How To Rekey A Car Lock

Being locked out of your car is not an experience anyone wants. Sometimes, we find ourselves in these situations and have to figure a way out of it. If you locked your keys in your car, misplaced it, or somehow, you cannot access your car, you can still get back into your locked car.

When your car key is nowhere in sight and you locked yourself out of your car, you can simply rekey the car lock. Usually, an automotive locksmith will help you do it.

Rekeying a lock means that you are removing the springs and pins in the lock cylinder and replacing them with new ones. This means that you would need a different key all together to open the lock.

To rekey car lock, you replace the pins in the lock and reset the wafer/tumbler setting. Doing this will help you unlock the car with another key. When you rekey the lock, the old keys will no longer open that lock.

You don’t need to have the original key before you can rekey a lock. Most times, it is even because you have no access to the key that’s why you are re-keying the key.

If you lost your keys or someone stole them, you don’t know who has the keys. If the person knows where you regularly park your car, it means the person can get into your car and drive it away without any resistance. So, you would need to rekey the car lock and render the former key useless.

When you buy a second-hand car, you do not know the number of persons that have copies of the car key. For you to secure your car, you have to rekey the car lock. It is better to take the precautions than lose your car that way.

It is usually cheaper to rekey your car lock than changing the lock itself. You can get the lock pins at very low rates. That way, you save the money you would have used in overhauling the locks.

The time it will take to rekey your lock would depend on the type of lock and the type of door. On the average, rekey a car lock would take between 30 minutes to one hour.

There are two ways to rekey a car. The first one is to remove the wafer in the key and rearrange the ones in the lock to enable the new key work in the lock. The issue with this method is that it makes the car less secure since the wafer in the lock is lesser.

Also, this method makes it difficult if you need to replace the key in the future. It will be harder for the locksmith to guess the cut to make, since some wafers are no longer there.

The best method is for a locksmith to use a car rekey kit that is specialized for the purpose. The car rekey kit has extra springs, wafers, face caps, and everything you need to replace the car lock.

A lot of blogs will tell you that with the right tool and patience, you can rekey your car lock. You would also find a lot of these DIY rekey kits around. There are also tutorials online on DIY rekey.

However, it is better you don’t rekey your car lock yourself. The risk of damage is much higher. While trying your hands at it, you could mess up with the lock and further lock yourself out.

Even if you have the right tools, can you dissemble the lock without damaging it? After dissembling it, will you be able to put it back the way it should be? Can you also cut the new key to fit into the lock you just rekeyed?

If you are not a qualified car key locksmith, you cannot do it. We don’t advise you to rekey your car lock yourself. Otherwise, you might cause more damage.

Dealerships sell cars. Although they also offer other related services, they are not the best option if you want to rekey your lock. The people at the dealership have training in a wide range of automobile-related services. However, they are not professional locksmiths.

They do not have the license to be locksmiths, neither do they possess the locksmithing expertise to deliver the best service to you. They also do not belong to professional locksmithing organizations where they get to improve their skill and knowledge.

Getting your car lock rekeyed at a dealership is also more expensive. The services they render are usually premium services and you will pay more to rekey your car lock there.

When you lock yourself out of your car, it is very inconvenient to get to the dealership to rekey the car lock. It will also take longer time and you might have to drop your car and come back for it later.

What you need to rekey your car lock is a locksmith and not a dealership. A locksmith is skilled in locksmithing. All they do is ensure that your car security is intact.

Locksmiths are also affordable. Getting rekey services from a locksmith will be cheaper than getting it at a dealership. The locksmith understands you locked yourself out and will come where you are to rekey it.

Getting a professional automotive locksmith to rekey your key will keep your car safe. Flowing from their experience, they can rekey the lock of any car and give you a new car key. So, if you lock yourself out of your car or misplaced your car key, the first person you should call is your car key locksmith in Arizona.

Your car security is very important. That is where locksmiths come in. They can help you unlock a locked car, remove keys that broke and got stuck in the lock. They can also create and replace your keys.

As car security systems continue to get complex, automotive locksmiths have a monopoly on car key issues and are readily available to help with them. Reach out to a car key locksmith in Arizona for your rekeying needs.