car - blog - Sister to Sister

 Nov 16, 2018,   Car doors locked, keys on passenger seat

Several months ago, on an over cast day, my daughter and I headed out to the next county for a little shopping, We got out of the car, I grabbed my purse, pressed the car door lock and shut my door just as I noticed my car keys and fob laying on the car seat. My spare key was safely tucked in a magnetic box hidden way under the car - directly above a puddle  

Continuing my run of annoying bad luck, several days later I shorted out my fob with too much hand sanitizer. I called the dealership and they wanted $204.97 plus tax for a fob and programming for the one fob.

I went on the internet and ordered a pair of fobs for $25 (since then I have seen my fob at Walmart for $5) . I took the fobs to the local key shop and had both programed for $50.  The Key Shop chain were started by a woman while she was raising four young children. Amanda, the lady that helped me, was the grown up daughter of the woman that started the shops.

I told Amanda about crawling through the puddle to get my spare key. She suggested that I have a $3 non-programmable key made and hide it in an easy to access spot under my car. The non-programmable key will not start the car. It will only open the driver's door. I could then hide the programmable key inside the car.

But the best part of the new key-fob experience was the amazing thing Amanda then told me. She said I could use my cell phone to call whomever had a fob to my car. Then hold my cell phone to the door while the person with the other fob activated her fob by her phone.  Later, my daughter and I tried it. It worked!!! The lock popped up instantly. Who knew a fob could talk to a car with a cell phone.  

I had Amanda make an extra programmable key for the extra fob and gave the key and fob to my daughter. We used this fob to transmit the signal with cell phones to my locked car for the test.

I was a little concerned that someone could stand near me when I used my fob in a parking lot and record my signal to use it later to unlock my car. I tried it. The signal does not record. Later I learned the fob emits a radio signal, not sound.

When I had Onstar, on more than one occasion I called them to unlock my car. Are you seeing a pattern here with me and keys on the seat of a locked car? It is because I do not like the sound the car makes when I lock it with the fob, It hurts my ears. So I flip the lock switch on the door then shut the door and on occasion my keys are still inside the car.  

Before you forget, have a new key made to hide inside your car and a non-programmable key to hide outside in an easy to reach place (hopefully, not over a puddle). If you do not have a key shop near you, try Walmart's automotive department or any auto parts store.

If you lose your key or leave it in the car, a little planning could save you time, money and aggravation. Recently, my son waited hours for a lock smith when he locked his keys in his truck. Not only did it cost him a lot more than the price of a spare key and a non-programmable key, he was late to work.

This is one of those occasions where learning from the mistakes of others is so much easier than learning from your own mistakes.

PS: get your spare key problem fixed today. Do not wait.