Flatirons Locksmiths: Laser Key Duplication Made Easy in Broomfield, Colorado
In the 1980s, many high end vehicles such as BMW & Mercedes began using a laser etched or a sidewinder ignition key. The high security features employed by these keys proved nearly impossible to duplicate, leaving the driver only one option for replacement – the dealer. As we all know, pretty much anything supplied by the dealer is extremely expensive and these keys were no exception, sometimes costing the car owner a few hundred dollars to replace.
As time passed and they proved their worth, laser etched and sidewinder keys became the industry standard. Currently GM, Honda, Ford, Subaru, Lexus, and many more popular vehicle manufacturers have begun to use sidewinder style keys. These keys are designed with a distinctive groove cut into the shank which is impossible to duplicate with a standard key cutting device. They also use a transponder chip that resides inside the key. This transponder is unique to each vehicle and if it is not properly programmed, it will not start your vehicle.
Transponder keys cannot be found at your local hardware store, they must be purchased from a dealer or locksmith who specializes in laser etched and sidewinder key cutting and programming. Though these keys are more expensive than traditional style keys, they offer much more peace of mind. When using sidewinder style or laser etched keys, you can rest assured potential thieves will be deterred from break-in attempts.
The expert locksmiths at Flatirons Locksmith can duplicate and/or originate your laser etched or sidewinder key with a few exceptions. We are one of the few locksmiths in the Boulder, CO. area that offer laser etched and sidewinder key services. In addition to duplicating these keys, we also offer lock out services in the event you lose your keys. We will be able to access information using your VIN to create a new key for your vehicle at an affordable price. Please, contact us for more information.
Flatirons Locksmiths is a mobile locksmith company based in Boulder County, serving Boulder, Broomfield, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Erie, Niwot and Longmont in Colorado. We offer both emergency and scheduled services, feel free to browse our website to view our complete list of services, or contact us today for all of your residential, commercial, or automotive locksmith needs. We would love to hear from you!
I need a laser cut chip key for a 2006 Honda pilot, and live in Louisville Ky.
Can you offer a price for a replacement key. I can DYI my own programming.
Thanks in advance for your prompt reply
Hi Dennis, Sorry for the late reply I don’t usually get requests via comments on my blog posts so I don’t review it that often. Sure we can cut that for you, I would need you to fill out a form and send a copy of your picture ID and registration so I can verify you are the owner of the vehicle. I am actually flying to Louisville KY next Sunday Feb. 14th and could meet you there with it if all works out. The key is $35 and code cut would be $85 and since I will be in KY next week there would be no shipping.
I’d say that these types of keys are becoming more and more common. From a vehicle’s standpoint, they are pretty much the norm. Also, it’s pretty hard to make a copy of one and steal a car without having access to a dealership computer. I’m pretty sure that most if not all auto makers will be using these types of keys in the future!
You are right Andy, most car manufacturers have adopted this as the norm for their vehicles car keys and that coupled with a transponder chip does make it very difficult for anyone to copy and or steal a vehicle. The only downside for the vehicle owner is that additional keys are more expensive to get but using a locksmith company like ours and yours is the most cost effective way of getting key duplicates and or originating these keys for them as opposed to going to a dealer plus we come to them!
Yes I live in Pleasant-Hill la and a need a sidewinder key cut and programmed how much will it be
Hi Marilyn,
Unfortunately it may be a little hard to service you in Pleasant Hill LA as we are in Colorado. What is the year, make a model of your vehicle? Perhaps I can help you figure something out.