Amazing work! For context, I'd gone for a hike in Griffith Park one weekend afternoon, and had parked in a big well-lit lot off Canyon Drive (just south of the Camp Hollywoodland area) during that time. When I got back to my car-- just over an hour later, still in the middle of the day-- I'd noticed that some A-hole had removed & taken the lock cylinder from my driver's side door (as well as the panel surrounding it), apparently trying to break into & likely steal my car... despite the fact that I'd left no tempting valuables in sight (and there were certainly newer, far less dirty cars parked nearby).
Though perplexed, I fortunately was still able to open my car with my keychain clicker (if I didn't have that, I would've been locked out) & drove to the police station to file a vandalism report that I could pass along to my insurance, not knowing whether I'd have to file a claim with them (assuming the repairs cost more than my deductible), or even how vulnerable I still was: I mean, would the thief be able to use the cylinder they'd taken to make a replica of my key? And if they HAD managed to break in-- assuming my car alarm didn't go off and deter them in the act-- would they have been able to use the documents in my glove compartment to see where I lived/parked, so they'd know where to steal my car at a later date??
Anyway I made some calls, with more than one mechanic/dealership suggesting that key replacement/reprogramming was something that ONLY the manufacturer could handle, that they might have to do body work to remove the panels to see the extent of the damage (or at least inspect whatever loose part was now rattling around inside my door), that I may have to take time off of work--or go in beforehand-- where I'd potentially have to leave my car at their service department all day, or overnight (or over the weekend), for repairs that could cost as much as $1500(!!).
Thankfully, at the last dealership I called, I was referred to their parts department so I could order the lost cylinder (and the missing cover & keys), where the incredibly helpful employee who took my order suggested I try a locksmith, referring me to the other hero of our story, Grigor. I called Grigor, he told me to call back when the parts arrived, and when they did/I did, he said he was available to drive to where I was the next afternoon, and do the installation/reprogramming on location. Fantastic!
When he arrived the next afternoon in his van-- all his key-making equipment inside-- I went out to greet him & give him my keys. He listened to the rattling inside the door, suggested that he'd be able to get it and see what the cause was (for no extra charge), and said that he'd call when he was done. I went back to work and he phoned just an hour later, finished as he predicted. The lock had been replaced (the body part around it too), it'd been customized to work with my previous keys (so no need to replace those; they could still physically unlock the door, with each button-- the remote unlock, open trunk, alarm arm & disarm-- programmed to work as well), AND he'd been able to open the door panel without a scratch and removed whatever had been making a sound (which turned out to be the narrow back half of the cylinder that had apparently broken off and fallen when the thieves were removing the original one; I was mainly worried if it might get caught in the window's gears and jam/break it). So no need for expensive body work, either. He used his phone to take down and run my credit card payment, plus my email to send the receipt.
After he'd driven off, the whole procedure-- including both the replacement parts and what Grigor charged-- had cost me less than my deductible (and far, FAR less than the $1500 the one dealer had suggested). At the end of the day, sure, it sucked to suddenly have to spend a few hundred to replace and reconfigure auto parts that some entitled scumbag had relieved me of, but it was also FAR less than the potential inconvenience/cost had my car actually been stolen (granted, he did tell me that even if the thief or thieves HAD both broken into my car AND been able to create a replica to try to steal it, without a key programmed for it, the car wouldn't start anyway... so, paranoia pacified I guess?).
But seriously, can't recommend enough. If he can do this kind of work quickly and relatively cheaply on a modern car, I'm sure that he can handle nearly all of your locksmith needs. read more
