Can You Drive with a Spare Key?
3 Answers
You can drive with a spare key. The method for using a spare key is as follows: 1. Locate a small rectangular hole at the end of the car door handle and pull the handle outward; 2. Insert the spare key into the rectangular hole and remove the lock cover; 3. Use the spare key to unlock the car door. Precautions for using the key include: 1. Avoid contact with magnetic objects; 2. Avoid exposure to high-temperature environments; 3. Avoid hanging it together with other keys or accessories; 4. Replace the key promptly if lost to prevent property loss; 5. Avoid leaving the spare key inside the car; 6. Prevent the smart key from dropping or being impacted; 7. When replacing the key battery, ensure the battery model matches.
Of course you can use the spare key to drive the car, that's exactly what it's for in emergencies. I once left my main key at home when driving out, but luckily had the spare key—just inserted it and started the engine. However, it's important to note that modern cars come with anti-theft systems. While the spare key can unlock the door and ignite the engine, some models have different transponder chips in the spare key compared to the main key, which might trigger the alarm. If your spare key is an old-fashioned mechanical one, remember to manually lock the doors after driving since it lacks remote buttons. It's best to keep the spare key in a secure place at home, not in the car, otherwise thieves might take everything. A fellow car enthusiast in my group chat once stored their spare key in the glove box and ended up losing both the car and the key.
The spare key can indeed start the car. I've used the spare key of my car twice. It's a mechanical key without remote functions, only capable of manual unlocking. When inserting and turning it in the ignition, it's noticeably stiffer than the primary key, probably because it's rarely used. After starting the car, everything works normally, but a key symbol appeared on the dashboard, likely because the anti-theft chip wasn't matched. Later, during maintenance at the 4S shop, they mentioned that the metal teeth of the spare key might be worn and suggested occasionally using it to turn the ignition a few times. Nowadays, most new cars come with card-style spare keys that need to be placed near the steering wheel's induction area to start the car. I tried this when driving a friend's Tesla.
