Can't Find the Key? How a Trade-Desk Sourcing Request Works

A zero-result search on carkeysource.com is a sourcing request, not a dead end. Send the trade desk the year, make and model, the FCC ID or part number printed on the customer's old fob, a photo through /scan if you have one, and the tool you program with. The desk checks cross-references, confirms fitment against the vehicle, and comes back with a quote or a straight "we can't get that one" so you can price the job before you roll the van.

Why a search returns nothing

The site search matches on the identifiers stored against each listing: FCC ID, part number, cross-reference numbers, make, model and years. A search comes back empty for one of four reasons, and only one of them means the part is actually unavailable.

• The number you typed is a different identifier for the same part. A Honda 72147 part number, a Nissan 285E3 number and an FCC ID can all point at one physical fob. If the listing carries the FCC ID and you typed the dealer part number, the search may miss.
• The number is a superseded or regional variant. Manufacturers roll part numbers forward (a suffix change from A01 to A11, for example) while the FCC ID stays the same. Your customer's fob may carry the older number.
• The part is a low-volume fit we do not stock on the shelf. European makes, older GM VATS keys, and specific Mercedes fobik variants fall here. These are the ones the desk sources on request.
• The part does not exist as an aftermarket or surplus item at all. Some dealer-only keys are dealer-only. The desk will tell you that rather than guess.

Before you send a request, try /find-my-fob with year, make and model. It searches on fitment rather than on the exact string you typed, and it catches most of the first two cases.

Real searches that returned zero results

These are identifiers locksmiths have actually typed into the site search and got nothing back. They are useful because each one fails for a different reason, and each one is exactly the kind of request the desk handles.

None of these are claimed as in-stock items. They are examples of what a request looks like and how the desk works through it. Availability on any given day is what the product page or the desk's reply says, nothing else.

What to send with a sourcing request

The faster the desk can confirm fitment, the faster you get a quote. A complete request has five parts.

1. Year, make, model and trim. Trim matters for button count (hatch, power sliding doors, remote start) and for smart key vs remote head key on the same model year.
2. The FCC ID from the old fob, if there is one. It is printed on the back of the case or inside the battery cover. If the customer has no key at all, say so; an all-keys-lost job changes which parts and which procedure apply. The FCC ID guide shows where to look.
3. The part number, if visible. Honda 72147-xxx, Toyota 89904-xxx or 8990H-xxx, Nissan 285E3-xxx, Hyundai and Kia 95440-xxx, Ford 164-Rxxxx, GM 8-digit numbers. Send it exactly as printed, including the suffix.
4. A photo. Upload it through /scan. A clear shot of the back of the fob, the blade profile and the button face lets the desk read the board number and keyway without a phone call.
5. The tool you program with. Autel, Xhorse VVDI, Lonsdor, KEYDIY KD-MAX, Smart Pro or a dealer tool. Some universal boards only generate on the matching tool, and some vehicle-specific fobs need a particular software version. The desk will not send you a part your tool cannot write.

Send it through /contact. If you are not yet on a wholesale account, apply at /apply first; trade pricing is unlocked with an approved wholesale account, and most applications are approved instantly. A quote for a sourced part is a trade quote, so the account needs to be in place before the price can be shown.

What the trade desk does with it

The sequence is the same for every request.

Sourced parts follow the same warehouse routing as stock: US orders ship from our Florida warehouse; Canadian orders ship from Ontario. Nothing crosses the border, so there is no customs, duty or brokerage for the buyer.

How long a sourcing request takes

There is no fixed SLA on a sourced part, and the desk will not invent one. A cross-reference that turns out to be an existing listing is the quickest case, because the part is on the shelf and the normal dispatch rule applies: in-stock orders placed by 4 PM ET (Mon–Fri) leave the warehouse the same business day. A part that has to come from a supplier carries whatever lead time that supplier gives, and the desk passes that on as an estimate when it quotes.

Quote the customer after the desk quotes you, not before. If the customer cannot wait, the desk will say whether a universal remote is a same-day option on your tool.

What the guarantee covers on a sourced part

The programming guarantee applies to sourced parts on the same terms as stock: if a key or remote won't program on the vehicle we listed it against, it is refunded within 30 days of delivery and we pay the return freight. Two conditions apply. The vehicle must match the listing, and the part must come back resaleable. Returns on unused, unprogrammed stock are accepted for 30 days. Details are at /returns.

This is why the fitment step matters. Keep the desk's reply with the order so there is a record of which vehicle the part was sold against.

FAQ

What if I only have the vehicle and no old key at all?

Send year, make, model, trim and the VIN if the customer has it, and say it is an all-keys-lost job. The desk works from the fitment data and tells you which fob and which procedure apply; the all keys lost by make guide explains what to bring to the vehicle.

Do I have to commit to buy when I send a request?

No. A request is a question and a quote is an offer; you order only if the quote works for the job.

Can I get a sourced part without a wholesale account?

The desk will answer whether a part can be sourced, but the price is a trade price and needs an approved account to be shown. Apply at /apply; most applications are approved instantly.

Will the desk tell me if a universal remote would do instead?

Yes, and it will name which one and which tool it generates on. Whether you take the universal or wait for the vehicle-specific part is your call; the universal vs vehicle-specific guide lays out the trade-offs.

Are the examples above (72147-TGV-A01, KR55WK49863, VATS keys) in stock?

They are examples of searches that came back empty, not stock claims. Some resolve to an existing listing once cross-referenced; others are sourced on request. The product page or the desk's reply is the only place to read current availability.