At first look a transponder key does not differ from a standard one, having said that there is a little electronic device in the plastic head of this key that allows communicating with a car. The chip that was mentioned above plays an important role both in vehicle starting and in the production of duplicate keys. See our car key replacement service. You can also read our spare key guide.
A standard key is a simple cut of metal that opens the door and turns on the engine. Moreover, there is nothing else in it except the metal and plastic elements, consequently if the key is made correctly, it will operate properly. Therefore, standard keys are relatively easy and inexpensive to reproduce.
A transponder key is a key that has an electronic chip inside its head. In order to start the engine, the car checks whether the chip matches the specific car model. As a result, even if the cut part of the transponder key is done perfectly, it will not start the engine because the chip is not installed or programmed correctly.
Almost all cars produced after the late 1990s have transponder keys. However, some models might have different-looking key heads. Another distinctive feature of a transponder key is that if the duplicated one unlocks all the doors but cannot start the engine, then it definitely should be programmed.
During the duplication of a transponder key, a programmer is supposed to transfer the necessary information to the key chip. This process requires additional equipment and software that are not included in the key duplication devices.
The presence of a chip and necessity to program it increase the price of transponder keys in comparison with standard ones. Consequently, the final price depends on your make and model as well as on the year of manufacture of the vehicle.
Smart keys are a type of transponder keys that provide users with the possibility of starting the engine without using any key. However, this system of keys and the car itself is relatively expensive.
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