Brenda's Business Advice

Damaging your car keys is every driver's worst nightmare. Not only will you not be able to get into your car, but you could also potentially find yourself stranded many miles from home. Thankfully, there are a couple of things you can do which will help to reduce the chance that your car keys will be damaged. Read on to find out more.

Keep your car key dry

Many people don't worry too much if their keys get wet. After all, they are only bits of metal and plastic. However, the keys to your vehicle are different. Modern cars are fitted with state-of-the-art electronics. When you place your key into the vehicle's ignition, an electronic signal is transmitted from the key to the engine management system. If the engine management system recognises that the correct key is being used to start the car, it will turn off the transponder and allow the engine to start. However, if you allow your car key to get wet, the electronic chip inside the key may become damaged. If the car key malfunctions, it may not be recognised by the engine transmission system which means you won't be able to start your car. Depending on the type of car you drive, this type of problem could even stop you from even opening the doors of the vehicle.

Keep your car key on its own chain

When going about your daily life, you will probably have to use a number of keys. For example, you may have a couple of keys for the doors on your house or apartment, a key to access a locker at the gym or at work and, of course, your car key. For convenience's sake, many people keep their keys together by attaching them to a single keychain. However, doing so could damage your car keys. What happens is this: when you put the car key into your vehicle's ignition, it is dragged down by the other keys which are dangling in the air beneath the ignition system. Over a long period of time, this pressure could cause your car key to weaken and become slightly bent out of shape so they no longer work. A warning sign that your keys have been damaged in this way is if you find you have to jiggle the key slightly when putting it into the ignition. You should take your car keys to a locksmith who specialises in vehicle locks and keys.

If you are having problems with your car keys, you should contact a company for locksmith services today.