Replacement Car Keys in Winchester

Modern car keys are two jobs in one. The mechanical side — the blade — has to match your door locks and ignition. The electronic side has to be accepted by the vehicle before the engine will run.

On a car with a working key already present, the new key is added to the vehicle's memory. Where no key remains, the vehicle has to be taken through an all-keys-lost procedure, which takes longer and often allows the old keys to be removed from memory at the same time.

• Transponder keys — a bladed key with a chip that answers the immobiliser. Common on cars from the late 1990s onwards.
• Remote keys — the same, plus buttons for central locking and boot release, either as a fixed head or a flip key.
• Smart and proximity keys — keyless entry with push-button start. More electronics involved, and support varies by model and year.
• Non-transponder keys — older vehicles that only need a correctly cut blade.

Where an original key exists it can be duplicated. Where it does not, blades are cut from the lock or from key code data tied to the vehicle. Cutting is done on site, so the finished key is tested in your own locks rather than assumed to fit.

Programming is carried out through the car's diagnostic system. Depending on the vehicle that covers the transponder, the remote functions and, on keyless cars, the proximity system. Detail on how this works is on the car key programming page.

If you still have a key that works, you are buying a spare key — a shorter job. If nothing works, it is a replacement under all-keys-lost conditions, covered on the lost car keys page. The distinction changes both the time on site and the price, which is why we always ask.

• Vehicle registration
• Make and model
• Approximate year
• Where the vehicle is in Winchester
• Whether any working key remains
• Whether you need remote locking, keyless entry or a plain key

Photo identification and paperwork linking you to the vehicle are needed before keys are cut or programmed.

Everything is done at the vehicle, whether that is a driveway in Weeke, a unit at Winnall or a car park near the city centre. Coverage detail is on the areas covered page.