Cutting the metal part of a key is the quick bit. A house key copied at a counter takes a few minutes, and the blade of a car key cut on a code machine takes about the same. A modern car key takes longer because the blade is only one part of it. The chip that lets the engine start, the remote buttons and, on newer cars, the keyless smart key all have to be programmed to the car before the key is any use. Most of our car key jobs take 20 to 60 minutes once the technician is at the vehicle.
How long does each type of car key take?
These are typical times for the work at the car. The make and its security system decide where a job falls in the range, so when you ring we give you a time for your car rather than for cars in general.
| Key | What has to be done | Typical time at the car |
|---|---|---|
| Plain metal key | Blade cut to the lock. Only older cars with no chip. | A few minutes |
| Transponder key | Blade cut, then the chip programmed so the immobiliser accepts it | Around half an hour |
| Remote or flip key | Blade cut, chip programmed, buttons paired to the central locking | Usually within the hour |
| Keyless smart key | Emergency blade cut, key coded to the keyless entry and start system | Around an hour |
| All keys lost | Key code found from the lock or the car, blade cut to code, new key programmed, lost keys deleted | About an hour, longer on some high-security cars |
Why does a car key take longer than a house key?
A house key has one job. It lifts the pins in the lock, and a copy that does the same is finished the moment it leaves the machine.
Almost every car built since the late 1990s has an immobiliser, and the key carries a transponder chip in its head. When you turn the key, or press start on a keyless car, the immobiliser reads the chip and only lets the engine run if it recognises the code. That is why a blade cut perfectly to your door lock will open the car and turn in the ignition while the engine still refuses to start. The chip has to be programmed first.
Programming is done through the car’s diagnostic socket with dealer-level equipment. The car has to learn the new key, and on many makes it asks for a security code before it will. Some cars learn a key in a few minutes. Others take much longer, and the slowest jobs are those where every key has gone, because there is no working key to start from.
What makes a job quicker or slower?
- Having a working key. Adding a spare to a car that already has one is the quickest job on almost every make. With no key at all, the code has to come from the lock or the car before anything is cut.
- The make and its security. Some makes accept a new key through the diagnostic socket in minutes. Others need a manufacturer’s security code, or data read from the immobiliser itself.
- The type of key. A transponder key without buttons is the simplest to programme. Remote keys add the buttons, and smart keys take the longest.
- The blade. High-security blades, often called laser cut, have a track milled into the face of the blade and are cut on a different machine. They take a little longer than a traditional notched blade, and we cut both.
- The state of the locks. A worn lock can make a perfectly cut key feel stiff, and finding the code on a car with no key is slower when the lock is tired.
Is a copy as quick as a key cut to code?
Copying traces your existing key, so it is fast. It copies the wear too, and a copy of a worn key can stick just like the original. Cutting to code works from the manufacturer’s measurements for your locks, so the new blade matches the original specification. When a key is worn, or when there is no key to copy, we cut to code. The difference in time is small. The difference in how the key turns can be large.
How long does the main dealer take?
A dealer normally orders a replacement key against your vehicle identification number, then books the car in so the key can be coded in the workshop. That runs to days rather than minutes, and with no working key the car has to be recovered to the dealer first. A mobile auto locksmith does the cutting and programming where the car is parked, on one visit.
The dealer is still the right call for a model so new that independent equipment cannot code it yet. If your car is one of them, we tell you on the phone.
From your call to driving away
Add the journey to the time at the car. We aim to reach you within the hour, and when you ring we give you a realistic arrival time along with one all-in price, agreed before anyone sets off.
How can you make the visit quicker?
- Have the registration ready, or the make, model and year. With the reg we can check which key your car takes before we leave.
- Keep photo ID and the V5C logbook to hand. We confirm you are the keeper before any key is cut.
- Keep the key you have, even a damaged one. If it still starts the car, adding a new key is quicker.
- Tell us exactly where the car is. A postcode or a landmark is enough.
Need a key cut and programmed? See car key cutting, spare car keys and lost car keys with no spare, or call 0333 772 1846 for a time and a price.