braxsusriely

So back on the forums and thought i'd share my discovery. I broke my e-brake cable and went to go to my trunk to grab my jack and search for the cable below my car. but my keys don't like to open the trunk without some major torquing. and my trunk button release is messed up sooo...

I pop the back seat and start to crawl through when i notice the trunk light is on!!! why on earth is this on? so i close all my doors and make sure the trunk lid is down! so 1 light makes sense for dying 3 days or a little more eh?

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

Makes sense to me. good find! I noticed my 240SX was doing that a while back, so I just took the light out completely. it's a race car anyway so I don't need it.

eric93SE

iTrader: (1)

spray WD40 in the lock then slide the key in and out a bunch of times (massages the tumbles) then squirt more WD40, repeat. Try to angle the red tube upwards as well.

braxsusriely

thanks for the lock tip, don't wanna keep breaking keys

other than that.. i've still got 2 injectors that are shot which i'm gonna shell out the cash for all 6, replacing a muffler thats completely rot. hopefully the injectors will get me back in the takeoff speed i was use to and get rid of the smell comming from the exhaust ( thinking bad fuel mix and its too rich? ) and of course the muffler will quite it down. -- oh and i broke the 200k mark last month!

eric93SE

iTrader: (1)

When doing the injectors, make sure there are no sharp deposits or bumps where the o-rings sit. You can use acetone and a q-tip to remove those deposits. Otherwise they can cut the o-ring when installing them. Another tip when pulling the injector from the rail, I put the injector head (the flats) in a vise (the jaw side of the vise grippers) and very lightly tightened it. Then holding the rail on both sides close to the injector gently twist and pull. When installing you can smear a drop of petrolum jelly or something just to lube the o-rings.

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

USe something better than WD-40 on the lock cylinder. go to wal-mart and look near their gun cleaning stuff for a product called CLP Break Free. use that stuff. only a couple drops is all you need. works MUCH better than WD-40 for freeing up corroded parts.

Let it sit a few minutes and then use the key to work everything around. once its freed up nicely, use a good contact cleaner or something on it (beware of stuff that damages plastic and paint!!) and spray some of that inside the lock to remove the oils that will cause dirt to stick. once that's done, lube with dry graphite.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

contact cleaner as in contact lenses for your eyes? this is yet another task i'm gonna be doing soon... key is nice and sharp, but the car hates it. maxima hates its key too on the driver's door. and i know that the spring and tumblers are kinda corroded, so i'll give that stuff a shot.

Max_5gen

iTrader: (2)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ this ought to be in the stickies

eric93SE

iTrader: (1)

He mean electrical contact cleaner, its basically alcohols. Honestly just WD40 once a year or so will more than enough. I've even squirted regular motor oil on my key and inserted it a bunch of times. Its true a dry lube would be best but it pretty difficult to make it actually get into the tumblers.

LvR

Problem is different wear rates (both inside and outside of the tumblers) between the tumblers and key ............. especially if you have central locking with remote. The key works several times every day in the steering lock and the key and those tumblers wear together, but when you get to the door and trunk, those tumblers operate maybe only 3 or 4 times a week if that, and given enough time the lock will eventually start hating the key - even if you have a "sharp" key, the shape and hight of the bumps simply makes it incompatible.

If you can somehow still operate a specific lock in the door/trunk that hates its key, I would suggest removing the actual lock barrel (pretty easy on most installations, cleaning the tumbler assembly, and then with the key in the tumblers, file/grind down the tumbler heads so the tumbler barrel is exactly that - all nice and smooth and round with no protruding tumbler bumps. Get a graphite "puffer bottle" lock lube and see to the barrel and the inside of the lock, refit and life will be good for years.

When you start experiencing this kind of problem with a particular lock disliking its key, its often best to remove and mod all the barrels/locks having to work with that key. If you have more than one key, chose only one as reference (preferably the one thats seen the most use and not an original spare key that has never worked before) and throw all the others away.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

hmm... well i did use the keypads on my maxima for a while, until the power lock system stopped working entirely (it worked on the way TO goon9's house... but died sometime during the weekend). so maybe that influenced the driver door vs the ignition. here's what i have:
maxima:
ignition likes both keys
trunk likes both keys
driver door hates my normal key, prefers my slightly-cracked backup key but still touchy sometimes
passenger door still prefers the backup key, but is a LOT less tempermental with my main key than the driver door

z31:
ignition likes key
passenger door lock i forget what it does
driver door sometimes does not like the key but doesn't take much persuasion
hatch lock REALLY hates the key, and will bind and crap for 10-15 seconds worth of jiggling before it unlocks the hatch, even then it feels a bit stiff

i guess while i've got the car down for service, i might as well get the locks back up to par

LvR

As I said - chose a key - chose the most worn key - and go to work on ALL the tumblers/barrel assemblies - all the locks on the vehicle will be in love with the same key.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

love, eh?

what happens if i accidentally go too far with the filing? or will it be impossible to mess up? i've never messed with this part of the car before.

LvR

If you correctly chose the MOST WORN key, you simply cannot go too far ............ unless you start filing/grinding the actual barrel the tumblers are mounted in too - you only ensure the protruding tumbler tips are at the same level as the outer surface of the barrel so that the barrel can freely rotate in the lock's guiding/locking hole

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

oh.. ok i see what you mean now. i was trying to mentally visualize what you were talking about without looking at any references... that post made it click

ColombianMax

iTrader: (7)

My 93 is the exact same thing... the key will not open neither door (especially since the passenger side has brians old VE lock cylinder which that key doesnt open either lol) and the trunk used to work until about a year ago. Its that damn keyless entry pad that started it all!

LvR

Same remedy applies as long as you can somehow remove the barrel out of the lock with any key/method - once out, you just stick your chosen key into the tumblers, grind/file the protruding tumblers flush with the barrel surface and Bob's your uncle - you are now a locksmith.

The issue is somehow being able to get the barrel assembly out of the lock undamaged, but if you have a key that sometimes work after a lot of jiggling, then you should be OK.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

and fortunately for me i only have 1 key anyway. quick question tho.... are there tumblers for both sides of the key or only one side?

eric93SE

iTrader: (1)

Thats a good question, I'm going to guess that they are on both sides.

If someone has a brand new copy of a key that doesn't work well I'm going to have to say that the key was not made well. Or the original lost too much of its shape to be copied properly. The key is definitly softer than the tumbler.

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

tumblers are on one side of the key in our cars, IIRC. I've had key copies made that would only work when used in one direction. flip it over and you could sit there all day jiggling the lock. turn it back the other way and voila!

LvR

I have yet to encounter a "tumbler" (basically a rectangular shaped piece of metal with a hole in the center through which the key fits) that has not been manufactured from brass or something very similar.

You can have a brand new key made form a brand new unworn/unused original key, and I can just about guarantee you your copied key will not work - even if the copy was perfect - the issue is different rates of wear on different baarrels/tumblers......................................

Most key material is brass ................. exactly the same as the tumblers

LvR

The key actuates the tumbler from one side only - the inside - correct, but the actual tumbler acts on 2 sides of the tumbler barrel - if our key is worn to the point where a tumbler no longer is actuated properly, then it will prevent rotation of the barrel in the lock on both sides of the barrel .................... and this is a fact on just about every vehicle pre 2008

If you can flip a key and have a different tumbler response you need a new key cutter ................... or you have a seriously screwd/worn lock/key - with the extremely simple tumbler/barrel designs in our cars there simply is no alternative

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

now when you are getting a key copied, they copy both sides of the new key off just ONE side of the original key, right? if so maybe one would want to do that, to have a key that is consistent on both sides, THEN do your filing thingy.

LvR

Depends on the copy machine used, but if you can get a copy made off one chosen side only then its preferable

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

Yeah, my key is visibly different from one side to the next. the person cutting it didn't shove one of the keys all the way into the machine before starting the second side, so the peaks don't line up.

Based on that is why I thought the tumblers only worked one side of the lock. It's been a long time since i've actually looked at one of our lock assemblies.

jonmandude

iTrader: (1)

Matt, did you ever put that full set of tumblers that I sent you in? Or are you still on the multiple key system?

My $.02. Don't use WD-40 (IMHO it is crap) use something called "Lock-Ease". It is made to lubricate locks. If locks are corroded, use Matt's idea first, then lubricate with the Lock-Ease.

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

Nope!! They're still in a bag in my office. never got a chance to install before we had to move several years ago, then never unpacked that stuff in the new house. doh!