Common key & lock mistakes & How To Avoid Them

Common key & lock mistakes – And How To Avoid Them

Key & Lock mistakes

It has been a while since I have produced a blog helping you to avoid needing to call out people like me. So here is a short list of common, avoidable mistakes people make that might just help you not make those same mistakes, hopefully saving you time and money.

Safe Keys

Putting override keys inside your battery operated safe: Safes are great, but if you have a key operated safe, the safe is only as good as the place you hide the key. People are quite obvious in hiding places, so digital safes are a lot better then simple key turn safes. The only problem is that digital safes have master key overrides and the safest place for these keys is in the safe itself. But if you only use your safe rarely there is a good chance you will forget about it, It gets placed in a built in cupboard, covered in clothes and out of sight, out of mind. The batteries start to die and because it is covered in clothes, you don’t hear the warning beep and pretty soon, you have a keypad that you cannot use. Thankfully, you have override keys…. But they are inside the safe. At this point, you can call a domestic locksmith who will gain access by destroying your safe and you will have to pay him for the privilege. You then have to buy a new safe. Potentially £100s because you forgot to change the batteries and left the override keys inside the safe. You can try a safe specialist to come and pick the lock, but the cost might still be £100s because safe specialists are rare (the courses and equipment are expensive) and they don’t get many calls compared to standard locksmiths.

How to avoid disaster? Firstly, take those override keys and trust a family member/good friend to look after them for you. If their house gets broken into and a burglar finds your safe keys, they have no idea what safe they open or where it is. But if they find those keys in your house, they can get into your safe. So, get those keys away from your property. Surprisingly, now your keys are not easily accessible in your safe, you will be more likely to check your batteries! But don’t rely on that. Check how long your safe manufacturer says batteries should last and halve it. Write on the calendar when to change the batteries. Use the old batteries for something else, but keep new batteries in your safe. I love Autumn and Spring because we change our clocks and this gives us a great time to do other things like regular battery changes. Have a list of other maintenance things to do like pre-winter gutter cleaning, etc, and put safe battery changes on that list. This will ensure that if you do have to call someone to open your safe, it will be because something has gone wrong rather than having to explain an expensive memory failure.

Car keys on holiday

I wish I had a sum of money for every time someone called me to say they lost their keys on the beach and the spare car key is 400 miles away on the other side of the country… Oh wait, I do! When you drive somewhere on holiday, take your spare key. When you get to your hotel/air B&B/caravan, etc leave your key somewhere safe at your destination. If you lose your car key, it will be a lot cheaper to get a bus/cab back to your holiday base than it will to call an auto locksmith to come and make a new key on the spot for you. A lot quicker too. Even when you go out on a normal day, if you have someone with you, get them to carry the spare key. If you bring the spare out and leave it in the glove box, you are making life difficult for everyone except car thieves.

Letter boxes

Sticking with cars, most cars are stolen from driveways or outside homes using the keys which have been lifted – either because the front door is left unlocked, or the thief has fished the keys through the letter box. Tools for opening locked doors via the letterbox are getting cheaper, easier to use, and ever more sophisticated. Even if you have an angled guard, there is a tool that goes around it. You might think this is a step back to your Grandma’s house, but a letter basket with closing lid, is a great way to foil the letterbox thief. Better still, seal up the letterbox, and have an external box. If you have room, get one that is big enough for parcels, We get so much delivered these days, a lockable parcel box is a great idea. At the same time, door cams record anyone approaching your door and will have images sent to your phone before they can vandalize it. But I digress..

Copy keys

If you are renting out a holiday home or have multiple carers, etc, get a locksmith to install a new lock, with all new, branded additional keys tried and tested before the lock goes in. Almost every time I get called back to job where the lock has failed, the customer shows me  a key that has been copied elsewhere on some poor-quality blank. If you get keys copied and they foul up the lock, that is invalidating any guarantee the locksmith gives you, but if you are using additional keys supplied with the lock at time of installation, you are completely covered. But, if you must get copies made, make sure the original keys are the ones that get used most. I.E. let the guests use them. Yes, they might lose them (less likely if you request a deposit), but if they have poor quality keys and the lock fails and they are locked out waiting for a locksmith who destroys the lock getting in, the cost just multiplies. If you need multiple carers, please get a keysafe. It is better than having to collect keys later and ensures better keys are used.

5 lever locks

Know your terminology; there is a difference between a five lever mortice lock and a multipoint locking system. If you have a wooden door the mortice lock, (often called a ‘Chubb’ lock) is the one that should be 5 levers. If you look at the front plate, It will tell you that it is either 2, 3 5 levers and preferably will display a British Standard kite mark that tells you it has been tested against picking, drilling, sawing and most other forms of attack. If you have a door where you lift the handle and various hooks/bolts/mushrooms, etc. move, this is not a five lever lock. This is a multi-point locking system and your insurance is happy with that, which is bizarre because these systems are only as good as the locking barrel you put your key into and insurance companies are yet to wake up to how easy these can be to bypass. Again, digressing, but please talk to your local locksmith about kite-marked barrels. And if your architect/builder/designer tries to tell you these new multi-point doors without handles are a good idea, ignore them. When there is no handle, all the force of opening the door goes through the key. The leverage ratio is tiny compared doors with nice big handles, and at some point, you will snap your key in your lock.

Complacency

My last one for this blog; Just the other day, I fixed a basic lock on the top half of a stable door. It was not insurance compliant. When I challenged the customer regarding this and told him that his insurance company would not pay out if he were burgled, he replied with one I have heard often: ‘This is Norfolk. Although I know someone in the next village got burgled and lost a lot, it’s highly unlikely I will.’ So why pay for insurance at all? If you are paying for insurance, you owe it to yourself to make sure you are compliant. A second house this week is having three locks replaced after one has stopped working. I pointed out the three locks were all 3 lever and not insurance compliant, so the customer in this case, ordered new locks without delay. If you have an older house, don’t just assume the locks are up to spec. Most decent locksmiths do a free security check and, speaking for myself, when I do security checks I will tell you where advice is necessary and where advice is just personal recommendation.

This article about insurance required locks is quite good.

Should you have any questions regarding the above, please get in touch.

Thanks for reading

admin November 8, 2022

Lock & Key mistakes / Lock problems /

Keys

Besides your mobile phone, what is the most important thing you carry around with you every day? Very few people even think about their keys, but without them you cannot function. Be it getting into your home or office, or starting your keys are always needed. So when was the last time you bothered to look at your keys, clean them even, or check that they were not bent or damaged in any other way?

Scandanavian locks 2

A lot of locks fail because the keys being used to operate them are worn, damaged or badly cut copies. I’ve seen people try their best to service their own locks, but then fail to keep the actual keys clean. We know toddlers love to put keys in their mouths and we snatch those keys away because we know they are dirty, but we never even give those grubby, bacteria ridden lumps of metal so much as a quick scrub to remove surface dirt.

The bodies at the top of the locksmithing industry in the UK suggest that we locksmiths should tell you to change your locks every 5 years, one of the main reasons for this is that people just do not maintain their locks, or they use too many copies that are cut poorly. So here are my top tips for keys:

1. Keep your keys clean. I know it is obvious, but I see loads of grubby keys, especially in the work place or where anyone needs a big bunch of keys. Dirt and grime collects in the grooves, which is then transferred into the lock where it builds up, wearing away the internal moving parts. Hot, soapy water and a stiff nail brush should get rid of the worst of it and be sure to dry the key straight away so as to avoid rust.

2. Only take the keys you need. Big bunches of keys just rub against each other and generally wear away. If you have mortice (Chubb) keys with thin prongs, those prongs are likely to get bent far easier when the keys are on a big bunch. Separate your keys into smaller bunches for use when you need them. This will also keep the keys cleaner.

3. Don’t get too many copies made. Any more than four keys is going to be more expensive than a basic keysafe. If you run a business, giving staff members the code to the keysafe that can be changed is a lot better than chasing them to return their key when they leave, and if they leave under nefarious circumstances, you might have to change your locks when they don’t return their key. A keysafe just requires changing the code to the keysafe. It also saves a load of bad copies wearing out the lock quicker.

4. Having said that, do not let your stash of keys run down to just the one, especially if that one is a copy. You should always be in possession of a branded original key for the lock. All locks come with at least two keys. If you only have one, not only are you going to be in trouble when you eventually lose it, but that means there is at least one other key in someone’s possession who can gain access to a door you want to secure, be it your home or workplace.

5. If you need to get copies made, always keep the originals as primary use. Just the other day, I attended a job in Blakeney where the lock wasn’t opening or locking on one side. I asked the customer to fetch me the original keys which worked just fine. Your original branded keys are the most important. Treat them with the utmost care. If you need to change your locks, think about how many keys you might need and get you locksmith to order them with your new lock.

6. If you must keys cut at a later date, shy away from chain outlets. They have a higher turnover of staff who are not always trained to high standards. Your local engraver/cobbler will be running their own business and will more likely have years of experience. But, they will not often have genuine branded blanks. Be prepared to demand genuine branded keys, even if that means coming back a few days later and paying more for the keys. The key cutter will take even more care to cut the key perfectly as they will not want you coming back with a bad cut key. It will cost them more to honour a guarantee of a good cut if the blank is branded.

7. As said above, any more than four keys should be negated by a basic keysafe, but it is worth investing in a high quality keysafe. Dial keysafes are easier to change the codes on, so perfect for holiday lets, etc, but push button keysafes are more secure and so better for the home where you might not need to change the code too often. Keysafes should be positioned near the door the key inside is going to open, but not on general view if avoidable. If you can position in a corner, or make the angles difficult for levers or hammers, then even better, but most burglars ignore keysafes as they can usually find easier ways in.

8. Many new high security locks are coming with special keys. At least one brand uses a magnet in the key. From personal experience, I can tell you not to have these keys anywhere near vehicle keys as the small magnetic field can scramble the signal between car and car key transceiver.

9. If you have a digital safe, hand the override keys to a trusted friend or family member. There is no point keeping the keys in the house where the burglar might find them. But do not keep the keys inside the safe – they will be useless to you if the batteries fail. If you only have a manual key safe, again give one of the keys to a friend or family member and ensure the second key is not left in the home while you are out.

AC locksmiths Auto

10. The glove compartment is not the place for your spare car key. The only person who can possible benefit from the key being there is the car thief.

11. If you drive to your holiday destination and it is more than a hundred miles from home, take the spare key to the car. Leave it in the holiday accommodation, because there is nothing worse than having to call a locksmith knowing you could get in yourself if you had the spare nearby.

12. If you have a special knack for unlocking your door, or you have to hold the key at a certain angle, either the key or your lock is not right. Check the key before any further damage is done. If it’s not the key, then change the lock before it fails completely just before you need to be in and out for an important event.

If you have any questions regarding any of the points raised above or in any of my other blogs, please contact me through any of the channels mentioned on my contacts page. (Text gets fasted response).

Thanks for reading!

admin February 21, 2020

car keys / Looking after your keys / property keys /

Auto Locksmith FAQ’s

Auto locksmith FAQ’s:

Car locksmith

Do I have to bring my car to you?

No. A car locksmith has all the tools needed to cut your new car key and the computers to do the programming on board his/her van. Recently I made a new Fiat Ducatto key for a customer in Gresham village. I was able to copy his existing key in my van and then plug into his onboard computer via the OBD port and program his new key to the vehicle. This meant he could use his vehicle the same day. Had he taken the key to the dealer or manufacturer, he would have had to leave it with them, possibly waiting weeks without the use of his own vehicle.

Does the locksmith change the locks on my car?

No, if you lose your keys, we will only make new ones, but they will be coded differently, so the old keys will be useless for driving your car away. Unless you leave valuables in your car, this should not be a problem. If you want to change the actual locks on your vehicle, you should, in most cases, go back to the manufacturer. If you have had your locks modified or changed in any way, you must inform the vehicle locksmith if you later require his help. I remember being called out to a Jeep in Brancaster late at night. It was parked in a very quiet beach car park. When I tried, my Jeep lockpick, I found the whole thing felt wrong and asked the customer if anything had been changed, at which point he told me the vehicle locks had been changed for aftermarket products. This meant I was unable to do the job without damaging the vehicle, so alternative arrangements had to be made (they paid me plus an expensive taxi home to get the spare).

How much does a car locksmith cost?

This is like asking how long a ball of string is. Unlike house locks and keys, auto locksmithing has many components. And the cost will be based on how many of those components you need. Will I need to pick the lock? Will I need to work out the key shape from the lock? Will I need to access a database that charges me for certain codes to allow me to program the new key to your car? Can I use aftermarket products or do I have to use genuine branded parts? How far did I have to travel to get to you? Does coding your key require me to a plugin, or do I have to take half of your dashboard apart to get to the chip that I then have to remove, code and return? These and many more factors make up the cost, but in nearly all cases the auto locksmith can sort your problem on the day and will be cheaper than going back to the manufacturer. For example, I produced a key for a customer with a Renault Clio in Fakenham and saved them £300 on the price they were quoted by the dealership. What’s more, it was all done at the customer’s place of work, allowing them to get on with their day.

Will the locksmiths make keys for my old classic car?

To be honest, no. Cobblers and engravers can usually copy the keys of older cars and motorbikes. If not, you may have to change the locks and ignition barrels, in which case scrap dealers are always a good call. But for the auto locksmith, we can only make a profit on keys with computer chips. Travelling to Dereham from my home town of Holt to produce a key for an old Ford Capri is not even going to pay for the cost of the round journey, whereas making and coding a key for a 2015 Ford Mondeo will work for me. A very few auto locksmiths might just be able to produce older keys, but often the cost would be more than the value of the vehicle itself.

Can the auto locksmith make keys for all modern cars?

No. We can make keys for most car brands and models, and there are very few we cannot get into if your keys are locked inside, but there are a few when we have to tell you to go back to the dealer. Land Rover Discoveries and Volvos spring to mind. There just isn’t the data available for us to do our computer work on these vehicles. You might see websites advertising that they can indeed clone your key when the locksmith says he cannot, but these sites include every vehicle in their menus just to drive traffic to their sites. When you actually ring, they are just as powerless as the car locksmith.

What is the most common reason for an auto locksmith call out?

By far it is keys locked in the boot. When you are loading/unloading your vehicle, unlock all the doors. So many people only unlock the boot. They then put the keys down inside the boot, load the shopping, the golf clubs, the tools, etc, and then slam the boot down and swear in the next five seconds when they realise the keys are now in the back and they are locked out. There is no security benefit to only unlocking your boot if you are only going to lock yourself out of your car in a high crime area.

Does my breakdown cover include the cost of an auto locksmith?

No. Some recovery drivers will make a quick attempt for you, but I have been called many times by the biggest recovery service in the UK and I am a registered peripheral of the second largest. In all cases, I charge the customer direct. From Cromer, Fakenham, to Burnham Overy Staithe, call me first and save time. You don’t want to wait hours for the recovery service only to be told you have to wait even longer for me.

Can you make me a new car key if I have lost all the original ones?

Yes, I can read the lock using a special tool or get the information for many vehicles from your registration document, providing I have proof of ownership. Once I have cut the key blade, I can then let my computer talk to your car and program the new key to your vehicle. It is a much faster job copy from an existing key, though.

What is cloning?

Cloning is simply replicating an existing key. As far as the car computer is concerned, it believes there is only one key when you may have two or even more. You can clone some keys without having to plug into the car. This is a cheaper way to replace lost keys, but it does not protect you from those lost keys being used should someone else find them and want to steal your car. Making new keys that are uniquely programmed to your vehicle gives you the option of deleting the old keys, in exactly the same way you would put a stop on a lost credit card.

How do you get into my car if there is no keyhole?

There is always a keyhole. On modern cars, the keyhole is covered and the key is hidden in the key fob. But for safety, there must be mechanical access. A customer of mine in Norwich was astounded when I turned up to get him into his vehicle. His fob battery was flat and he could not get in. So I showed him the hidden key blade and then revealed the hidden keyhole on the vehicle. Had he listened to the dealer (if the dealer had even told him), or read the car paperwork, he could have made his meeting that day because the car will still work when the fob battery is dead. The customer was still happy though as he had expected a very expensive job. It was still expensive for a battery change he could have done himself.

How long does it take to pick the lock?

Seconds – hours depending on the vehicle, age, possible rust/damage inside the lock. I’ve taken two hours to open a car in Hunstanton and one and a half minutes to open a car in Beeston. Conditions like cold and rain might also slow me down. It takes as long as it takes.

How easy is it for thieves to hack the signal and steal my car?

Thieves that do this have bought special equipment. They are stealing cars to order. While not impossible, it is not likely for those of us with standard cars to have our signals stolen. You can, if you wish to, buy signal jamming pouches and I am happy to source them for you. But the biggest growing way for cars to be stolen is via your home letterbox. I see it all the time. People come home and put their keys on a table or other piece of furniture near the door so they can easily pick those keys up as they leave. Thieves are now fishing through the letterbox to get keys which can give them access to your home and they can use your own car as a getaway vehicle. Don’t make it easy for them.

If you would like more information on the above questions or have others to ask, please get in contact via any of the methods on my contacts page.

Thanks for reading!

admin December 16, 2019

auto locksmith / Car locksmith / Car thieves / Cloning car keys /

Locksmiths Most Commonly asked Questions

Some of the questions I am asked most about locksmithing – AC Locksmiths Norfolk

 

Do Skeleton Keys open all locks?

A key to open all locks is only found in magical fantasy. Even us locksmiths need many different lock picks for the different types of locks we come across, so that hero you see on the TV who carries a few needle-like implements in a little pouch, is only making a small representation of what is really needed, and even then, the speed shown would be for very easy, smooth running locks. That being said, each lock type and brand have a finite number of combinations and if you were to try your house key in enough other houses using the same brans and lock type, you will find houses that you can enter with ease. This is an important point when moving into a newly built home on a large estate. The average new house comes with front, back and patio doors. A 500 house estate means around 1500 locks and the developer will use the same brand and lock type on every one of them. Locking doors to garages and sheds could easily make that 2,500. With that many locks, the statistics say there is an extremely good chance someone else’s key on that estate will fit your lock. So, it is very good advice to change your locks, even on a new home, preferably to a different brand to all the rest.

How will the locksmith gain entry?

There are many ways to bypass a lock. You might even want to see for yourself how it is done. Please do not be offended if the locksmith asks you to step away while he works. Some techniques require a learned feel or special technique. Watching the locksmith work can show people how to get into other people’s homes which is not really a morally good thing. Also, watching the locksmith and trying to replicate what they do next time, might lead to bigger complications and an even bigger bill. Besides, if they are given room to concentrate, they can work faster, getting you in quicker.

Why do locksmiths charge so much?

Hopefully, you only see the locksmith for a very short time. What you don’t see are the endless hours driving between jobs. It is very that two people have an emergency next door to each other and usually the case that a locksmith will criss-cross his patch several times in the same day. In cities, the patch may be small but the traffic will be horrendous and rurally, the patch is much bigger due to lack of population density. On top of that, locksmiths need to keep up with the latest changes in law and products, keep on top of their own accounts, maintain their vehicles, replace tools and nowadays, write blogs! There might be additional training programs. This doesn’t just mean the cost of the course itself, but losing however many days work the course entails. Then there is the time spent ordering parts online or time spent in shops purchasing tools, etc. As a cost example, I have to do two jobs a month just to pay for the chisels and drill bits I will need to replace each and every month. So you can see, there is a lot more cost involved than just the time the locksmith spends with you.

If I have my locks changed, how many keys do I get and where do I get more cut?

Most locks come with two or three keys. If you are booking a lock change for a future date, it is wise to get the number of keys you require ordered with the lock. This way, you can guarantee the keys will have been tested in that lock before they get to you. Some locksmiths can cut keys on site which again is a sure way to see they are tested. The alternative is to go to your local engraver/cobbler who will usually provide key cutting services. But here you are chancing your luck because you will have to wait until you get home to try the keys and if they don’t work, you have to go all the way back to the shop again, still, with no guarantee, it won’t happen again. Chances are, key cutting outlets will not use genuine branded blanks either. You might think chain key cutters would be the best option but these have high staff turnover and very basic training. Every time I have been recalled to a faulty lock that I have installed, the problem has been poorly cut keys from chain stores. If getting keys cut, always ask for genuine branded blanks that should show the same brand name on the head of the key as the one you getting copied. Many will tell you the non-brands are just as good, but this just isn’t so. Demand genuine. Leave a deposit and pick up the keys a couple of days later if needed. This could save you a much more pricey second visit from the locksmith. Never use an already copied key to cut another. If you have lost your original keys, get a new lock an order the appropriate number of keys with it.

What is British Standard and why do I need it?

British Standard or BS3621 is a rating for the effectiveness of locks against certain attacks that include; picking, drilling, slipping, bumping and a whole host of other terms you might not be familiar with. Your home insurance will demand your locks on wooden doors to be up to this standard. While it is not an insurance requirement for doors where you have to lift the handles before locking, every locksmith will correctly tell you that you should a BS3621 lock on these doors as well because, without them, the intruder can enter your home in under 60 seconds with no power tools. Even if the intruder does get in through a BS3621 rated lock, your insurance might not pay out if another door on your house is not up to standard, so check now that all your final exit doors have a BS3621 kitemark.

What is a fair price for my locksmith?

This is a bit of a minefield. The nationals will charge more because they have to make their profits, pay office staff and pay the locksmith they sub-contract to do the work, but they will do the work that saves you ringing several people in an emergency, and many local locksmiths rely on the work that comes in from the nationals while they get themselves established. That aside, locksmiths seem to have a standard rate, evening rate and through the night rate, plus weekend rates and bank holiday rates. If possible, you should check the locksmith’s website to see if they have any indication of what you might expect to pay. Personally, I have one rate no matter what time of day of what day of the week it might happen to be. But if you have the time, you should ring two or three locksmiths. The cheapest one will probably be the least experienced or hiding costs until he gets there. The most expensive one will be overpricing and you should usually go with the one in the middle, especially if these prices are wildly different. Be sure to get a quote on the phone, a revised quote once the locksmith has visually assessed the job, and find out if the price includes VAT. You also want the locksmith to inform you if anything happens that will cause a price increase. The locksmith should tell you about any potential price increase reasons before continuation.

How long does it take the locksmith to open my locked door?

This can be seconds to a very long time. Locks are often worn, rusty or might have something causing a jamb. The locksmith is wary of damaging your door so they will take time and care to make sure the job is done quickly with the least amount of damage. A simple latch lock might be opened in seconds, but a seized multi-point locking system can be very difficult to open without causing damage to the door. Rest assured, the locksmith wants to get you in just as quickly as you want to be in yourself. With car locks, the picks require the feel of springs inside the lock itself. If the lock is old, this feel can be difficult, or if the internal workings are too loose, the individual parts can keep passing beyond their opening point, making a three-minute job last an age. Patience is your only requirement.

Why do I need to pay on the day?

You are paying for a service and often new products. Most locksmiths are sole traders and unable to run back accounts like big companies. The costs of materials and van/tool maintenance keep things tight all the time. We just cannot add tracking who owes what where and when all the time in addition to everything else. Now that doesn’t mean we are heartless and unsympathetic to those who just don’t have the means to pay in an emergency situation. If you genuinely cannot pay on the day, make the locksmith aware before work commences and something can usually be worked out, but be aware, should you not pay the locksmith within an agreed time, he may well charge late payment fees or you might just find yourself paying more should you need that locksmith in another emergency.

if you think of anything else you would like to know please contact us:

AC Locksmiths Norfolk
07846643176

admin November 9, 2019

gain entry / Getting keys cut / locksmith charges / Locksmith questions / Most commonly asked locksmith questions /

Caravan and camping: How to not need a locksmith

Summer finally seems to have arrived, and that means the mass migrations to caravan and camping sites up and down the country. But little mistakes can make cheaper holidays a lot more expensive.

Camper
You might read some of the advice below and think it blatantly obvious. However, getting away can be stressful and if we don’t take those few extra minutes to check certain things before we set off, our holidays and weekend breaks, may not begin well.

So, do you take your spare car key on holiday? Full marks if you do. It can be kept in the caravan or hidden in the tent, or carried by your better half. When you leave your spare 400 miles away at home what happens if you lose your car key paddling in the sea or walking in the dunes? Or you might just lock it in the boot while packing everything away leaving you locked out of your own vehicle (glove compartments are not a good place to keep spare keys). Do you really want to wait for the auto locksmith to arrive, decode your locks, produce a key that will possibly make the spare at home useless, and charge you a day’s budget for the privilege? And while you tuck that spare key somewhere safe, please check, double check and triple check you have the key to your top box. Not all locksmiths are properly trained and if you get one who drills out the lock because you are desperate to unpack all the most important stuff you placed in the top box, you might have to spend part of your holiday and budget sourcing a new top box or at least loads of gaffer tape to keep it all secure on the way home. (The other common result is frostiness from your significant other because the whole thing could be avoided.) Long before you go away, create a checklist of things to remember and no matter how much you want to beat that traffic jam on the way to your destination, always take the time to go through the checklist that will have spare car key and top box keys as something to take with you.

Hiring a motor home? Some reps may tell you that you can’t get locked out – when in fact you can, especially if you do not latch them properly. I have already been out twice this year to hired motor homes where the couple has stepped outside for a cigarette, allowed the door close, and found themselves locked out in their pyjamas. Take your key out in your pocket just in case, especially if you are new to motorhomes or it is a different vehicle to the one you are used to.

Maybe you are the proud owner of a static caravan? One that has a lift handle mechanism. When did you last have the mechanism serviced? When static caravans are near the sea, the salt can corrode all sorts of bits that you can’t see. And if water pools anywhere, rust will set in and at some point, the mechanism will seize. If you only use the caravan for personal use, then this is just an expensive inconvenience to have fixed, but if you hire out your caravan and your customers get locked out, not only have you the cost of the repair, but you might have to refund all or part of the customer’s fee by way of compensation. I see a lot of caravans in my job, and the state of the door mechanisms can be shocking. It can all be avoided with a little maintenance. If this is something you can do yourself, all well and good, but as no one ever instructs people on how to maintain these doors, you might find it cost effective to have a locksmith do the maintenance for you. For example, I charge £35 to do lock maintenance and this should be done twice a year. It is a lot easier to find £35 than to potentially have a bill for £250 plus reimbursing guests who might still go on to give you bad reviews on trip advisor. This maintenance contract extends to holiday home lets as well. If you are reading this outside of Norfolk, you might want to contact your local locksmith to see if he or she offers a similar service. When you employ a professional, you get the added bonus of someone who will adjust doors that have dropped and notice other problems you miss. Only today, I showed a customer daylight through the top of his door where it had dropped, a problem that has been making all the moving parts grind and has led to a replacement mechanism being needed, further compounded by the mechanism now being obsolete and the replacement not lining up with the existing fittings. All that could have been avoided if he had had the door maintained by someone who would have noticed the door dropping and rectified with nothing more than an Allen key and a little knowledge.

Have a great holiday and remember those spare keys!

If you require any more information regarding the above, please feel free to contact me through any of the methods on my contacts page.

Thanks for reading!

admin May 31, 2019

Holiday lock maintenance / Lost keys / motorhome locks / Static caravan locks /

Auto Locksmiths in Norfolk

At the time of writing, it’s been 18 months since I added vehicles to my locksmithing abilities, and despite a very intense, thorough training course, I have learned some lessons along the way that might help you when deciding what to do about your lost car key.

AC locksmiths AutoAs a general rule of thumb, if your vehicle is registered before the early 2000’s, then there is a good chance the mobile auto locksmith will not be able to provide you with a new key, and if he can, the cost will be in the same price range as the car value anyway, so you might be better off purchasing another vehicle.

If you own a Freelander and only have one key, get another one right now. You will have to search for this and will probably have to go back to manufacturer which can take a long time so if you don’t want to be without the use of your vehicle, get a spare made sooner rather than later. I went on a website that claimed to do Freelander keys by post, but when you actually talk to them in person, you find they can’t do it.

Never buy a 2nd hand Volvo with only one key. You will have to go back to manufacturer to get a spare and they are not cheap. Let me amend that. Never buy any 2nd hand car with only one key. Sometimes, a new key can mean the locksmith has to strip the entire dash out, locate a small chip on a circuit board and place that chip on a special circuit board in order to code in the new key. On the side of the road, in poor winter light, in the back of a van being buffeted by wind, the locksmith has to perform the most delicate of soldering jobs where one mistake can kill your car.

If you go on holiday, take the spare car key with you and leave it at the hotel/caravan/tent, etc when you go out. You will be thankful you did when you lock your keys in your car boot and know that a cab will be much cheaper than getting a locksmith because you left your keys at home 300 miles away.

And finally, car keys need not be boring! In the same way you get exciting phone cases, you can have coloured key fobs, leather fob cases, shiny chrome edges, or faux styles that put your car key blade in the style of a more exclusive vehicle range. If you are stuck for present ideas for someone, why not bling their car key? A present with a difference that need not break the bank. This idea goes down well with young men and their cars. You have no idea what to buy you’re your newly adult kids. Car key bling is great, and as they will probably change their car often, you can always do the same again next year, which means less time trying to figure out what they want.

If you have any questions regarding the above information, please do not hesitate to get in touch via any of the methods on my contacts page.

Thanks for reading.

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admin December 24, 2018

auto locksmith Norfolk / Car locksmith /

Car Keys – To clone or not to clone?

When people ring me for a quote on replacing a lost key for their vehicle, they are sometimes surprised by my cost. They have had a quote from somewhere else that is much cheaper and if I don’t get my reasons in quick enough, I can lose the business.

So why are some much cheaper? It is because they are offering a cloning service as the first option. Cloning is where you take one key, read the information it contains and make an exact duplicate. You now have two keys, but the computer on your car thinks those two keys are the same one. But what about that missing key? Who has it and is there a possibility they could use it to easily steal your vehicle? So yes, cloning is cheaper, but it always leaves an opening for someone else to help themselves to your property.

Car locksmithWhen I produce a second key for you, I plug my equipment into your vehicle and have a chat with your on board computer. I tell that computer that the key you have and the new one I am producing, are the only keys that are allowed to start the vehicle. So while I can’t stop the missing key opening a door, I can stop it being able to drive the vehicle away. My key and the cloned key look exactly alike. But new keys are more secure and therefore, my first option. I can be as cheap as the next guy, but I’m putting your security above my easy quick buck (cloning is significantly faster than new key production). So if you are ring around for quotes, don’t automatically assume the more expensive quote is someone trying to extort money from you. If you ask why they are more expensive, there is usually a good reason.
Here is an example: I had a potential customer with a Ford vehicle and no keys at all. When I quoted, she was shocked at my price. I explained that you cannot just programme one new key into a Ford, but their particular set up wipes all memory of previous keys and starts from scratch requiring you to have two new keys created. I had to quote for two keys in this case. But a cheaper person was quoting for just one key. So while there is a work around of the two key requirement, how likely was it that this other locksmith was quoting low with the knowledge he could ‘spring’ the two key requirement on her once he had the vehicle and was in the middle of the job. Most people will accept the change once the trader is there and working, It’s what is often done to avoid a fuss.
I will always give you a fair price for any work I carry out, backed up with guarantees. I will always stick to my quoted price unless you make additional requirements, at which point I will tell you exactly how much more those additions will cost. I will always explain my pricing in a way you can understand.
If you have any questions regarding the above information, please get in touch via any of the methods on my contacts page.
Thanks for reading

admin April 28, 2018

car key cloning / car key programming / Car keys cut / Lost car keys /

When to call a locksmith

This is a piece I really should not have to write, but all too often, people call me out for reasons that could easily be avoided or they have called me out too late for an expensive repair, when avoiding the problem was possible.

Common reasons to avoid using a locksmith:

A C Locksmiths Norfolk

So, let’s start with cars. If you are going to lose your car keys, or lock them inside your car, the chances are, you are going to do it when your spare key is stuck back home at the opposite end of the country.  I have done a fair few jobs now where people have been on holiday/visiting distant relatives/doing distance work, etc and they leave their spare car key at home rather than bring it with them to leave in their temporary accommodation. Car entry is not cheap, and it might mean you lose a half day waiting for the auto locksmith to arrive, which will put a downer on your holiday, or might mean you have to see those distant relatives for longer than you wanted, or that you lose the sale you travelled halfway across the country to get. At the same time, please remember to actually remove the spare key from your car when you arrive at your destination. If you are locked out of your vehicle, having the spare in the glove box is no help.

The next common one with cars, is not having a spare. When I am cutting keys at local boot sales, people ask me about prices and sometimes, the spare key is as nearly as much as their second hand car cost them in the first place. But why buy a car with only one key, especially when that key is on its’ last legs? A bargain vehicle only remains a bargain if you can drive it. I also get to see some very sorry looking remote fobs for cars. Cloning a remote fob before it gets to be useless can be a lot cheaper than generating a complete new key from scratch, especially with Fords that must always have two separate keys programmed when starting from new. And, as I said above, a spare is useless if you keep it in the glove compartment.

Never, never, never put your car keys down in your boot area. So many people open their boot at the supermarket, put the keys just inside the boot and then load the shopping. They then close the boot, having not unlocked the rest of the car and are now locked out, often with the spare in the glove compartment! (Have I mentioned that common mistake?) If you are approaching your car, when you unlock your boot, make it a habit to unlock the doors as well. And do not put your keys down anywhere in your vehicle. It might not be cool to hang your keys from a belt loop, but it might just save you the cost of a weekly family shop if you don’t have to call the locksmith. When in and around your car, only let go of the keys when they are in the ignition, and you are sat comfortably ready to drive.

People make just as many mistakes in the home. Children should never be given keys to play with. Besides the whole hygiene issue, they have a nasty habit of sticking keys into keyholes that they were not built for, thus breaking the key and often the lock as well. While on the subject of kids, if you have a bathroom lock that is getting a bit stiff, have it repaired or replaced before a small child locks himself/herself in and you are faced with hours of panic waiting for the locksmith to arrive. I recently went to a job where a toddler had locked himself in the bathroom and the lock disintegrated, with the broken bits obstructing the bits that needed to move. You can imagine the stress that poor child was under when I came along with my noisy drills and hammers, taking my time to ensure nothing flew open into the child’s face.

Got a night latch (Yale type latch lock)? Don’t trust the snib to hold that latch back even if you are just popping into the garden for a few minutes. Take your key. Pets and children are very good at closing doors with enough vibration to release the latch and lock you out with themselves on the inside and pans on the cooker (it can and does happen).

If you have a door with a multipoint locking system, oil it twice a year. Make it part of your routine when you change the clocks in spring and autumn. Use a good quality lubricant and squirt it everywhere you can see moving parts (lift the handles up and down with the door open to see) and then, when you hold the handles down to retract the latch, you will see a small gap the allows you squirt more lubricant into the heart of the mechanism. Give this about a five second squirt and work the handles up and down a few times to get the lubricant into those moving parts. This simple exercise can save you a very expensive visit from your locksmith.

Lubricate all other locks as well. They get full of grit. Insects make nests behind handles and in lock cavities. Regular lubrication will keep your lock clean and lasting longer.

Finally, I get a lot of calls from customers telling me their key works on one side of the lock (Chubb/mortice locks), but not the other. My first reaction is to tell them to try a different key and more often than not, that sorts out the problem. They have just managed to bend a prong on the key itself. Always check other keys before thinking your lock is broken. Not all locksmiths will give you a free solution over the phone.

 

If you have any questions regarding the information above, or have any other issues, please get in touch via my contacts page.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

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admin October 9, 2017

auto locksmith Norfolk / Lost car keys / stolen keys / Who you gonna call? A C Locksmiths /

Car Key Replacement FAQs

AC locksmiths Auto

  1. What is the difference between getting my replacement key from the manufacturer and an auto locksmith?

The manufacturer will usually be able to have your key replaced just from knowing your vehicle ID. You usually get your replacement key within the week. You know your manufacturer will have the key type you require.

The auto locksmith will have the ability to generate a new key on the spot. While it might not be a genuine brand replacement, your new key will be just as good (if not better) than the manufacturer key. The auto locksmith can reprogram your vehicle on the spot, so that any lost/stolen keys are unable to start the vehicle. The auto locksmith comes to you, meaning you can still go to work on time. Most of the time, you will pay a lot less for the convenience of an auto locksmith.

  1. What is cut to copy?

This is where the key is cut using the existing key as a template.

  1. What is cut to code?

Some vehicle keys can be cut using codes taken from the vehicle VIN number or from other sources.

  1. What is key cloning?

This is where the key is completely copied including the data on the transponder that talks to the car. While there may be two keys, the car will believe there is only one. This is important to know because some vehicles must have two separate keys programmed.

  1. What is a vehicle PIN?

This is a code that works like the pin number on your cash card. Without your pin, you can’t draw out cash. Without a vehicle PIN, you can’t extract the information needed to program new keys.

  1. Can I buy replacement keys on line?

Yes, and they can be quite cheap. But often, there are hidden extras, like programming the remotes to your car.

  1. Can I call my breakdown service company if I lock my keys in my car?

Yes you can, but they often call an auto locksmith and you then have to pay. As an example, I was called by a breakdown service provider recently. The breakdown engineer took an hour to get to them, spent two hours trying to fish the keys out of the vehicle with the top of the door wedged slightly open and failed. He called me. Within 45 minutes, I had arrived, opened the vehicle and was on my way home.

  1. What are the most common mistakes people make?

In no particular order; shutting keys in the boot without having the main doors unlocked, leaving the spare key 200 miles away at home when going on holiday, letting children play with the car keys, letting the remotes go way past their best condition, treating remotes poorly, letting batteries die, losing keys on the beach, not getting a replacement when the first key is lost, buying a vehicle with only one key (who has the other, and do they know your address?

  1. Why should I get new keys when buying a second hand car?

How well do you know the seller? Most of us buy cars from someone we don’t know. We often give over our address if the vehicle is being delivered, or if we are taking finance, etc. But we don’t know if the seller has already had extra keys made. If you are paying out thousands of pounds to have a car, is it not wise to pay a little more and make sure the vehicle will only drive away from your driveway with keys you possess?

  1. How do I know I am paying the right price?

Get quotes. Two or three at least. A good auto locksmith will advertise prices on their website, but these will be guidance only as the cost of parts and software packages vary a lot between manufacturers. Some work is simple, other work might involve having to get behind your dashboard and removal of computer chips. A difference of just one year can make a particular vehicle much harder to deal with. In rare cases, the auto locksmith might have to walk away unable to do anything. If he is any good, he will not charge you when this happens, unless you have made some prior agreement. If you get three quotes, and one is much less than the other two, investigate further before accepting the cheapest quote. Has he quoted the full job, or been a bit vague? People who quote too little are often not properly trained and are more likely to do something that harms the computer in your vehicle. If that problem takes a while to arise, they will not be around when you go after them for damages.

If you have any questions you would like answered, please contact through any method on the contacts page.

Thanks for reading.

admin August 31, 2017

Car keys cut / car keys lost / lock replacement / reprogrammed car keys /