CAL Key Generation and Duplication 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When generating a key by code for a vehicle, which measurement system is most commonly used in modern automotive key cutting equipment?
- Fractional inches
- Metric millimeters
- Standard depth-and-space values from the manufacturer's key code (Correct answer)
- Gauge numbers
Correct answer: Standard depth-and-space values from the manufacturer's key code
Modern automotive key cutting equipment relies on manufacturer-supplied depth-and-space values derived from the key code to ensure precision.
Question 2: A customer presents a Ford vehicle with a lost key. The locksmith locates the key code on the door lock cylinder. This type of code retrieval is known as:
- Indirect code reading
- Direct code reading (Correct answer)
- Progressive code analysis
- Transponder code extraction
Correct answer: Direct code reading
Direct code reading involves physically reading the code stamped or engraved on a lock component of the vehicle.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'key cloning' in automotive locksmithing?
- Cutting a key to match a broken original
- Copying the transponder signal from one key to a new blank (Correct answer)
- Generating a key from the VIN number
- Duplicating a mechanical key without a reference
Correct answer: Copying the transponder signal from one key to a new blank
Key cloning specifically refers to copying the transponder chip's data from an existing working key onto a compatible blank chip.
Question 4: When using a code cutter to generate a key by code, the locksmith must ensure the key blank is properly:
- Lubricated before insertion
- Aligned to the zero-stop or datum position (Correct answer)
- Heated to reduce metal hardness
- Measured for overall length first
Correct answer: Aligned to the zero-stop or datum position
Proper alignment to the zero-stop or datum position ensures all depth cuts are placed accurately relative to the key blank's reference point.
Question 5: A 'secondary code' on an automotive key typically refers to:
- The transponder encryption key
- A code that translates to bitting specifications via a code book (Correct answer)
- The PIN code for the vehicle's immobilizer
- The VIN-derived key code
Correct answer: A code that translates to bitting specifications via a code book
A secondary code must be looked up in a code book or software to convert it into actual bitting depth-and-space values for cutting.
Question 6: Which tool is specifically used to determine key bitting by inserting it into the lock cylinder and reading the tumbler positions?
- Key micrometer
- Plug follower
- Impressioning tool (Correct answer)
- Try-out key set
Correct answer: Impressioning tool
An impressioning tool allows the locksmith to insert a blank into a lock and mark the blank where tumblers contact it, revealing the bitting pattern.
Question 7: When duplicating a high-security automotive key with side-milled cuts, a standard key duplicator is typically:
- Suitable with a modified tracer stylus
- Inadequate and a specialized high-security cutter is required (Correct answer)
- Usable if the blade depth is reduced
- Acceptable for the side cuts but not the tip cuts
Correct answer: Inadequate and a specialized high-security cutter is required
High-security keys with side-milled cuts require specialized equipment designed to cut in multiple planes simultaneously or sequentially.
CAL Key Generation and Duplication 2
When generating a key by code for a vehicle, which measurement system is most commonly used in modern automotive key cutting equipment?