Cylinder Replacement Part 1: Leave Car Door Lock Repair to the Pros
Whether it’s from wear and tear or damage due to an attempted break-in, lock cylinders can sometimes fail and need replacing. When it’s time for a new cylinder, there are important factors to consider—whether you’ve called a professional locksmith or if you’re tackling this as a DIY project. The Right Fit Aftermarket cylinders come in […]
Trunk Unlocking Tips
As “Oh, no!” moments go, locking your keys in the trunk can rank right up there. Unlike your car doors, trunks are designed to be nearly impregnable. There’s no place to slip in a coat hanger or slim-Jim, and even if there were, the locking mechanism can’t be grabbed and pulled to open. Are you […]
VATS/PASS Keys Part 2: Ignition Lock Repair & Replacement
Unless you’re driving a classic or a Formula One car, chances are your vehicle has some sort of anti-theft system. If it’s a GM car made between 1986 and 2003, it may have a VATS or PASS ignition. These acronyms stand for Vehicle Anti-Theft System and Personal Automotive Security System. When your anti-theft system breaks […]
VATS/PASS Keys Part 1: Key Decoding
Advancing technology makes it harder and harder for thieves to steal your car. That’s good. It also makes it more complicated to replace or duplicate keys. And that can be bad if you don’t know how those systems work. Embedded chip keys are commonplace and laser-cut “sidewinder” keys are becoming more popular. Another type of […]
Broken Car Key Extraction
Although it’s less common with newer, thicker laser-cut keys, car keys can still get stuck or broken in your ignition or door locks. When that happens to you, here are some things you can try. Put the Ignition in a Neutral Position If it’s your ignition key that’s the problem, try to rotate the lock […]
Transponder and Chip Key Programming
Transponder chips were introduced for car keys in the 1980s as an anti-theft measure and are standard on nearly all cars and trucks manufactured since the mid- to late 90s. They emit a small radio signal to the car’s ignition system that has to be recognized in order for it to work. Originally paired with […]
High-Security and Sidewinder Cut Keys
High-security keys are standard on nearly all cars made in the past decade or more. They can be standard-cut keys with a transponder chip in the handle or laser-cut “sidewinder keys” that represent the next layer of vehicle security. Laser-cut sidewinder keys are thicker, have smooth outside edges, and have the unlocking code cut into […]
How to Buy the Right Commercial Automatic Door Closer the 1st Time
Open doors are an invitation, and that can be good or bad…sometimes very bad. Relying on customers or employees to keep important doors closed ranges from annoying to risky. That’s where door closers come in. Whether you want a door closed to keep in heat and air conditioning or keep out wind, fumes, varmints or […]
Reset Your Safe Combination for Security
If you own a safe and have shared the combination with multiple people, you’ve lost total control. When one of them leaves your employment or your association, when relations with that individual go south, it’s a good idea to change the combo. How to Reset Digital and Mechanical Locks Depending on the circumstances, resetting a […]
Be the Keymaster: Commercial Master Key Systems
It was “Ghostbusters” that first debuted the title “Keymaster.” Whether you’re a fan of the iconic movie or not, master key systems are something everyone should know about, at least a little. Building owners, managers or occupants are at an advantage when they understand master key systems, how they work, and how to manage them […]
