Odd auto key problem

[Bedlam]

I just wanted to pass on what to me is an odd situation , that maybe someone could avoid some problems with

recently my daughter had car problems. particularly when starting. It would crank but not fire and run.
Always think big problems. Well in this case she said that it would only happen with the second key that she had duplicated HMM and no chip in these keys
My guess is that the duplicate key wasn't cut right too short a throw inside the cylinder or deep a cut to grab some part of the cylinder to allow it to start.
Either way in my 35 years of dealing with cars never had this trouble.But wanted to pass it along for people to keep int he back of their mind . Just in case.
this almost incured a tow charge and whatever the garage would have charged.Good thing she knoticed that it was with a particular key. Otherwise Im sure it would have been a hard problem to find.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Car keys are car lock cylinders are not the most precise out there, I have successfully cut a car key copy with needle files. Not because I steal cars for living - only as a challenge

 

[dave1949]

Thanks bedlam, that is a good one to tuck away and remember.
Dave.

 

[silo36]

My wife's car is a 1998 Chevy Malibu that sometimes will crank but won't start. The diagnosis is the key cylinder. The electronic theft control prevents it from starting due to wear of the key cylinder. When it does this, the theft system light flashes. In this particular case, take the key out, wait approximately ten minutes and the light quits flashing. The car will then start. It may not do it again for quite a while.

 

[Bedlam]

silo may i ask if that key has the security chip in it?

 

[Soundguy]

Car keys are car lock cylinders are not the most precise out there, I have successfully cut a car key copy with needle files. Not because I steal cars for living - only as a challenge

Ditto that.. I have a small farm go-kart machine.. and dupe keys, AFAIK are not available for it.. I found that a chevy trunk key can be made thinner with a flat file.. then I needle filed it as you did.. and it works great.. and is not flimsy stamped sheet metal like the oem key ...

soundguy

 

[schmism]

you might note what make model and year the car is.

helps to refine the answers a bit.

 

[robb01]

you might note what make model and year the car is.

helps to refine the answers a bit.

that would really help

 

[Ductape]

If I have the story straight.............. she had a new key made. The new key did not have the chip in it, and thats why it would crank and not start?


I have an inexpensive solution to having new keys made. Have several spares cut that do NOT have the chip in them (cheap). Then take one of the chipped (original) keys and zip tie it up under the dash where no one can see it. Then, just use the cheap keys to drive the car. As long as the original chipped key is close enough for the car to pick it up..... it won't know that the actual key in the ignition doesn't have the chip in it.

 

[Skyco]

Are you sure there isn't a chip in the key?
I ask because I had a spare key made for a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It will open the doors and even start the car, but you aren't going anywhere.
The car will run for approximately 10 seconds on this key then stop, turns out there is a chip in the original key, I didn't know that and neither did the key copier guy who passed it in front of gizmo that was supposed to tell if there was a chip in the key..it said there wasn't.
Found this out by accident one day trying to move the Jeep in the driveway with this key, I could only go 3 ft at a time. One could steal this car without a chip key but it will be a slow process.