In short:
- "Car key problem" covers very different situations: a flat fob battery, a cracked casing, a snapped blade, one key lost with a spare at home, or every key gone.
- Most modern keys hold an immobiliser chip as well as a blade. The car checks that chip before the engine will run, which is why a replacement is more than a piece of metal.
- Smart keys usually hide an emergency blade inside the fob, and many cars can still start with a flat fob held in the right spot. Your owner's manual shows where.
- Check your insurance and roadside cover before paying for anything. Some policies cover lost keys; some roadside services only arrange help without paying for it.
- Whether we can help depends on the car. Tell us the make, model and year and we'll confirm before anyone comes out.
Pin down exactly what's wrong with the key
Start by working out which of these you're dealing with. It changes who you should phone and how urgent it is.
| Situation | What it usually means | First move |
|---|---|---|
| Buttons stopped working, but the key still turns or the car still starts | Often just the remote's battery or a worn button | Check the owner's manual for the battery type and how to open the fob |
| Fob seems dead and the car won't unlock | Flat fob battery, or the fob is damaged | Use the emergency blade on the driver's door; see the next section |
| Casing cracked or blade loose in the fob | Physical damage; the chip inside may be fine | Keep every piece, including small parts; don't glue it |
| Blade snapped, piece stuck in the door or ignition | Broken blade, sometimes a worn lock | Leave the piece where it is; don't dig at it |
| One key lost, a spare at home | Inconvenient but not urgent | Fetch the spare, then think about the lost one |
| Every key lost or stolen | The car can't be driven until a new key is set up | Check insurance, then ask who can supply and set up a key for your model |
What's actually inside a modern car key
Understanding the parts of a key explains why replacing one takes more than you might expect.
- The blade turns the door lock and, on older cars, the ignition.
- The remote locks and unlocks the doors by radio, powered by a small battery.
- The transponder chip is the part people forget. An immobiliser stops the engine from starting unless the correct key is present; the car reads the code from the chip and only allows fuel and ignition if it recognises it. Newer systems use rolling codes or stronger encryption so the code can't simply be copied.
That last point is why a replacement key has to be set up to work with your specific car, not just shaped to fit the lock. It's also why a cheap blade from a market stall may open the door but won't start the engine.
When the fob is flat but the key isn't lost
A smart key that's stopped responding is the most common "car key emergency" that isn't one. Smart keys usually carry an emergency, fully mechanical blade hidden inside the fob. Some cars also hide the matching door keyhole behind a small cover on the handle.
Starting the car is often still possible. Many cars with push-button start can read a fob with a flat battery when it's held in a particular spot or placed in a slot, because a coil in the car powers the chip just enough to identify it. Where that spot is, and the exact sequence (foot on the brake or clutch, gear lever in park, and so on), differs between makes and models. Your owner's manual will have a section on what to do if the key doesn't work properly; it's worth reading it now, while you don't need it.
Replace the fob battery only in the way your manual describes, with the type it specifies. Prising a fob open with a knife is how many cracked casings start.
Check your cover before you pay
Before you spend money on a replacement key, find out what your existing cover includes:
- Car or household insurance. Industry commentary points out that modern keys are expensive to replace, and that some policies include all-risk cover that can help with lost or stolen keys. Phone your broker or insurer and ask specifically about keys.
- Roadside assistance. Some manufacturer and insurer roadside services will arrange a locksmith for lost, stolen or locked-in keys, but don't pay for the locksmith's work. Nissan South Africa's roadside page, for example, says exactly that. Read the wording of your own cover.
- Separate key cover. If you took out a dedicated key policy, read its conditions and claim through it first.
- Stolen with the car's details? If your keys were taken together with something showing your address or the car, report it to SAPS and your insurer, and be extra careful about where the car is parked until the situation is sorted out.
Dealer, workshop or mobile locksmith?
You have more than one route to a working key, and the right one depends on the car, the urgency and what you've lost.
- The dealer for your make can supply original keys and is the obvious choice for very new cars, or where warranty matters most to you.
- Independent workshops. The Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA) has said that its independent member workshops can be a legitimate alternative to dealers for modern keys, and has noted that some repairs are possible without a full replacement. It also advises checking that your warranty won't be affected before using a non-dealer workshop.
- A mobile locksmith comes to where the car is standing, which matters when the car can't be driven anywhere. Car keys and car lockouts are part of our car keys and lockouts service, but not every make and model can be done by every locksmith. That's why we ask about your car before we set off.
Whoever you use, MIWA's simplest advice applies: don't wait until you've lost your last key before sorting out a second one.
Broken blade stuck in the door or ignition
A key that snaps usually does so because it was already worn, bent, or forced in a lock that was getting stiff. If part of the blade is left in the lock:
- Don't push the remaining stub in after it, and don't try to start the car with the broken piece.
- Don't use glue, magnets or pins to fish it out. You can push it deeper or jam the lock.
- Keep both pieces of the key. They help identify the key type.
Our broken key extraction service covers house and gate locks as well as cars. If you're wondering what a visit involves before you call, how our pricing works sets out the call-out and the on-site quote.
What we need to know about your car
When you call or WhatsApp us, have this ready:
- Make, model and year. We'll tell you straight away whether it's a car we can help with.
- What happened: lost, stolen, snapped, damaged, or the car simply won't respond.
- Any key you still have, even a broken one, and a photo of it.
- Where the car is: home, office park, shopping centre parking, or the roadside. A location pin helps.
- Proof that the car is yours or that you may use it. We ask before working on any car. Your ID plus the registration certificate or licence disc is typical. If the car is financed, the bank is usually the title holder on the registration certificate, so bring the papers that show you as the owner or authorised driver. For a company car, a letter or message from the fleet manager helps.
You'll then get a quote on site before anything is done, on top of the R250 call-out, with payment by EFT, cash or card.
Questions
Can you make a key for any car?
No locksmith can honestly promise that. Tell us the make, model and year and we'll confirm whether we can help before anyone travels to you.
My key opens the door but the car won't start. Is it the key?
Possibly. If the blade turns but the engine won't run, the immobiliser may not be recognising the chip, for example after the fob was dropped or got wet. It can also be a fault in the car itself, so it's worth checking with your dealer or auto electrician if the spare key behaves the same way.
Can you copy my spare key while you're here?
No, we don't cut or copy keys. If you need a spare made from a working key, ask about it when you phone the dealer or a workshop.
Need a locksmith to look at it?
If this hasn't solved the problem, our car keys & lockouts service covers it. We're a mobile locksmith in Johannesburg, so we come to your door.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Immobiliser — How a transponder immobiliser prevents the engine from starting unless the correct key is present, and the move to rolling codes and encryption.
- Wikipedia: Smart key — Emergency mechanical blade hidden in the fob; emergency starting by inductive coupling in a slot or marked spot.
- TimesLIVE Motoring: What to do if you damage or lose your car key — MIWA on independent workshops as an alternative to dealers, repair versus replacement, checking warranty, and keeping a spare.
- Insurance Biz: Be smart about your keys and your car's safety — Modern keys are expensive to replace; some policies include all-risk cover that can help with lost or stolen keys.
- Nissan South Africa: Owner assistance — Roadside assistance can arrange a locksmith for lost, stolen or locked-in keys, but the locksmith's services are not covered.
- South African Government: Register a motor vehicle — The registration certificate is issued to the title holder, which is the financing institution for a financed vehicle.