Car keys going bad...

[Schumi]

So I'm wondering if this just happens to me, or if this is something everyone deals with..

I had a problem with my 89 Toyota Corolla this week, and not a usual one: my ignition key stopped working.

It started a few weeks ago with the key not wanting to turn the ignition. I knew the key was worn but it had been this way for a long time and so I figured it had to do with the cold and the general non compliance of the steering lock that this car seems to have. Well yesterday the key would not turn the ignition at all. No starting the car, no turning it even to ACC mode. It was like it was the wrong key. Now I had a spare key but it was in just as bad condition. Now this car used to be my father's, got it from him back in 2004. I called him to see if he had any other keys. He thinks he has one. This is good, as am driving to go have Christmas there this week with family. Problem is my car wasn't going anywheres.


Needless to say I finally jiggled and jammed with the key in enough to click them over and disable the steering lock and start the car once, but feeling like it wouldn't be possible to do this again since it has been worse and worse every time, I hotwired the car with some underdash shenanigans to drive today and I'm just leaving my keys in the ON position, disconnected from anything, to keep the steering lock disabled. I am glad I live in a little town, not worried about anyone stealing it. Plus they would have to figure out what wires go where to start it.

Which by the way, wasn't very hard. I had seen this crap in movies but figured it would be pretty hard to hot wire a car. There were 6 wires coming from the ignition. Within 3 minutes I had figured out, By picking the odd colored one out as the ground and some similar colored ones, what wires turn the electronics on.. And then by the sound that two other wires click on the ignition coil relay. And then it was only a matter of touching a few things together to bump the starter. Took me less than 5 minutes to strip some wires to go into the 6 pins and start the car.

I guess on newer cars they make it a lot harder than this. I would probably had blow fuses on a new car if I had just crossed wires to find the starting sequence on a new car. At least I would hope it is harder on new cars..


Back to my point- anyone just have keys go bad? I carry my keys in my pockets every day even when I know I will not need them. I do not hang them up on a wall or anything in my kitchen like some people. I just leave them in my pockets, banging against themselves, which I think wears them easily. Dunno. It's annoying as hell though.

[The Gaijin]

Dude. I had the same problem with a '90 corolla.

Ignition key was getting stickier and stickier. I found a newer key and that didn't work either. I thought the guts of the lock were wearing out..

A few drops of "lock-ease" - that graphite liquid stuff - fixed it 100%.

[Hugh R]

You can probably get a dealer to make a new key with your VIN#, might be pricey, but cheaper than a knew steering lock. On my cars with key ignitions I put the original away and use a copy.

[vash]

do you have a big keychain? lots of keys? i think the weight of the keys, just dangling about in a moving car wears things out a bit faster.

all my car keys run solo.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

You can probably get a dealer to make a new key with your VIN

Yep... at Toyota, anyway... had to get a replacement for the wifey's '94 Camry last year. Worked like new... don't remember the price.

[stevepaa]

mother in law's Chrysler cirrus ignition switch went bad last month and had to rekey $800.

[kimlangley7]

Had a key problem once with my BMW2002.. problem was the size of the keychain..

too much weight on the keychain > and it wrecks the pins in the ignition lock. Porsche key is solo..

rest of the cars >> absolute minimum weight on keychain

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

You can probably get a dealer to make a new key with your VIN#, might be pricey, but cheaper than a knew steering lock. On my cars with key ignitions I put the original away and use a copy.

that is the way to go

[Porsche_monkey]

I've pulled all the 'tumblers' out of an ignition, and the door.

That way anything will work, key, nail-file, coffee stir stick.

[HarryD]

Spray some WD-40 into the lock to clean the gunk out. You will be surprised.

I also like to use TriFlow Lube in my locks, a shot every 6-12 months to keep them moving smoothly.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by vash

do you have a big keychain? lots of keys? i think the weight of the keys, just dangling about in a moving car wears things out a bit faster.

all my car keys run solo.

Bears repeating! My old Power Wagon suffered this fate...locksmith told me what I was doing wrong.