Lost Your FOB Car Keys? Here is the detailed guide

Keyless entry push button start is some of the common features in the car nowadays. All these features work on Frequency Operated Buttons (FOB) car keys. While this technology makes our work quite easy and is increasingly used by car companies but what are the steps to follow in case your FOB car keys are lost?

A FOB car key seems just like another key with functions impersonating a remote. It essentially contains a chip that is programmed uniquely with each vehicle to operate.  By default, you get a pair of keys from the manufacturer, but if one of the keys is lost then getting a replacement of FOB keys is not as easy as it was with manual keys set. So below is the process of replacing the lost fob car keys.

Steps involved in getting a Replacement of FOB car keys-

• Inform the car dealer about the lost car keys.
• Check your car insurance documents whether the add-on coverage of Key protection is there or not.
• Place the order of replacement keys
• Once the fresh keys arrive, get your new car keys programmed to operate your car. This is done by the dealership itself.
• The old set of keys that you are having will be programmed afresh and the lost keys will be disabled to avoid any misuse.
• This complete process usually takes 10-15 days and may vary for different manufacturers.

This complete process of replacing lost car keys can cost you around Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 or more for a single key, varying for different cars.

What if you are having a Key protection cover available in your car insurance? How to claim the insurance because the cost involved in getting a replacement key can be significant.

Steps involved in claiming the lost keys insurance claim-

• The very first thing after you came to know that your car key is lost is to inform the car insurance company about the same. There is TAT (turn round time) for any claim to be approved beyond which the insurer may reject your claim. The claim intimation can be sent through an email or you can contact your car dealership for the same.
• Lodge a police complaint regarding the lost keys. Without this, you will not be able to claim insurance.
• Submit the claim documents to the insurer.
• The insurance surveyor will inspect your vehicle and may raise any query before approving the claim.
• Once the claim is approved by the insurance company the dealership will place the order for replacement keys, after this the same steps as discussed above will go on.

Buying the key protection is an add-on feature in the insurance policy. You have the option of opting for it or declining it. So before buying car insurance you should check it cautiously because this small add-on can be a pocket saver. Claim intimation is again where most people get wronged by delaying it. This is again you need to be careful and inform the insurance company on time to avoid any claim rejections.

The FOB car keys come with a cell that gets discharged with time. If you are not using the other set of keys for too long then probably its cell will get drained out. There lies the catch, you should keep on rotating the keys upon specific intervals to keep both keys functional.

What if you are driving the car and found that your keys are lost? As the car is programmed to with the keys present inside the car, but if the keys are not present the MID will display a warning of the car key is not present. The car will continue to run till the time its ignition is not turned off. Once the ignition is off the car will be immobilized. In short, this is what is called an engine immobilizer. Have you ever been stuck in such a situation? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

FAQS-

1. How to check whether my car insurance is having key protection?

ANS. Look out for KP, the key protection word in the policy document in the add-on features column. If found then you are having the key protection else contact the insurance company for confirming the same.

2. Does a police complaint necessary to get the replacement keys?

ANS. To claim the insurance it is necessary to file a police complaint. If you are not having key protection covered in the insurance then probably you need not. Check with the dealership for more.

3. What is the TAT for claim intimation to the insurance company?

ANS. Around 1 month, can vary from company to company. But do not wait until the last minute as the claim can still be partially paid by the insurer leading to the customer bearing the remaining cost.

4. How much time it takes for configuring new keys?

ANS. It takes around a day if everything is done on time by the service center.

5. What if I lose my both keys?

ANS. If you lose both the FOB keys of the car, then there is a serial number of the key that you need to give to the service center to order the duplicate keys. Else the complete central locking set needs to be changed which costs a hefty amount.