain and the ball cap and bandana didn’t help.

“No freaking way.”, whispered one of them. “Yes, way”, chuckled another.

“It’s Vince.”, growled his brother, and he stepped forward to embraced him. Brothers hug. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Mexico.”

The other locksmiths looked on in disbelief, surprised to see him. Honestly, they thought he was dead. There he was. The man that could pull a Chevy Silverado ignition in under two minutes with a flat head screwdriver and a rake pick. The same man that taught them how to remove double locked handcuffs with a bobby pin. The one that showed them how to break into cars the right way, without screwing up the door seals, was just standing there. In the rain.

“What did you bring us?”, asked Orion. Cheeky kid. Vince grinned and reached into his bag, pulling out a grip of Rockoleta lollipops and started passing them out. The locksmiths started laughing and clapping him on the back, flooding him with questions.

His brother smiled at him. “So, what’s the plan?” Vince gave him a crooked grin. “I’m thinking I’m back.”

“Good. Let’s get to work. About time, you lazy bastard. You can start by fixing the website. We dropped organically while you’ve been out gallivanting. The coffee’s hot.”

“I’m on it.”, Vince said as he smiled.

They piled into the locksmith shop, ready to hear of the expoits south of the border and see what was next on the horizon. San Diego got back one their own.

Pacific Beach Locksmith 2015 Spring Locksmith Build Wrap Up

We are excited to complete our 2015 Spring Locksmith Build in time for summer action. It was a solid build and went really well. Here is Weston putting the final touches on the electrical system battery and inverter.Dan is going to town on organizing the keys and Weston is hamming it up for the camera. Weston spearheaded this project hard but we wouldn’t have had it done in such a timely manner without Josh and Dan having our backs and supporting the Dup-A-Key team. They really stepped up and made sure the service calls got done while we pieced it all together. Go team!Here is Tim Steen putting the decals on the truck. He did a wonderful job on our truck, making sure the spacing was correct and the seams clean. Summer is here. Our new Pacific Beach locksmith truck is online and school finals are wrapping up. The fuse has been lit and summer is just beyond tomorrow’s big storm. Stay tuned for our wacky summer adventures!

Pacific Beach Locksmith Welcomes Dan Gruszecki To Lineup

Pacific Beach Locksmith Candidate Selection

There is nothing quite as fierce and competitive as the candidate selection of an apprentice Pacific Beach locksmith. The prospective locksmith employees withstood an exhaustive interview process. The psychological tests are particularly stressful.

“To be a Pacific Beach locksmith, a person must possess a unique skill set and an inner strength.’, says Vincent Fisk, a locksmith trainer at Dup-A-Key locksmith. “It’s our job to weed out the unskilled and weak minded ones. I love my job.”

After the initial selection process, the remaining Pacific Beach locksmith candidates are subjected to a battery of physical and mental tests. They are pushed to the breaking point. Driving tests, typing tests, Rorschach inkblot tests, social interaction tests, and various technical exams are administered.

“It’s easy to write something on your resume.”, says Vince, grinning at me from behind a pair of blue blockers. “I see it every day. People think they can do something, so they say they have experience. There is saying and there is doing. You shake them all up and see who rises to the top.”

Expecting Excellence

We asked the locksmith trainer why the apprentice locksmith selection process was so grueling.

“We expect excellence.” replied Vince. “Our customers expect it and our employees will deliver it or find something else to do. It has to be that way. These San Diego streets will grind your bones if you’re not a strong locksmith. We can’t afford to put a barney out here. They’d be mangled.”

It is this steady focus on customer service and aptitude that has been the key to this Pacific Beach locksmiths’ meteoric rise in the San Diego locksmith scene.

It comes down to the final three candidates and they are put in the locksmith shop for a day to work side by side with the other locksmiths. Unfocused and combative candidates are removed. ” We need to see if they can play nice with the other locksmiths.”, explains Vince. “We’re a team at Dup-A-Key Locksmith Shop and you need to fit into that equation or you won’t be part of our locksmith crew.”

It comes down to two candidates and the whole team is there discussing strengths and weaknesses. It is a tough decision. There is some strong language. A choice is made.

Dan Gruszecki is newest Pacific Beach Locksmith

Dan Gruszecki is handed the title of apprentice locksmith for Pacific Beach. If you see Dan in the Pacific Beach locksmith shop, congratulate him and wish him the best on his journey to locksmith legend. His great attitude, dexterity, and ability to learn new tasks quickly has earned him a spot on the Dup-A-Key Locksmith lineup.

Dan will work with you to come to a key solution. — Dan will work with you to come to a key and lock solution at Dup-A-Key Pacific Beach.

Ocean Beach Locksmith – Car Keys

Ocean Beach Car Keys and Car Openings

Ocean Beach Locksmith

If you live at the beach, you know how the ocean waves can steal your keys, or the sand at the beach will hide them. If you have lost them to the sea, and there are no spare keys back at the pad, give us a call. We are local Ocean Beach locksmiths that can open your car to retrieve your keys or make a new car key from scratch.

Ocean Beach Car Keys Made At Your Location

Our Ocean Beach locksmith makes a variety of different types of car keys.

Transponder Chip Car Keys

Ocean Beach locksmith technicians can make a wide array of transponder chip car keys at your location. Towing can be expensive and sometimes your vehicle is in a location where you can’t get a tow truck close enough to drag it out. Our Ocean Beach locksmiths can come to your location and make a programmed car chip key while you wait. There is no need to tow it to the dealer when you can have a key made at your house. If you are in Ocean Beach give us a call. 858-750-2224

High Security Remote Head Keys

Ocean Beach locksmith technicians can also make the fancy high security remote head keys for keys that have all the buttons, bells, and whistles. We can make these car keys on site at your vehicle so you don’t have to tow it. If you just need a duplicate, come by our shop and we can make a copy of your key and program it to your car while you relax in our waiting area or you can drop it off and shop at the many stores near our locksmith shop in Pacific Beach.

Our Ocean Beach locksmith technicians are stationed in the San Diego coastal communities and can usually be to your car or truck in a flash.

Ocean Beach Cars Opened

We can open your car if the keys are locked inside and we can make a new car key on the spot. We open trunks when the keys are locked inside. We also unlock hard to open European cars.

Give us a call for a quote. 858-750-2224. Visit our website at www.dupakey.com

Broken Keys Replaced in Pacific Beach

Your key is broken. Don’t panic. If you freak out and start sticking things into the lock there’s a good chance you may push the broken key in further, or you may damage the lock. A few good decisions now can save you time and money.

Step 1: A few deep breaths.

This isn’t the end of the world. This is just another part of your misadventures in life. You’re going to get through this. Money can fix this. Don’t spend too much. Don’t start blaming people for breaking your key. Your better than that.

Step 2: Call for a quote on your broken key issue.

Believe it or not, keys break every day. A good locksmith is trained on how to remove them. The key is finding one in your area that can help you at a reasonable price.

Ask some questions of the person on the phone. Is there a shop that I can bring the pieces of the key and have them made? What are your shop hours? If I tow my car to your shop is there a place to park? Are there additional charges if you go out to the car? Does that price include parts and labor? Are you going to act stupid and jack up the price when you get here?

Figure out what your getting into. You need the whole price over the phone. Then you can proceed. You know what to expect. You are in charge of your life. Making good, calm choices usually saves time and money. You got this.

Step 3: Get the right help for your broken key situation.

Instead of requesting mobile locksmith service out to your location, you can usually get a better price if you can bring the pieces of the key into the locksmith shop. If you bring both pieces of the broken key into the shop, we can cut a key back to factory specifications while you wait.

Sometimes that is not an option. If the key is broken in the ignition of your car, we can come out to where your car is located and take care of it on site. If it is a broken key in the door to your house or office, we can come out to your location and make a new key on site.

If you need help in San Diego, California, give us a call at 858-750-2224. We have a locksmith shop in Pacific Beach at 1478 Garnet Avenue. We have mobile locksmith service as well. We can help you find the right solution to your broken key woes.

Check out this video we made on broken keys. It describes broken keys in depth.

Laser Cut Key Duplicates in Pacific Beach

My car key is fancy. Bring out the LASER!

Car keys today are high tech devices. They usually have three systems working in sync to ensure your security and safety. There is the keyless entry remote section, for arming and disarming the alarm, and actuating the locks. There is the transponder chip system, which works with your car’s computer. It disables starting the car, if the chip codes don’t match up. Last, but not least, is the high security LASER cut key.

This key requires special equipment to cut the key, but there is no high intensity laser melting metal involved. These keys are cut using a side milling cutting machine. It has a tracer arm and a metal bit arm that looks like a stubby drill bit. After you set the correct cutting depth, this metal bit will mill the side of the key blank, cutting grooves into the metal.

When we duplicate these laser cut keys, we trace the edges of your original key and it cuts the new key on the other vise. Its important to calibrate the depths correctly so the new key moves freely and actuates the lock easily.

We also have key equipment to originate high security keys from scratch, or read the cuts of an old, worn out high security key and cut it back to new, factory specifications.

At our Pacific Beach locksmith shop, we can duplicate and program your laser cut key, or cut a new remote head shell, if your car key casing is broken.

Surf Keys – Laser Cut Key

We also make surf keys, for people who want to be able to take a door key in the water and leave their fancy electronic key locked in the glove box. A better alternative to hiding your key in the sand or in your car’s wheel well.

Come in to our shop at 1478 Garnet Avenue, San Diego, CA 92109.

Give us a call at 858-750-2224.