Where to hide spare key?

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2018 AWD GT Premium Red/Black
I had a scare end of last year, my wife used my spare key, and then left it in her jacket. I couldn't find the spare and didn't like the notion of having just 1 key, even for a little while. So I bought a 3rd key, then of course immediately found the spare. Today, I finally got the 3rd key cut and programmed.

Now I'd like to go a step further and attach it to the car. I was thinking I'd use an insanely powerful magnet box and attach it under the car to my Drawtite hitch receiver. I just looked, and that thing is really short, a very compact design, so no room to hide the key.

I'm going to put the winter tires on, and do the brakes soon, so that will give me a chance to look for good places, but in the meantime, I'm wondering if somebody already has scouted a good place.

Perhaps I'll attach it someplace accessible only with the oil drain access panel removed, and replace the screw with a thumbscrew so it won't take tools to get to.

I'm pretty confident in the integrity of the box: https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

I've taken the battery out of the fob, so the car won't get upset about the proximity.
 
I had a scare end of last year, my wife used my spare key, and then left it in her jacket. I couldn't find the spare and didn't like the notion of having just 1 key, even for a little while. So I bought a 3rd key, then of course immediately found the spare. Today, I finally got the 3rd key cut and programmed.

Now I'd like to go a step further and attach it to the car. I was thinking I'd use an insanely powerful magnet box and attach it under the car to my Drawtite hitch receiver. I just looked, and that thing is really short, a very compact design, so no room to hide the key.

I'm going to put the winter tires on, and do the brakes soon, so that will give me a chance to look for good places, but in the meantime, I'm wondering if somebody already has scouted a good place.

Perhaps I'll attach it someplace accessible only with the oil drain access panel removed, and replace the screw with a thumbscrew so it won't take tools to get to.

I'm pretty confident in the integrity of the box: https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

I've taken the battery out of the fob, so the car won't get upset about the proximity.
Before having the remote key fob, wife and I had got locked out several times with the key left in the ignition. That’s the main reason why most people hide an extra key under the chrome metal bumper with a small metal key box in the old days. With remote key fob now this kind of incident is almost impossible to happen. That leaves this we lost the key fob somehow after we left the car. Wife and I both always carry a key fob and we will have a backup when we go out together. Or she or I can call to get a backup key fob if we go out alone and somehow lost the key fob. Luckily so far we’ve never had a need for a backup key fob. The only time I made an extra key fob is the one-piece key fob of my 2000 BMW 528i accidentally dropped to the ground and got run over, and somehow damaged the internal immobilizer chip and the key wouldn’t start the engine anymore even though the outside shell looked fine. And that’s when I found out how expensive those extra remote key fob is and the programming only by the dealer is required. Since then we’ve been very careful keeping the remote key fob safe.

If I really want to hide a backup key fob somewhere in the car for a peace of mind, I’d make an extra mechanical key if there’s a normal key blank available, or pull the mechanical key out of the key fob, find an old-style small and light key box with magnet which is much easier to hide somewhere underneath the chassis than the bulky one you have. Then leave the entire key fob in the glove compartment or spare tire well with battery removed and everything in a sandwich bag. Finally wrap the key bag with sponge or something similar to prevent rattling.
 
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+1 on the fob (without battery) inside the car (spare tire area sounds good) and just the key part or copy hidden outside. You can still use the fob without the battery to start the car by pushing the start button with it.
 
I like the extra key placed around the spare tire area. Easy to access yet highly unnoticeable.
 
pull the mechanical key out of the key fob, find an old-style small and light key box with magnet which is much easier to hide somewhere underneath the chassis than the bulky one you have. Then leave the entire key fob in the glove compartment or spare tire well with battery removed and everything in a sandwich bag. Finally wrap the key bag with sponge or something similar to prevent rattling.

I think this is the best solution. A slim, light keybox will be more subtle as well. Black will blend in better than gray.

I wouldn't put it anywhere near the hitch, even though it is tempting as a magnetic base, it's too visible and obvious.
 
I chose the box I have because the magnets will never let go. I intend to put it someplace where it is not visible. I keep too much stuff in my car for the spare tire well to be convenient.

Inside the car its more likely to get messed with, or misplaced.

Sounds like my preferences are an outlier. I'll find a good place for it.
 
A simple keychain philips should work (in a pinch, without power tools) to get the 2 screws out. There's certainly plenty of room for the key case in there. I like the idea of thumbscrew replacements, I think that would work very well, with black thumbscrews it should be plenty discreet.

 
I put the metal key in a small magnetic box and placed it under the hood, just above the windshield wiper cowling.
 
I can't think of a reason to hide the key on the car, unless you think you will lose the key after driving some place. Hide it in your house and don't tell your wife where it is. She sounds a little bit irresponsible.
It reminds me of a story, back in the day I had a 1974 Nova and I locked my keys in it in a parking lot. Oh what a panic upon closing the door and realizing it at the last second. I scrounged around and found a piece of wire and was able to push the window just enough to get it in and hook the lock knob and pull it up. No cell phones back then to call anyone.
 
It reminds me of a story, back in the day I had a 1974 Nova and I locked my keys in it in a parking lot. Oh what a panic upon closing the door and realizing it at the last second. I scrounged around and found a piece of wire and was able to push the window just enough to get it in and hook the lock knob and pull it up. No cell phones back then to call anyone.
I believe most old-timers here are having the same experience like you, and several times! I used to have a 1974 Chevrolet Impala 4-door “Hardtop”. There’s no B-pillar, and it’s so easy to find a metal wire cloth hanger most likely left sonewhere on the road side, pushing it into between front and rear window glass and pullIng up the driver door lock knob to unlock the door. :)
 
Prior to keyless entry vehicles and electronic fobs I always used to keep a spare key hidden on the vehicle.You used to be able to find a small cordura nylon pouch with a Velcro closure and double stick tape to hide a key but I never trusted the adhesive and used a piece of insulated wire to wire it up somewhere secure and easily reached. I gave the key a couple of coats of wax and then put it in a small zip lock bag before putting it in the pouch. I suppose a similar setup could work with the key used to manually unlock the door on a CX 5. I just don't trust those little metal key boxes,, even with a Neodymium magnet.

Back in the early 1970's when I was a stoner I came out of the grocery store to find my car locked with the engine still running and keys in the ignition. It had a hood that could be opened from the outside so I pulled the coil wire to kill the engine.
This was before plastic grocery bags with handles. I walked several blocks with a couple of large paper bags full of groceries back to my apartment where I had a hidden house key outside. I retrieved my spare car key and walked back to the grocery store to get my car. That was the point where I decided that a spare car key on the vehicle was mandatory.
 
The metal key cabinet with magnet looked similar to this was so popular in the old days and we could frequently find one inside of chrome bumpers if you reached in and did a swipe. It held 2 metal keys as the door lock and ignition were using 2 different keys.
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Back in the early 1970's when I was a stoner I came out of the grocery store to find my car locked with the engine still running and keys in the ignition. It had a hood that could be opened from the outside so I pulled the coil wire to kill the engine.
This was before plastic grocery bags with handles. I walked several blocks with a couple of large paper bags full of groceries back to my apartment where I had a hidden house key outside. I retrieved my spare car key and walked back to the grocery store to get my car. That was the point where I decided that a spare car key on the vehicle was mandatory.
Yup. I was parked at school and when I came out of class my car wouldn't crank. I looked under the hood and someone stole my battery. They didn't unbolt it, they cut the cables. I used a pay phone to call my dad and he came and fixed it. He was not happy. Also my gas cap cover opened from the outside too, and the gas could be easily siphoned out.
 
I may be the only one who cares, but it was difficult to find an off-the-shelf replacement screw for the undercarriage trim for the the oil pan and filter, (m5-1.81 BTW), so I designed and 3D printed some press on wing caps for the existing ones:

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