DealersEdge Professional Forums

Hello,
I'm new here. I have been employed as a parts manager since August. Before this I worked in retail as an O'reilly Auto parts as a assistant store manager. So to me this is all way over my head sometimes. But how do you cut keys on a Silca futura by GM Key Code. I can cut the old keys easily but the laser keys I'm having trouble with we have two machines the old one which cuts old style and the Silca Futura that we are supposed to use for laser cut keys but I can't get it to take GM Key codes.

btw Gm parts manager at Landers Buick GMC Southaven, MS

Welcome to one of the best resources and THE best sounding board in the automotive industry!

I Googled "Silca Futura operator's manual" and the first thing on the list is a page from Ilco "www dot ilco dot us > blob> futura manual" dated 2015. I clicked on the link and the pdf of the manual opened right up. I'm sure if you poke around, there may be a video online for your specific model.

Also make sure your machine has the most recent updates.

WELCOME TO GM. YOU WILL SOON FIND OUT THAT OREILLY'S A MUCH BETTER COMPANY.

olepartsguy wrote:WELCOME TO GM. YOU WILL SOON FIND OUT THAT OREILLY'S A MUCH BETTER COMPANY.

After spending 7 years with them, building everyone else's corporate career for them except mine, yeah no. The only good that came out of that company was my shares of stock they gave you as a store manager back in the day when they still traded at $32/share.

Welcome, southaven! We went with the Keyline 994 Laser, so cannot comment directly on your machine, but it uses a tracer bit like mine does, make sure to keep an eye on this, they tend to mysteriously get bent ever so slightly, causing keys to not be read/decoded or cut incorrectly.

Thanks so much for the replies everyone I really do appreciate everyone here welcoming me and advice with the Silca.


I have actually read the user manual and attempted it. I seen where to input a code but it doesn't want to accept the gm key cutting codes.

vtecmanager wrote:Also make sure your machine has the most recent updates.

How do you update it? Is the one you have in tablet kind and that connect to the Silca Futura?

Be prepared there is a new machine for the 2021 GM products. According to MSC our BDLaser machine will not be able to cut them. So pony up another $6,000.00 oh wait it is on sale for the low low price of $4,994.00 right now. Gotta love it.

It's been so long since I did one I can't remember. Our rep did ours or it might have been an SD card maybe?

So I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. I was over thinking it for one. I was putting the key in the wrong part of the clamp. And also after putting the key code in I was still looking for the model etc instead of letting the program search it for me.


Also it updates through a network connection but ours isn't set up for that so we have to download the updates to a usb stick less than 8gb, and load to the machine afterwards.