Changing the locks on a vehicle is referred to as 'rekeying' the vehicle. This may be a great option if your original key is stolen or lost, and you are concerned about someone else accessing your car.
Changing the locks on the car means the original key will no longer start the car, nor turn in any of the locks. Most rekeys we perform on cars where people have had their car keys stolen from their home. A vehicle rekey will stop the thief from being able to return later and steal the car.
What is involved in re-keying?
A full rekey of a car involves changing all the locks on the car. This will include the ignition lock, all door locks, and the boot lock if the car has one. New keys are then issued to fit the new locks.
To rekey a vehicle, our expert auto locksmiths will carefully remove the lock barrels from your ignition, doors and boot, change the pins/wafers within each lock to a new combination, and cut new keys to match the new combination. This stops your lost/stolen key from being able to open your car's doors and boot.
Following this, your locksmith will then electronically access your car's ECU. This will erase the original transponder and program a new chip to your car. This is what stops your stolen or lost key from being able to start your car. Once both these processes are complete, your original key won't be able to open or start your car.