key ring where to buy?

[Edward Reid]

I haven't used a metal key ring for decades. I cut off a few inches from a leather shoelace, string my keys on it, match the ends and tie a single knot. I've found it a great deal more reliable than any key ring or chain. Lasts several years, then I cut a few more inches off the shoelace. I think the leather shoelaces I bought in 1973 are almost used up and I'm gonna have to buy a new pair, dang it.

Only downside is that taking a key off (for example for a mechanic) is a pain, because the knot gets pretty tight after a while. If I had to do that daily, I would not like my solution. In fact I probably do it half a dozen times a year, which I can manage.

Edward

[Jim Yanik]

Metspitzer wrote in news: [e-mail]:

what's to worry is that the mechanic could make a copy of your house key,and use it later to burgle your home.

[Neill Massello]

Which gradually occurs by itself over time until, one day, the keys fly all over the place when you pull the ring out of your pocket. Not fun in a dark parking lot.

I'll repeat the advice that others have given the OP: get another copy of your car key; put it on a small, plain ring by itself with a tag listing the make, model, and color of your car; and use that whenever you need to hand over your car for service, cleaning, or parking.

[N8N]

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Apparently. My company car has no lock cylinder for the trunk lid, and to make matters worse, the buttons for the rear doors are at the rear of the doors not the front, so if the battery goes dead, here is the procedure for retrieving the jumper cables:

1) unlock driver's door with key 2) climb into back seat 3) unlock rear door 4) climb out again 5) fold down rear seat back 6) pull out milk crate with emergency supplies 7) retrieve jumper cables

really? This is progress?

nate

[mm]

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What make and model??

[aemeijers]

Arrgh! I meant mid-2000s, of course.

-- aem sends...

[aemeijers]

Good solution for an older car, but anything recent, those damn smart keys are expensive.

[krw]

At least Ford smart keys aren't all that expensive as long as you buy the spare while you still have at least two others. I think the last one I bought was $12. With only one it they can get $75, or so.

[Mark Lloyd]

How about the license number?

[mm]

Weird. Is this in person? Can you borrow a neighbor's second key so it looks like you have two?

[krw]

No. If you have two, you can reprogram the third yourself using the car's computer (it's somewhat of a pain, but the instructions are in the owner's manual). They just cut the keys (blanks aren't expensive). If you only have one, they have to do it and they'll likely ding you for an hour labor.

[Jim Yanik]

" [e-mail]" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I don't believe that is true for all makes of autos. Some locksmiths can now program chipped key blanks,again for certain makes only.

[aemeijers]

This is true. From what they told me, a lot of small-town dealers that don't need to create that many keys, and don't want to buy the machine and keep the software updated (or a trained operator on the payroll), now job out the work to a local locksmith. When I bought my 1-key van, dealer gave me the magic number, and pointed me at the locksmith they use. And it was still north of 120 bucks for 2 normal-sized but chipped, no-button keys. So I now have 3. I keep meaning to buy a couple uncut blanks off ebay, and get them cut cheap at hardware store, and program them myself. I'm well overdue for losing a keyring, and it is best to be prepared. I wish I could find a programmable separate-from-key button fob that would work with an 05 Caravan, because there are times the buttons would be nice, since 3 of the 5 doors have no lock cylinder. I just can't live with that bizarre serving-spoon-sized combined key and fob- my pockets aren't that big. What idiot thought that was a good idea?

[krw]

I said, Ford. I'm sure some screw you over worse.

With a Ford, anyway, it's not the key that gets programmed. The car's computer has to be told that the key is valid. Two keys or a third party (the dealership) is how it determines "programming rights". Maybe Ford allows locksmiths to have the secret handshake that allows single key (or no key) programming, don't know.

[Nate Nagel]

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2008 Impala.

nate

[bud--]

By coincidence there is a thread on alt.locksmithing with info on Ford transponder keys

4 The message will not be archived and will disappear Feb 17

[mm]

I have. Once I mistakenly installed two burglar alarms in the same car.

Another time, I think I had a constant load of some kind for a a month. I tried half-heartedly to find it but before I did, it went away on its own.

How could I mistakennly install two burglar alarms you might ask. I thought the second was just an attachment to the first, to radio a beeper to tell me the alarm had gone off. It turned out to be an entire alarm with that level of battery drain, but I didnt' notice that until I started having battery problems.

But for the last 10 or more years, I've used a Battery Buddy, which disconnects the battery before it discharges too much. They don't make them anymore but the Battery Brain is very similar. I just open the hood, press the big red button, and the car will start.

The Battery Brain has a more expensive model that will let you reset the Brain from inside the car, and will also let you disconnect the battery when you leave the car, if theft is a concern. I always have a way of disabling the hood release if I have to leave the car a long time in one place I don't want to leave it.

[mm]

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Bummer. I like Impalas. (At least the '66 Impala. I've sort of lost track since then.)

I'll be sure to avoid it, and check other cars to make sure they're not made this way.

[mm]

Thanks. My little mind would never have come up with something this complicated.

[krw]

It's not really that complicated. To keep a valet, for instance, from duplicating a key, two keys are needed (the owner isn't likely to turn two keys over to the valet) or a trusted person (the dealership or locksmith) to validate the key to the ignition. Validating a key is sort of a pain because the user-interface is pretty bad (turn signals, heater controls, and check engine light, IIRC), but it's just a matter of following directions.