So I was in Columbus for the Ohio State V. Michigan game and I threw my keys about 75 feet to a buddy to get something out of my truck. The keys hit the ground and bent. It would not go in the ignition after that. I called a dealer there and since it has PATS they would have to tow the truck to the shop and cut TWO new keys at $125.

It ended up being cheaper to have a friend from home bring my spare up from Cincinnati. I bought his milage and beer for the day and it was cheaper than the tow new keys.

Anyway, I was not standed because of a hell of a good friend...

 

On the same topic, I know someone who was on the receiving end of a "key throw" and was knocked out when they missed the catch and caught the keys with the side of their head.

 

I would have tried straightening that key out.

 

who carries the spare (valet) key in his wallet?

30 years ago, my dad taught me to do two things:
1) always carry a spare key in your wallet, and
2) when parking your vehicle, after you walk about 20 feet away from it turn around and look at it. This has saved my butt numerous times when I'd forgotten to turn off the lights or did some other stupid thing.

 

tried but didn't have any tools that would work for the fix. the metal at the end of the key rolled over into the groove running down the side of the key.

I had small enough files back home, but none with me.

 

kinda hard to carry a spare key in your wallet with the big plastic piece attached to the end of the key with a computer chip in it

 

On every vehicle I own.
Magnet does not affect the computer chip, seven years and counting.

 

Sweet, now I can get a new truck when I'm in Raouls neighborhood. He will be a "simple goat herder that passes bad checks without a truck". J/K

Duke

 

I assure you that by the time you found it, you could have done walked wherever it was you had to go.

I sold a car to a guy out of town and forgot about the hide-a-key.
I called him later and told him where it was and it took him two days to find it.

 

wow, never seen those before... I will definitly be getting one of those

 

On more than one occasion I've had my wife or daughter call with locked 'keys/purse' in the car and me 40 plus miles away.

I end up talking a passerby thru the retrieval process on a cell phone.
The guy thinks it's going to be a piece of cake.
In one application I had removed the magnets and drilled a hole into the case.
It was at the end of three foot of coathanger.

Remember if you can see it, so can someone else.
Be creative. The magnets are strong and will last longer than the truck.

 

i had one of these on my car and when i needed it wasnt there dont know how i lost it but i was gone i need to figure out a good place to put one on my truck adn secure it better any ideas with out giving wher you have yours

 

I always hide a key inside, usually under the carpet, on inside the seat, the head rest, somewhere that is well hidden, not easily thought of, yet a place that I can get to the key in a minute or so, without tearing anythign up.

no worry about it falling off like a magnetic holder, yet I can still get to it if/when I need it.

 

As I mentioned above I removed the magnets from one, drilled a hole thru the case, inserted the end a clotheshanger.

I then drilled a small hole near the end of a crossmember for the other end of the clotheshanger.
I tried just the key on the clotheshanger but it rattled.

Shoved the whole shootin match into the crossmember tube.
Insert the wire thru the hole and twisted a loop with needle-nosed pliers.

Though the magnets are strong, I've never just slapped on the undercarriage upsidedown. the keys nowadays are too expensive to do that.

It's always 'inserted' or 'on top of' or at least at 90 degrees resting on something.

It should not be seen.
Your hand goes for it by feel because you know where it or whatever is connected to it, is located.

If my sparekey was in the the cab and the door was locked, I'd still be screwed. I might go with 'in the cab' if I had the keypad door.

 

IMO, the keypad on the door is worth the cost for this very reason. It was one of few "must-have's" when I bought my truck.