Hiding a spare key on your car. Good or bad idea? (engine, percentage)
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First, it's a long time since I've driven a car that anybody would want to steal. Second, I keep my spare key hidden in an accessible place, but it would require a simple tool to access it, and that is better than calling a locksmith or breaking in.
I keep a spare key in my wallet but not a main key all i want to do is open the door if i accidentally lock the main keys inside or in the trunk.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magnatomicflux
I bet if it gets stolen with the key, the insurance company isn't going to give you squat, or next to it. Why? Because you effectivly gave the crook the key, and you KNOW they don't want to pay out. If you left your keys in the ignition, do you thing the insurance company would sympatize with you? Nope.
Just keep it in your wallet if you carry one. My wallet actually has two little holders specifically for keys. If you don't carry a wallet, then leave the spare at home, or with someone you trust, who will likely bring it to you if you lose the original.
I keep my spare in my wallet too. I wouldn't hide one on the truck. Rest assured, someone will find it no matter how original your idea may seem to you...someone already thought of that. I've locked myself out of customer homes when I was there on business when they weren't home. They had one of those doors that lock behind you when you close them. Guess what...within 5 or 10 minutes....I found their damn hidden spare key with NO idea for sure they even had one!
Trust me peeps...ANYONE who does "that" or my kind of work for a living has been there done that and WILL find it!
bad idea. most thieves are well aware of the most common hiding places, and if you manage to hide the key somewhere new, the thief will take as much time as possible to find your key if they want the car bad enough.
I'd love to meet the car thief who goes around searching for hidden keys on cars he wants to steal, lol, cause I gotta bridge to sell him.
I'm behind the times with my 2000 Civic but now that newer cars have keyless entry and start, its going to be next to impossible to lock your key in your car, and this is the way I'm gonna go for my next car (I've locked myself out a half dozen times the past 10 years or so). Although if you lose the key FOB or smart key, you're out of luck as well.
The previous owner of my car left a hide-a-key underneath the bumper I found on the first only change, very easy to see. Surprised I didn't see it when I inspected the car when buying it. Now I keep my deep in the square metal bumper (that's under the plastic bumper). I know where it is any it still takes me a minute to get to it, lol.
I have a hide-a-key on all my vehicles. None of the spots are obvious and you do need to get on the ground to reach for them. Car thieves won't grovel around on the ground for an hour looking for a key that probably is not there; they need to be quick in order to get away. In the nearly miraculous event that a thief finds a hidden key there is nothing in your insurance policy holding you liable... but the real question is; how would they determine that a spare key was used in the first place????
I keep the hidden keys in case of lockouts and also because at any given time, whatever vehicles I am not driving are parked in a location 70 miles from where I am. If a family member or friend needs to move or use the vehicle its just easier to have the key accessible.
NOTHING beats the reliability of a mechanical locking system. Why do you think bank vaults always have a mechanical way of opening them? Even the electronically controlled vaults have mechanical backups.
Keys are to thick to fit in to a wallet any more as the key also holds a chip and the door unlock lock, start, remotes bonded to the key.
most (the chip) have a anti-theft built into the key-fob,
so a key without the fob will not start the vehicle.
I keep a copy of my key made from a regular blank in my wallet. It won't start the car but it will unlock the door so I can get to the key I have stashed inside that starts it. The potential hiding places inside the car are much better than those outside, and you don't have to worry about a $50+ key shaking loose and falling out on the road.
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