Re: Transducer car keys

["Bob La Londe" <none@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I recently went this route.  I bought two keys for one of my trucks.  Then I
went all over town trying to find somebody to cut them for me.  Lowes, Home
Depot, CAL-Ranch, ACE, True Value.  The guy at CAL Ranch took a shot at it,
but didn't get the setup quite right and ruined the key.  It annoyed me a
bit since I used to cut a lot of keys in my Dad's hardware store growing up,
and I know I could have cut the key without screwing it up on one of the old
hand guided machines.

Home Depots machine was out of service, and the rest just sad no, or they
didn't know how on their new style computer guided machines.

I was pretty ticked and realized I had wasted half a day several dollars in
fuel, and one chip key trying to save some money.  I realized it would have
been cheaper to just let a lucksmith screw me and be done with it, so that's
what I did.  I went over to Burge Locksmith and handed him a good key for
the truck.  When he told me the price I said,  "Yeah I know.  Don't care.
Make me two of them."  20 minutes he was $140 richer (probably more since I
am sure he pays a lot less for those keys than I did) and I was driving away
with one of my new keys in the ignition.

So, while yes you can save money on this sort of thing, make sure you have
somebody who can and will cut they key for you first.  If not it can be
cheaper to just pay the gouge and be done with it.  Programming the key is
no big deal for most basic chip keys.  You just have to find the
instructions.  I still have a copy of them in the glove box of the truck.