IN-SHOP AND MOBILE CAR LOCKSMITH SERVICES FOR CAR LOCKS

7 days a week, 365 days a year;
1-hour response time;
Door barrel re-coding;
Boot barrel re-coding;
Bonet barrel re-coding;
Ignition switch re-coding;

Door latch/actuator mechanism replacement;
Broken key blade extraction;
Vehicle unlocking;
Repair or replace broken door barrel;
Repair or replace broken boot barrel;
Repair or replace broken bonet barrel.

CAR LOCKS, YESTERDAY AND TODAY

It is not as common today as it was years back to use the car key to lock and unlock the vehicle. Today, the vehicles use a key with a remote, a fob key or keyless system to gain entry or to lock the vehicle. Still, even with the new systems in place, a car has door locks, for example on the driver side and, or the boot, which can be accessed with a key or emergency key(for fob keys or keyless) in exceptional occasions like when a fob key stopped working. The main difference between yesterday’s door locks and today’s door locks is that today’s locks are not heavy-duty built, and as a result, their lifespan will be much shorter if and when a key is used for a longer period of time to lock and unlock the vehicle.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A WORKING CAR DOOR LOCK

First and foremost, a working car door lock will facilitate entry into the vehicle by using a car key or emergency key fob blade when the remote key fob stops working.

On some makes and models, once the lock button is pressed to lock the vehicle, it will automatically go into a deadlock mode, while on others it will take two presses of the lock button. Once the vehicle is in deadlock, one way to open the vehicle when the remote fob and the driver’s side door lock are not working is to use the boot lock if it is connected to the centralised locking. This option is available for some makes and models like BMW E46 1999-2005 and BMW Coupe 1999-2006 as for the rest, is an auto locksmith speciality to open the vehicle as it requires in-depth knowledge and equipment.

A second reason as to why door locks should be kept working is because some makes and models like Audi TT 1999-2007, VW Sharan 1999-2007, Ford Galaxy 1999-2007, Audi A4 1997-2001 when car key programming is required it has to be done manually. A car key manual programming requires a key blade to be inserted into the ignition switch and a second one in the door lock in order to program a remote key fob.

VAG ALSO IS KNOWN AS VOLKSWAGEN GROUP

Among other cars from the VAG Group, Skoda, VW, Audi, Seat, have a weak door barrel, which will not withstand daily usage of a car key to open the vehicle in lieu of using the key fob. These locks are meant to be used in case of emergency to gain entry to the vehicle when either the key fob battery or the car battery is flat or that the car fob key de-synchronises after battery replacement.

0203 393 5669

3 STEPS TO A FUNCTIONAL CAR DOOR LOCK MECHANISM

1 Lubricate the car door lock from time to time. While it may be years until the need to use a car key to open the vehicle, the lock barrel in the meantime, may get stuck and the key won’t turn or worse, it may turn but end up with a damaged door lock.
2 Use the emergency key only in emergency situations. Key fobs batteries can go flat, or that they require repair or a complete replacement altogether. Sometimes, after the car key battery replacement, the key fob can de-synchronise. In situations like key desynchronisation or replacement, having access to the vehicle is critical to complete the procedure of key fob synchronisation or programming.
3 Repair or replace the key fob. From time to time, key fobs need to be serviced due to years of usage. Whether it is wear and tear, which is a normal occurrence or may be experiencing intermittent functionality, servicing a fob key in due time will prevent unpleasant situations from happening.

3 SITUATIONS YOU CAN AVOID IF REPAIRING OR REPLACING THE BATTERY FOR THE CAR KEY FOB ON-TIME

No need to call an automotive locksmith to unlock the vehicle;
No need to be using an emergency key blade or a key to open the vehicle, avoiding any car lock mechanism issues in the future;
The inability of starting the vehicle due to a badly worn car key blade which won’t turn in the ignition.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS ASKED

I’ve lost my car keys for my Audi key, what do I do?

Losing car keys always pose a security risk for the vehicle, therefore the first thing to do is to call Car Keys Solutions on 020 4502 3642 as the lost key(s) need(s) to be disabled or deleted to prevent any future unauthorised use of the vehicle. One thing to keep in mind, any car keys that are still available need to be present at the time of programming. When programming the new car key for vehicles in VAG Group, all keys registered within the vehicle will be deleted. As an additional service and for security purposes, we can recode the ignition switch and the door barrel. If it happens that the lost key is the only key, a good practice would be to get a spare car key. The reason for it is, depending on the year, make and model the process of making and programming a car key may be complicated and time-consuming. Regardless, the cost of making a new car key when no working key is present will be higher than making a spare car key.

How much does it cost to change the locks for cars?

My BMW 3 series key fob not working, what to do?

There are two scenarios for the BMW 3 series and 5 series especially for the station wagon. While the car fob key may be at fault and require a battery change, there are two other common problems found in the station wagons:

The antenna module. The antenna module for Station Wagon BMW 3 series and 5 series, is located at the top of the trunk lid, and because of its location, in time, the circuit board gets corroded due to temperature difference which causes condensation. When the antenna module fails, it stops receiving and or sending the signal from the remote key fob to the central locking.
The wiring loom. Due to its location, at the top of the trunk lid, between the trunk and the chassis, the insulation of the wires over time will start to harden and crack. With time and usage of the trunk lid, the wires will break which will affect the antenna module, as it will no longer receive or send any signal from the remote key to the central locking.

NOTE: From 1998 onward, the BMW diamond shape and from 2005 dash fob keys are sealed from the manufacturer, as they contain a self-charging accumulator. The charging occurs when the key is inserted in the ignition switch(diamond shape) or in-dash slot(dash key). Due to the fact that the accumulator has a limited lifespan(limited discharging cycles), it needs to be replaced and the process requires a highly skilled car locksmith as with the accumulator replacement, the casing of the key needs to be replaced as well because the keys were never designed to be repaired. Some of the models will require reprogramming of the remote.

“ABSOLUTELY NO COMPLAINTS AND SPOT ON SERVICE”

“Car Key Solutions came recommended and from my 1st phone call enquiry to the Technician conducting the work faultless, highly professional and only happy to recommend.”

Tom Evans

★★★★★

“GREAT COMMUNICATION FROM BOOKING SERVICE”

“Engineer arrived on time and was extremely professional. Problem was fixed in less than an hour. Big thumbs up to Car Keys Solutions.”

Chelsey Meuio Santos

★★★★★

“SERVICE WAS EXCELLENT, VERY PROMPT, POLITE AND EFFICIENT”

“The price was good, and overall can't be faulted. The technician was great, keeping to social distancing appropriately. Very much recommended.”

Rob Melling

★★★★★

“ABSOLUTELY NO COMPLAINTS AND SPOT ON SERVICE”

“Car Key Solutions came recommended and from my 1st phone call enquiry to the Technician conducting the work faultless, highly professional and only happy to recommend.”

Tom Evans

“GREAT COMMUNICATION FROM BOOKING SERVICE”

“Engineer arrived on time and was extremely professional. Problem was fixed in less than an hour. Big thumbs up to Car Keys Solutions.”

Chelsey Meuio Santos

“SERVICE WAS EXCELLENT, VERY PROMPT, POLITE AND EFFICIENT”

“The price was good, and overall can't be faulted. The technician was great, keeping to social distancing appropriately. Very much recommended.”

Rob Melling

OUR LOCATIONS

Our strategically placed shops make it convenient for you to access our services, or we can come to you with our mobile service across the UK. We are committed to serving all of Greater London through our four main locations:

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