Battery dead, locked out, key only works in ignition. Options? (1 Viewer)

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Lots of people forget the rear hatch, have you gave that tumbler a good shot of WD40 & worked it over?

Try any & all keys you have for it, you never know.

This is what I've found, its most protected and not as gunked up. Mine were so bad I bent 2 keys trying.
 
Turning the key over and trying again sometimes works. We have the original keys, they all start the car, but all have real problems unlocking the doors, especially the drivers one. So either our keys are worn or the door tumblers are warn, getting a new copy of the key does not help. But giggling and flipping the key usually works.

WD-40 instantly solves this.

I can't believe how many people put up with pesky locks, and/or buy into the myth that WD-40 will make it worse.
 
WD-40 instantly solves this.

I can't believe how many people put up with pesky locks, and/or buy into the myth that WD-40 will make it worse.

No it does not, not for ours, it is just to much wear. My son's key from his Toyota pickup will also start the land cruiser the ignition is so worn out. 7 years ago it would not. You can also see the metal dust by the ignition key. Metal on metal wear over 21 years. And of course the driver door gets the most wear, so has the most issues even if we blast the inside graphite, which is better then wd40 since it is not a liquid and does not attract dirt. WD40 is better then oil based product but the dry lubricants much better for keys.
 
I got a new key cut for my 80 from the VIN at the dealer a few years back. It would not work in some of the locks at first, but lots of giggling (edit: correctly spelled as jiggling; giggling is a silly laugh...apologies) got it to function. I think the combination of a new sharp (or semi-accurate) key cut and some wear and gunk on the tumblers makes for a tough combo. After a few months the key "wore in" a bit and it worked OK in all the locks.
 
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crawl under with jumper cables and hook the positive to the battery cable at the starter, negative to a clean spot on the frame... my have to wire brush a spot on the frame... make sure to hook the positive up first so there is less chance of arcing... you now have 12v to everything and the remote should work... simple and easy,

pull the passenger side door lock and take to a locksmith and have a 10$ key made, there is a code on the lock cylinder where they can make a key....


then take the 40$ left and buy beer at the next cruiser club meeting...

Genius, may end up doing exactly this
 
Oh.....THIS thread!

I used to be a locksmith in college to pay my way. My specialty was doors, locks, and windows.

Yes, I've heard and tried the WD-40 VS Graphite deal.

For NEW locks....Yes, graphite is a GREAT way to go.

For OLD locks that have had years of pocket lint, oil from your hands (or whatever) stuck on the key and inserted into the lock, or dirt, grime, and water......WD-40 is the go-to. It will loosen and break down the grime and oil from your hands (or lotion in the case of a women's dorm....) and the liquid is enough to wash the junk out of the lock to free up the pins, springs, and tumblers. The little bit of actual oil that is in there does help to lubricate the lock.

PB Blaster is an actual oil and will attract dust. Is it the end of the world....no. I would use WD-40 to wash it out, then use PB Blaster to lubricate.

Do NOT use Fluid Film to lubricate locks, as that will gum up quickly due to the animal fats in the oil.

Superglue in the locks.........Acetone, but you still have to take out the lock and fully disassemble it, clean each piece with acetone and reassemble. Very time consuming.

Packing the entire tumbler with epoxy: Drill it out and throw it away.

I've seen lots of creative crap to lock people in their rooms (or out of their rooms). I've even had to disassemble door frames to get a kid out of his room because some yahoo superglued the locks, then shoved bamboo skewers in their with more glue, and poured glue behind the lock cylinder. The hinges were inside the room and since we couldn't turn any of the hardware, we stripped the frame and had to build a new one.
 
20+ year-old 80s with keyless entry will almost certainly exhibit "lazy locks". The door key cylinders have gone years without being cycled. They are most likely gummed up with solidified grease and corrosion. Take WD40 or similar and work the key in and out of the lock multiple times. Gently turn the key from side to side every time it seats. This process will eventually loosen up the tumblers so they can move into the proper position.
I'm going to try this out as my key situation is ridiculous. It's like an old GM car with 2 different keys. Only the D/S can be unlocked with a key then I have a different ignition key. If the lock key can unlock at least the P/S door, I'd be much happier.

Ah BILT answered my graphite/solvent question right before I asked it. I bet you've got some great stories! @BILT4ME
 
I'm going to try this out as my key situation is ridiculous. It's like an old GM car with 2 different keys. Only the D/S can be unlocked with a key then I have a different ignition key. If the lock key can unlock at least the P/S door, I'd be much happier.

Ah BILT answered my graphite/solvent question right before I asked it. I bet you've got some great stories! @BILT4ME


Like knocking on the dorm room door and yelling "Maintenance!", and the hot girl answers the door in only a towel......

And then replies: "Oh s***! You really ARE maintenance!!! Just a minute......."
 
:rofl:
 
It's jiggling, not giggling.

Giggling is something college girls do when you walk into their room with your tool belt........

Jiggling is something their boobs do when they're giggling.
 
Tool belt?

Did you have properly sagging trousers to go along with that?:)
 
crawl under with jumper cables and hook the positive to the battery cable at the starter, negative to a clean spot on the frame... my have to wire brush a spot on the frame... make sure to hook the positive up first so there is less chance of arcing... you now have 12v to everything and the remote should work... simple and easy,

pull the passenger side door lock and take to a locksmith and have a 10$ key made, there is a code on the lock cylinder where they can make a key....


then take the 40$ left and buy beer at the next cruiser club meeting...

I had to do this with my daughters diesel beetle. It was a pain in the a$$ on that thing. Low to the ground and it was -5 F. But I got it to work!

On an 80 it would be much easier!

Like knocking on the dorm room door and yelling "Maintenance!", and the hot girl answers the door in only a towel......

And then replies: "Oh s***! You really ARE maintenance!!! Just a minute......."

The stories I have from when I was a roof consultant and a State university in Indiana was one of my clients... university policy was: knock 3 Times, identify as maintenance, knock 3 Times, enter. Those were the days...
 
Tool belt?

Did you have properly sagging trousers to go along with that?:)


Not at that time of my life. My tool belt stayed up where it was supposed to be!

These days.....Not so much. 'Course, I don't show off my tool belt as much anymore........
 
Thank GAWD!
 
He said he had keys cut from VIN. It is very unlikely that anyone would have gone to the trouble to replace all of the exterior locks. I have seen multiple 80s (including my very own) that have experienced the issue I described above.

I was just looking at the odds of having new key not working in any lock, so cleaning is not going to work.

Regards

Dave
 
There are many ways to break into a vehicle, just ask thieves everywhere. Let's not give them more ideas, though I've used something like the method you're thinking of.

Agreed but, coming from the East end of London I can assure you that if someone wanted your car, then the route into a vehicle that has been around for nearly three decades is common knowledge. :banana:

Regards

Dave
 

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