Fat Charlie Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Some parts of this law are good (wow, that hurt to say), and others are dumb. Just like every other law I've heard of. What's good? Requiring key coding information to be kept for 25 years. Not everyone loses their keys. Some buy used cars that only come with one key. Some have old cars and the key is worn out. I hate copying keys- a copy of a copy of a copy just isn't the best thing to have. Chip keys are too expensive to bother cutting, so I get the code and punch them. Dealers don't keep paper records going back forever- even if someone there bothered to get the code from the factory and include it in the file. Factories don't keep records forever, either. I had a customer this summer with a 20 year old car. I couldn't get him a code. Which brings us to the dumb parts of the law. How long are parts available? The customer with a 20 year old car needed a trunk key. I couldn't do it. He had just bought an old convertible that was in great shape- a cheap summer toy with some retro cool to it. He was willing to put in some time, energy and money to make it right, so I went to plan B. I was able to find a lock cylinder a few days away, but the tumblers had been discontinued. I don't know what he ended up doing. Just who does California expect to get this information? A "registered locksmith?" I've had locksmiths come to my counter looking for codes. Not gonna happen. I need positive ID and some way of connecting you to the vehicle before I bother to look. I already know that the locksmith isn't the owner. You can get indignant (and yes, I actually do believe that your purse is locked in the car), but how do I know who you are? I can read the VIN off of a cool car (or someone I want to screw with) and tell a dealer I'm locked out of it. You can show me your license, you can tell me any story you want. I need proof. I'm logging in to the factory's system under my own name and getting the code. Unless you're a service customer at the dealer, then it's going to be easier to buy a handgun than it is to get a key from me. Let's say the code information exists and the parts guy believes you. The key is available, but is it on hand? Our cheap chip keys go for over $50, and the ones with transmitters for almost $140. How many of them do you want me to stock? That's an awful lot of money for me to tie up in case someone with a car up to 25 years old locks himself out. I've got a drawer full of the damn things as it is, and we haven't been using them for long. I'd hate to see what we'd have if we had 25 model years' worth of chip keys on hand. As for California, when I was a kid I was told we'd have a big earthquake that would split it off from the rest of the country. I'm still waiting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebpda9 Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Lexus doesn't use a key but wont start unless you have the chip on your person. It also unlocks the door as you walk up and locks as you walk away. actually the car doesn't unlock by itself. it will unlock only when you pull on the door handle if no unlock buttons are pushed on the remote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boulderguy Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 actually the car doesn't unlock by itself. it will unlock only when you pull on the door handle if no unlock buttons are pushed on the remote.Sooo...the door is locked as long as no one trys to open it? If a tree falls in the forest & no one hears it... Technology's getting totally out of hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EyeFlyIsTheEye Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Hmmm... Since you're teaching grammar, could you tell me who Diane Feinstien is? I've heard of Dianne Feinstein, but not this Feinstien individual I think we can all agree that "belief's" ain't supposed to have an apostrophe in it. That PROVES you don't know the difference between plural and possessive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebpda9 Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Sooo...the door is locked as long as no one trys to open it? If a tree falls in the forest & no one hears it... Technology's getting totally out of hand. you can hear the car unlock when you pull on the handle. also as soon as you walk out of the car with the engine running and the key is on you the car will start beeping like there is no tomorrow. I even tried to start a lexus with the key on the backseat and it would not start. sometimes my valet job gets really boring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIKEBRAVO Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 actually the car doesn't unlock by itself. it will unlock only when you pull on the door handle if no unlock buttons are pushed on the remote. Thats what I meant . If you can afford College, you probably don't need to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subaru key collector Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 well, they can open the door with an un coded key and then turn it in theignition a few times and then it is programed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sansoo Ian Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I recently had this issue. I ordered a key and the dealership had it the very next day. It was just up to me to drive all the way down there to get it coded to my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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