I attended a class on automotive locksmith work this past summer to keep my Texas locksmith license requirements up to date. Stacy Hetchler, an automotive locksmith specialist put on the class and showed that he had the necessary skills; to be honest, he puts most others to shame with his efficiency level.
One of the areas he touched on would fall into the category of CYA; if I have to explain that one you’re in over your head to begin with. Stacy said that once you’ve made the key, the one to replace the key that got lost, broken or stolen; hand it to the customer and don’t try to start the vehicle. There might be mechanical issues that are unknown prior to attempting to start the vehicle, problems that you want to remain “one step removed” from. What if the motor blows up right at the moment you try to start the vehicle? The customer is going to claim it’s your fault; something about the key you just made caused the transmission to fall on the ground. Stacy advised each locksmith not to start the vehicle to avoid problems and litigation issues; I can understand the logic which would lend credence to such an attitude.
I’m not convinced, at least not entirely, that with today’s electronic keys that we as locksmiths are afforded that extra measure of implied safety. Yes, we could hand the customer the key and let them do the actual starting of the vehicle; however, we are being paid to provide a “working” key.
The advent of transponder technology has provided locksmiths with additional income based on the ability to provide not only a mechanically accurate key that turns flawlessly in the lock; but one that includes the necessary electronic data, be it a VATS key with simple resistor values which can be verified by the module or a more sophisticated transponder system which works in conjunction with the mechanical key. Since both facets are integrated into the process and both are part of the established price which is being paid for by the customer it stands to reason that the locksmith has the responsibility to verify for himself and the customer that all aspects of the job have been accomplished.
In order to protect myself from stepping into pitfalls I’ve made it a point to ask the customer questions prior to working on any vehicle, questions that will clear the air of issues that existed prior to my arrival. If it’s a lock out I check to see if there are tell tale signs that someone has attempted entry such as marks around the windows which might cause damage to linkage rods, wiring systems or airbag deployment. The customer will, in most cases, tell you that a wrecker driver tried but couldn’t open the door, that his next door neighbor used a coat hanger or any number of explanations for the damaged weather stripping, the scratches to the window or paint job.
I say that in “most cases” the customer will be up front about what you, as an unsuspecting locksmith, are getting into. I have had occasion to find folks who want you to jump in feet first in order to take the blame for something which they know is already broken. They had tried to “Slim-Jim” the door and quit when they heard the noise of the linkage rods falling to the bottom of the door; hoping that as soon as you followed with your own opening attempt that you would then have to fix what they had broken.
On one call I’d looked inside the car to obtain the information from the keys hanging in plain sight, made a perfect replacement key only to find that the lock spun freely since the linkage rods had been unhooked prior to my arrival. The customer knew that I had never placed anything inside the door cavity; I knew it and they knew it as, upon being confronted with such facts they had to admit, “Oh, yea, I forgot to tell you my friend tried for a couple of hours and never could get it unlocked.”, a sheepish “you caught me” look took over. I fixed the linkage rod that he’d knocked loose, even bent it back straight since King Kong must have been living next door; maybe it was Mighty Joe Young, I never met him.
This morning I was following an older Mercedes 300D, spewing and belching clouds of soot out the tail pipe. I remembered having made keys at one of my dealerships while the manager was sizing up the value of a Mercedes parked a couple spots down. He started it up and I heard the mechanical racket from under the hood as I called out to him, “Good thing that’s a diesel or you’d have all kinds of problems.” He winced and all he could say was, “It’s not a diesel.” I almost felt bad for him as he tried to figure out a way to place a value on that one. Not sure how this fits in with Stacy’s advise on not turning the key; but it will come to me, maybe next week but it will come.
I had a customer call explaining that I’d replaced a broken ignition on his old F-150 several months back and for some reason he couldn’t get the key out. I drove over under the impression that it was going to be warranty related; my integrity was involved. I examined the lock and observed that the ignition wasn’t being permitted to return to the lock position but that it turned forward and started the truck easily. With the customer watching and my explaining what I wanted to check, I took a poke tool and removed the ignition switch. I had the switch in hand and showed the customer how it worked properly, the key came out the way it was intended as long as the switch was in my hand; but that upon placing it back in the column there was something keeping the switch from returning to its proper position.
I then drew out on a piece of paper the various components that were inside the column; the ignition and how the gear fits the rack with its rod all the way down so the customer would understand how the back of the switch turned a gear, the gear pushed or pulled a connecting rod that was down at the base of the column which had the electrical device which in turn was hooked to the wiring which made the whole thing work as one. I‘d removed the locksmith industry and my original efforts and responsibility from the equation, having shown the customer that the lock did function the way it was designed and that the problem would need to be corrected by a mechanic; my having knowledge of what was wrong but not being a mechanic myself. The customer was thankful, even knowing that additional expenditures would be required, thankful that I had taken the time to explain what was wrong.
I suppose my advice to automotive locksmiths would be along the lines of providing the customer with a working key, making sure the key actually starts the car; but only after having questioned the customer about any know issues which might surface prior to turning that key. If the whole job turns upside down, the car burns to the ground, pieces of motor go flying past your ears and oil starts pouring onto the pavement it would have happened anyway. If you did something that wasn’t by the book, something that another qualified locksmith wouldn’t say is proper or acceptable then you’re still on the hook for damages in a court of law whether you turned the key and started the motor or the customer turned the motor on makes no difference. I’d rather know that my work was satisfactory, that the mechanical and the electronic phase that I’m being paid for actually do work prior to accepting that money.
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