Bump Keys and Your Vehicles

Bump Keys, scary things. You must have heard of it being used on lots of locks to get them open. You just got a car, you don’t feel great at all. You think it’s just a matter of time and some criminal will bump into your car. Well, if bump keys are your worries, then you’ve got nothing to worry about.

Bump Keys do not work on car locks. Why?  Let’s see.

How Bump Keys Work

A lock is made up of the plug (the keyhole and pins) and the bible (that houses the plug). In the plug there are pins and these pins are what moves when a key is inserted. So, if the incorrect key is inserted into a keyhole, the pins won’t move to open the lock. So for a bump key to work, it has to be structured similarly to the main key for that lock.

Bump keys will only work on pin tumbler locks. Why? Simply because bump keys are structured closely to a pin tumbler lock’s key. The pins in a pin tumbler lock move to a direction (upwards) when it’s key is inserted. The direction these pins are moved to is called the shear line. The bump keys have serrations designed to move these pins to the shear line too,  but an extra force will have to be applied to move these pins in a split second.

That is why bump keys work on pin tumbler locks. This isn’t helping you feel safe? How about I tell you that your vehicles do not use pin tumbler locks? We’re getting somewhere right?

Your vehicles do not use a pin tumbler lock so a bump key wouldn’t work on them. So what sort of locks so they use? Would any other types of key work on them?

How Does My Car Lock Work?

Your car uses wafer locks or the more advanced kind, slider locks. Unlike the pin tumbler locks that requires all the pins in the lock to move to a direction when a key is inserted. A wafer lock requires this movement in opposite directions. That is why a key for a wafer lock has serrations on both sides on the key.

For the slider locks they have sliders in the locks. Their keys have snakelike engravings on both sides. The pattern on the keys should match the sliders in the lock to be able to move them.

Evidently these locks are too complicated for bump keys to override. Nevertheless, there are keys called jiggle keys that are the equivalent of bump keys for your vehicles. This keys are very similar to the keys of a wafer lock. So they could be used to open your vehicle especially if it uses a wafer lock. Something you can do is upgrade your car locks to a slider locks as these keys don’t work on them.

Do Your Locks Really Protect Your Cars?

A simple honest answer is no. A criminal does not have to go through your locks to get into your car. They could simply use a probe to get your car open. Manipulating locks are time consuming, so most criminals won’t go through that means.

So, there’s a reason bump keys don’t work on cars and that is simply because they aren’t made to. Instead of spending resources on upgrading your locks, you can try other means to secure your vehicle. Try installing security systems like alarms in your vehicles or even a GPS system. Those work. Try your best to ensure your vehicles are not isolated and if it’s in storage or maybe a garage then you can invest in good locks for your garage doors.