Guide
What kind of car key do I have?
Leo · RAXO Locksmiths · NASTF-registered
Published June 24, 2026
Before you book a key job, two things make the whole visit go smoothly: knowing which kind of key your car uses, and being able to describe what's actually happening with it. Get those right and I show up with the correct part and a real plan — no wasted trip, and the quote I texted is the price you pay.
This guide covers both, in plain language, with photos, in about two minutes. No jargon, no homework — just enough to tell me the right thing when you text.
The short answer
Most cars use one of six common key types. Start with how you start the car:
- →Push a button to start → you have a smart (proximity) key or a fobik.
- →Put a key in and turn it → you have a non-chip, transponder, or remote-head key.
- →A metal blade flips out of the fob at the press of a button → that's a flip key.
Details and photos below. Still unsure after that? Text me a photo of your key and I'll tell you exactly what it is.
The main car key types — with photos
These six cover the vast majority of vehicles on the road in Winnipeg. Find the one that looks like yours.
Non-chip (mechanical) key
A plain metal key, no chip, no buttons. Mostly older vehicles. A copy that opens the doors will also start the car. The cheapest type to replace.
Replace from $40
Transponder (chip) key
Looks like a plain metal key, but a chip is hidden in the plastic head. The car won't start unless it reads that chip — so a no-chip copy opens the doors but won't drive.
Replace from $90
Remote head key
A transponder key with the lock/unlock (and sometimes trunk/panic) buttons built right into the head. One combined piece, instead of a key plus a separate remote.
Replace from $160
Flip (switchblade) key
The metal blade folds into the fob and pops out at the press of a button. The lock/unlock buttons sit on the body of the fob.
Replace from $160
Fobik
A chunky fob — most common on Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram — that you slide into a slot in the dash or column and then press to start, instead of turning a key.
Replace from $180
Smart / proximity key
You keep it in your pocket or bag; the car senses it and you start with a button. Usually hides a small emergency metal blade inside for the door.
Replace from $180
Easy to miss
Remote + separate key (two pieces)
Common on early-to-mid-2000s Honda, Toyota and GM vehicles: a plain metal key (chip or no chip) starts the car, and a separate remote fob clipped to your keyring does the locks. If you've lost both, that's two items to replace, not one — so when you book, tell me if you have a separate remote as well as the key, and your quote will be right the first time.
Still not sure? Three quick checks
Thirty seconds, no tools. Work down the list.
Watch how you start the car.
Press a button to start → smart key or fobik. Turn a key in the ignition → non-chip, transponder, or remote head.
Look at the fob.
No metal blade at all → smart key (or a card key). A blade that flips out with a button → flip key. A fixed blade with buttons in the head → remote head. A fixed blade with no buttons → plain or transponder key.
Look at the blade edge.
Jagged teeth along the edges → standard cut. A thicker blade with a smooth, winding groove down the centre face → a laser-cut (sidewinder) key. More on that next.
Is your key laser-cut?
This isn't a separate type so much as a different cut — and it can apply to a transponder, remote head, flip or smart key. It's worth knowing because it affects the price.
A standard key has jagged teeth cut along the edges of the blade. A laser-cut — also called a sidewinder — key has a thicker blade with a smooth, winding groove milled down the centre face instead. You'll see them on a lot of VW, Audi, BMW and many newer Ford, Toyota and Lexus models. Because they're higher-security, they take longer to cut and price a step above a standard key.
Pricing: a laser-cut blank cut starts at $60. If your laser-cut key also needs a chip or push-button (smart) programming, the cutting is already included in the key price — there's no separate cut charge. See full pricing →
Other types you might have
Less common in Winnipeg, but they do turn up. If one of these is you, just text the year, make and model and I'll quote it.
VATS / resistor key (older GM)
Mid-1980s to mid-2000s GM. Looks like a plain metal key, but there's a small resistor pellet set into the blade that the car checks before it starts — so an ordinary copy won't work. Common on older Camaro, Corvette and GM trucks.
Card key
A flat, credit-card-shaped key some newer Hyundai/Kia and BMW models — and a number of EVs — use instead of a fob. It works like a proximity key, just in card form.
Valet key
A basic key (sometimes chipped) that starts the car and opens the doors but not the trunk or glovebox. Usually a spare that came with a luxury vehicle.
Good to know
Phone & app-based keys. Some newer vehicles, and most EVs, let you unlock and start with your phone or smartwatch. Those digital keys are set up through your automaker's own app — a dealer/app item, not a locksmith job. Not sure whether your car uses one? Text me the year/make/model and I'll tell you straight.
One more, rarely seen here: a few Jaguar and older UK-market Ford models use a high-security rotary-style key (sometimes called a Tibbe). Uncommon in Winnipeg — text to confirm if you think that's yours.
It's not always the key
This is the part most people skip — and it's the one that saves you a wasted trip. The key isn't always the problem. Match what's actually happening, and tell me that when you book.
If this is happening
Key turns, but the car won't start.
Cranks but won't fire, or no crank at all. The key may be perfectly fine — this can point to the ignition, the 12V battery, the starter, or the immobilizer. Tell me exactly what happens when you turn it.
If this is happening
It works sometimes, not other times.
Starts on the second try, or fine in the afternoon but not first thing. Could be a worn ignition or a tired key. Tell me when it fails — cold mornings, after it sits, or at random.
If this is happening
No buttons respond / remote is dead.
The car still starts, but the lock/unlock buttons do nothing. Most of the time that's just a flat fob battery — a $5–10 coin-cell. Try that first before booking anything.
If this is happening
You have no working key at all.
Nothing starts the car — you've lost every key. That's a from-scratch all-keys-lost job, cut and programmed on site. See the lost-all-keys page.
Why this matters. If you tell me what's really happening, I arrive with the right fix. If the real problem turns out to be something a key can't solve — like a worn-out ignition — I'll diagnose it honestly, but a new key can't fix that, and that's the one time a $45 trip fee applies (it covers the fuel, the time, and the diagnosis). A two-minute message up front usually avoids it entirely. How the trip fee works →
What each type costs to replace
Open-ended Winnipeg starting prices. Exact number depends on your year/make/model and comes by text before I dispatch.
Plus Manitoba PST 7% + GST 5%. The number I text is the number you pay — the only exception is the trip fee above, and outside the Perimeter a $45 + mileage travel charge that's always in the written quote first. Full pricing page →
Car key questions I get asked a lot
How do I know if my car key has a chip (transponder)?
Almost every car from the early 2000s on uses a chip key — the chip is hidden inside the plastic head, so you can't see it. The quick tell: if the car needs the key actually present to start, not just to unlock the door, it almost certainly has a chip. A plain no-chip copy will open the doors but won't start a newer car. Not sure? Text me the year, make and model and I'll tell you.
What's the difference between a transponder key and a remote head key?
A transponder key is a plain-looking key with a hidden chip and no buttons. A remote head key is the same idea but with the lock/unlock (and sometimes trunk/panic) buttons built into the head of the key, so it's one combined piece instead of a key plus a separate remote.
What is a laser-cut (sidewinder) car key?
Look at the blade. A standard key has jagged teeth cut along the edges. A laser-cut, or sidewinder, key has a thicker blade with a smooth winding groove milled down the centre face. They're common on VW, Audi, BMW and many newer Ford, Toyota and Lexus models, and they're higher-security, so they cost a bit more to cut — a laser-cut blank starts at $60. If the key also has a chip or push-button start, the cutting is already included in the key price.
Do I have a smart key or a fobik?
Both let you start without turning a metal key, so people mix them up. A smart (proximity) key stays in your pocket or bag — the car senses it and you start with a button. A fobik is a chunky fob you slide into a slot in the dash or column and then press to start; it's most common on Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram. If you slot it in, it's a fobik; if you never take it out of your pocket, it's a smart key.
I have a separate key and a separate remote — is that two things to replace?
It can be. On a lot of early-to-mid-2000s Hondas, Toyotas and GM vehicles, a plain metal key starts the car and a separate remote fob on your keyring does the locks. If you've lost both, that's two items, which changes the quote — so when you book, tell me whether you have a separate remote as well as the key.
Can you make a key for any type of car?
I handle most makes on the road in Winnipeg — text me the year, make and model to confirm yours. The one thing that isn't a locksmith job is a phone or app-based digital key (some newer vehicles and most EVs): those are set up through your automaker's own app, not by a locksmith. Not sure which you have? Send me the details and I'll tell you straight.
How much does it cost to replace each type in Winnipeg?
Rough starting points: a basic non-chip key from $40, a transponder (chip) key from $90, a remote-head or flip key from $160, a smart key or fobik from $180, and a from-scratch all-keys-lost job from $280. A laser-cut blank cut is $60. Exact price depends on your vehicle and comes by text before I dispatch — see the full pricing page.
How this works with me
Right part, right price, no surprises.
- ✓Written quote first. Year/make/model + a photo of your key = a firm price by text. The number I send is the number you pay.
- ✓Tell me the symptom. If it might not be the key, say so — I'd rather sort it by message than have you pay for a trip that can't fix it.
- ✓One honest exception. A $45 trip fee only if I drive out and the vehicle can't be serviced for a reason that wasn't shared up front — never on top of a job I complete. How it works →
- ✓I come to you. Driveway, parking lot, wherever the car is. Mobile, Winnipeg + surrounding.
RAXO Locksmiths · 204-599-5117