Most people only find out what kind of car key they have on the day they lose it. That is the worst day to learn, because the answer decides whether a new key is a quick cut or a cut plus programming to the car.
The good news is that you can usually tell by looking at the key and at the way the car starts. Here are the types you are likely to have, from the simplest to the most involved.
1. The plain metal key
An all-metal key, or a metal blade with a plain head and no buttons. You find these mostly on older cars. There is no chip inside, so a new one only has to be cut to match the lock.
One exception: some older GM cars use a key with a small black pellet set into the blade. That pellet is a resistor, and it has to match the car too, so it is not a plain key.
2. The transponder key
It looks like an ordinary key with a plastic head, and you usually can't tell by looking: the chip is sealed inside the head. The car reads it when you turn the ignition, and if it does not recognize the chip, it will not start, even though the blade turns perfectly. Most cars built since the late 1990s use one.
That is why a copied blade without the chip will open the doors and still leave you stuck. A transponder key has to be cut and then programmed to the car.
3. The remote head key or flip key
Lock and unlock buttons are built into the head of the key, and on a flip key the blade folds out. These carry a transponder chip as well, so they need both cutting and programming, plus the remote buttons have to be paired to the car.
4. A key plus a separate remote
Many cars came with an ordinary-looking transponder key and a separate remote on the same ring. The remote only locks and unlocks the doors; the key starts the car. Losing one is not the same job as losing the other, so it helps to know which one is missing.
5. The smart key or proximity fob
If your car starts with a button and you never put a key in anything, you have a smart key. The car senses the fob when it is close and lets you open the doors and start the engine.
Most smart keys hide a small emergency blade inside the fob for the driver's door. And many cars will still start with a dead fob battery if you hold the fob against the start button or a marked spot on the steering column. Your owner's manual shows where.
What about laser-cut keys?
Some blades have no notches on the edges at all. Instead, a wavy groove runs down the middle of the blade. These are often called laser-cut or high-security keys. They need a different cutting machine, and on most cars they carry a transponder chip too.
How to tell yours apart at a glance
- Does the car start with a button? You have a smart key.
- Are there buttons on the key itself? It is a remote head or flip key, with a chip inside.
- A plain-looking key with a plastic head, on a car built since the late 1990s? Assume it has a transponder chip.
- A small remote on the ring as well as the key? You have a key and a separate remote, and each is replaced on its own.
- Does a groove run down the middle of the blade? It is a laser-cut key.
- All metal, with no buttons, on an older car? It is most likely a plain key, or on some older GM cars a resistor key with a small pellet in the blade.
What this means if you lose it
Every key with a chip in it has to be programmed to your car; a plain metal key only has to be cut, and a GM resistor key has to be matched to the car. We cut and program transponder keys, remotes and fobs at the car, so in most cases there is no need to have it towed.
For a few makes and models, a new key can only come from the dealer. Give us the make, model and year when you call and we will say whether yours is one of them.
Have the vehicle registration or title and a photo ID ready, because we check ownership before making any car key. The vehicle identification number helps too: it is on the registration, on the driver's door frame sticker, and on the dashboard where it meets the windshield.
