Tradelocks introduce ‘Car Keys on Your Phone’, the extension product to the KD900 that will not only increase the services of the auto locksmith but the profits too!

The Car Keys on Your Phone App will allow you to offer your customers an additional service – the ability to unlock their own car using just their smartphone – that is once it has been installed by the professional.

It works by generating a remote using the KD900 and a KD entry dongle, and then pairing it to the mobile smartphone app via Bluetooth. An auto locksmith must install the OBD entry into the car either manually or diagnostically for the system to work.

How to Diagnostically Install the Car Keys on Your Phone App

Take for example the 2006 VW Golf, which will require diagnostic installation of the remote into the vehicle. Here is how it’s done:

If you have a 2006 VW Golf with a key locked in the vehicle, for example that has been left in the ignition, you would first pick the lock open to get the key out using a Genuine Lishi HU66 pick.

Pick the lock using the HU66 pick from Genuine Lishi

With the key now safely out of the vehicle we can now install the ‘Car Keys on Your Phone’ system, allowing the customer to open their car should this happen again, using their smartphone.

Firstly, you must install the VW specific remote software into the chip set, again using the KD900.

Take the back of your KD entry to get into the programming port and plug it into your KD900.

Switch it on and select the appropriate VW remote. Like with the manual installation, treat it as if it was any other KD remote you are going to create.

Connect the KD entry device to the KD900 and switch on

Find the correct vehicle

Scroll up as well as down to find VW, to find the part number do some research or look at the customer’s existing remote, if they have got one – it’s a 1K0959753GVW in this case.

You can then put your KD900 away and get ready to install your KD entry.

Unlike the manual Jaguar you would normally programme a remote into this Golf vehicle using diagnostics equipment. So, in addition to your KD entry and your KD900 you need your Y splitter cable – one part will go to your diagnostics cable and one part will go to your OBD entry kit.

Take your Y splitter cable

The main plug is obviously being put into the OBD port itself – now your splitter cable has been successfully installed into your OBD port – put the OBD entry in one side of your splitter cable (you will be able to see it successfully powering it up and ready to pair to your smartphone) – now install your diagnostics system into the other side of the splitter cable.

Plug the Y splitter into the OBD port

Plug the OBD Entry in one side of the splitter cable

Before we start diagnostically programming make sure the OBD entry is paired to the smartphone, using the same steps with the manual installation.

Now the remote has been paired successfully, you can start to diagnostically programme it into the vehicle, treating it as a normal remote BUT with the buttons of the remote on the keypad of smartphone.

You can choose your favourite diagnostics software; in this case I’ve used Abritas to programme in the remote.

Diagnostically programme the remote

When you’ve finished remove the splitter cable – take the OBD entry off – put the cover cap back on it – fit the OBD entry to the OBD on its own.

Fit the OBD entry into the OBD port

You can see on the phone if it’s already been paired – put in the default password and it should be successfully paired – as the remote has already been programmed It should be possible to use this on the smartphone.

Check the smartphone is paired with the remote

Now test it out!

So what’s the benefit of Car Keys on Your Phone for the locksmith?

Your customers don’t want a repeat of the situation, and the hassle of having to call out a locksmith if they lock their keys in their car again. So, chances are they would snap your hand off at the opportunity to solve the problem themselves – especially in the time of gadgets and gizmos! Car lovers and the technology savvy will love Car Keys on Your Phone and it will fast become a must have item – making offering this particular service very profitable for you!