Key Duplication: What You Should Know

Duplication has two halves: the mechanical cut and the electronic side. The cut is the metal blade shape that turns the lock or fits the ignition. The electronic side is the chip or remote that tells the car this key is allowed to start it.

A hardware store machine can usually handle the blade only. If your car was built with an immobilizer, a blade-only copy will open the door and turn in the ignition, then the engine will crank and die or refuse to start at all. That is normal behavior, not a broken key.

Smart keys and proximity fobs skip the blade entirely, except for the emergency insert hidden inside. Copying one means writing the fob into the car's system, which happens at the vehicle with the car present.

Find out what you actually have. Look at the key: a plain metal blade, a flip key with buttons, a fob with a separate blade, or a smart key you never take out of your pocket. Take a photo of both sides, including any numbers stamped on the plastic.

Check whether you still have a working key. Duplicating from a working original is a different job than starting from zero when every key is lost, and it changes what a locksmith needs to do at the car.

Have your VIN ready and proof that the car is yours — registration or title plus your ID. Any legitimate provider will ask. Also note the year, make, and model, since programming methods differ from one model year to the next.

A spare made while your original still works is the simple version of this job. Nothing is locked, nothing is stranded, and there is no tow involved. Wait until the only key is lost or snapped, and the job grows.

One key is a single point of failure. Keys get left in gym lockers, dropped in parking lots, and cracked when they fall on concrete. Households that share a car benefit from a second working key for the same reason.

If your existing key is worn — buttons that need pressing twice, a blade that sticks in the ignition — say so. A worn original can be copied, but the copy inherits the wear pattern, and it is worth checking the lock and ignition at the same time.

Call when the key has a chip, a remote, or is a push-to-start fob. Those need programming equipment and the car itself, which is why the work is done at the vehicle rather than over a counter.

Call when you have no working key left, when the key broke off in the ignition, or when the car cranks but will not start with a key that used to work. Those are diagnosis jobs, not simple copies.

Blossom Key & Ignition works on car keys, fobs, and ignitions at the vehicle in San Jose, with same-day service, weekend availability, 24/7 emergency response, and upfront pricing before work begins.