Hundreds of thousands of cars are made every year (millions worldwide I’m sure). A car key is only so big. The different possible combinations of key shapes must run out very quickly. Are there other cars out there I could open and start up with my own key?
Yes.
My Dad’s always telling a story about unlocking his car one night and climbing in, only to realize it was the wrong car. Now, how often this happens, or how likely you’d be to actually come across your car’s key-twin, I don’t know. But it does happen.
Helpful, aren’t I?
bella
I know somebody who has worked for Chrysler for the past 30 years, I asked him about this and he says that for every model year that there only 4 diffrent sets of keys for every car made by the company.
It used to be possible with the older models of cars out here. namely the Maruti Suzuki range. Quite a few times i have seen keys open cars they were not made for. These cars are still very common here, and it so happens that two of my friends can open each others’ cars with their keys.
However, there is a new type of key in some newer cars that has kinda dibs in it. The dibs are calculated at such distances and depths on the key metal such as to make it unlikely, even improbable, that any other key has the same pattern.
Further, the cooler cars have coded keys, keyless entry systems, etc.
So yes, it is possible. But, your key… let’s assume it’s a ford. if the size and shape varies between car companies, that automatically rules out all non-fords. Also, if some ford models have keys that are significantly longer or shorter than your car’s keys, then that rules out those cars too. so basically, you are left with a subset of cars, tending towards your own model (assuming you are talking of a standard key with no security features).
Amongst other cars we have/had a 94 Econoline van and a 92-94(not really sure) Aerostar, both with one key that worked for the ignition and door. The funny thing was that the Aerostar key worked in the Econoline door (but not the ignition) and I believe that the Econoline key did NOT work for the Aerostar at all.
Back in the days of old (60’s) it was accepted as fact that if you locked your keys in your GM car that you got the keys from everyone else in your office and went out and started trying. I think I recall hearing that there were only about 20 diffecent cuts.
Nowadays things are different.
“Laser” cut keys (Cut with a mill, but for some reason called Laser cut), have more key cuts available, and some cars have electronic ID chips inside them.
The ID chips are cool.
I could give you the key code for my new Volvo. You could have a key made with that code. It would unlock the car, and turn on the ignition, but when the dash powered up, the following messge would appear “Start prevented, try again”
Until a diagnostic machine is hooked up, and programming done to the car to “marry” the key to the car, the car won’t start with that key. Keys can also be removed if lost.
The down side is don’t loose one of these keys, they are pricy.
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- I seemed to recall reading in the 80’s that most car-manufacturers’ keys only had 48 or so different possible combinations. Now they have the electronic chip deals in them, so it’s probably effectively much more.
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- As to the OP, yes there are, and I did it once myself: I once found a Dodge key on the parking lot of the gas station where I worked. My Dodge truck was parked about twenty feet away. The found key looked like mine did, so I tried the found key in my truck, and it both opened the doors and worked in the ignition. I absolutely verified that it was not any key I had dropped; I only got 3 when I bought the vehicle and still had two with me and one spare at home. - DougC
Straight Dope Staff Report: Are car keys unique? Can you unlock someone else’s car with your key?
Thanks Temtossecond I was dreading searching for that link, since the board is slow on my end.
now for a bit of debunking.
I forgot my user name Only four keys for a chrysler? Sorry is not the case. Older Chrysler (69+ models)were a 5 pin system (single sided blade, single sided lock) with 6 different depth size pins I can firmly say, someone was pulling your leg.
On the older fords 5 pin double sided blade, single sided lock, 5 pins with 5 different depths avalible.
The 10 cut fords (double sided key single sided cyl) 5 depths again with cuts 1-6 working the door and 4-10 working the ignition.
GM. Which is a tricky system to figure out number of possible keys. The single sided keys (square head Ign/ round head door) system 6 spacings with 5 depths. Sounds simple? they also have “rules” on who the cuts run, No depth different from cut to cut more than 2, and all cuts will equal an even number.
So you can have a key 131355 which is valid yet, a 131352 is not due to the odd total and the jump of three cuts (5 to a 2).
To add to the confusion, every year they rotated from key grooves. blanks A(ign) with a B (door) one year followed by, C(ign) with d (door) next year E(ign)? and H(door) Next year, J(ign) and K(door) then back to A&B again.
That GM setup was done by Brigs and Stratton for many years (late 60’s still used some today)
Older Gms are known to wear out, the more wear the better chance of other keys working. due to the wafer allowing an addition cut to work (wear) or the lock grooving to restrict keyways wears out so a B can fit a D lock. WHen you ad the VATS keys into the mix (GM keys with a chips on the ign locks) you also have 15 different resistor values between chips. Of course IIRC they only use one keyway grooving, an elongated version of an A.
Wear over the years, tolerance issues,(how much lee way between a working pin and non-working due to construction of the lock) and the massive amounts of locks produced It is possible and likely at some time a key will work a car it was not shipped with.
Heck, I have had it happen myself. At a company I worked at, we had two vans bought from two different sites, a 91 Aerostar and a 93 areostar they both had the same door key yet different Ign.
I am not even going to go into the transponders. AUtomotive locksmithing is not my primary occupation, has not been for years,
so I shall leave that for someone else to cover.
Osip
I always thought it was kinda funny. We had a 1992 Ford car in our fleet that would basically start with a paper clip, since the pins were so worn.
In Canada, if you leave the keys in the car, it’s considered Implied Consent.
So, if I have my taxes in my car, with paper clips, is that implied consent?
I also heard of another brand of car whose keys can be filed down, and turned into the “Master key” for the entire line.
Forgot which one. Was a Japanese line, tho.
My grandparents really liked the Olds 88, and had two different years that had the same door key for years.
Sneezing again while typing, eh?
The columns archive and its search engine are on a different server, it doesn’t affect the message board performance.
really? I never knew that. I rarely go hunting for an archive link, since someone always goes and beats me to it.
Sorry about butchering your name earlier.