Broken Key and my adventures from last night

[unccpathfinder]

Well it's been snowing/icy up here at work so i've been driving the truck to work...well on monday the new guy rode his BMW motorcycle to work and it got really bad up here so he rode back home with me and then i brought him in yesterday and it was still too icy so he rode back again last night...

 

well I know most WD's with power locks have experienced the freakshow locks...well i found with mine if i go to the passenger side hit above the lock and jiggle the key it'll unlock and stop freaking out...so when i hit unlock last night he pulled on the handle and we had the battle of the locks...well i go over to unlock his side and dont even crank on the key hard and snap..."oh fskc" well i was able to fish out the broken piece

 

what pisses me off is the drivers side door closed so the truck is locked and i have no key...well the ignition has been changed so i still have a key for that no biggie...so i start making a slim jim (since mine that i bought the other day was 35 miles away when i locked my keys in the truck and my spare key is in NC) so i start making one out of a 24" ruler and find out that its too wide and I cannot cut the 1/4" off of the lenght that i need to make it work with the tools I have.

 

I debate on calling AAA and the fire department but don't want to wait around and really don't want to carry a slim jim everywhere i go in case the doors get locked and out of my habits they would get locked and i'd be up @!*% creek again...we also ran to the dollar store (bought a slim jim back east there) and autozone which i got lectured on how it is illegal to buy slim jims in CA and i explain taht i bought one for $13 a couple days ago and the guy told me i was lying and blah blah so i then go to the bank and grab some cash b/c i know i'm about to drop some $...so I call a mobile locksmith and he tells me $75 to make a key on the spot so i'm like @!*%...He shows up and i ask him if its still $75 and he was like well i'll make it $60 since you asked so i'm like cool

 

Guy comes out and by now the wind is blowing about 10-15mph and its well below 30F...He makes 1 key and no go..he makes a 2nd key and it opens the door but then won't do it again...the 3rd key some thing no dice and i'm holding the light for him as he files and works his magic. He finally makes a 4th key and it works better than the original...he told me $65 since he burned 3 blanks so I gave the guy $70 for coming out at 6:45PM in the freezing ass cold and instead of giving up after the 1st 3 keys he continued on a personal vendetta to make a key that worked correctly...

 

After dinner, a beer and the ride home I got in at 9:15 which gave me enough time to sit down and talk to the roommate drink another beer and go to bed...i'll try to grab a pic of the key...i think it was prestressed b/c it broke pretty clean and I didnt torque on it hard at all...This is the 1st time I have ever broken a key off and was not such a great experience but could have been much worse...it broke right at the base of the lock and left enough that i could pull it out with my fingers and not even get out the leatherman

 

Fun night but I guess it's better it happened here than in the middle of nowhere.

[adamzan]

I've been down that road before. Luckily for me I use a copied key all the time and keep a spare in my wallet. But now that I got the keyless entry/remote start working, I'm so glad I never have to use the keys to open anything.

[edicer2]

ha yeah i got keylees now and never use my key. if u use my key and not the remote the alarm goes off lol. Its made so if a theif gets the door open by picking the lock and the alarm is on its going off anways ha

[unccpathfinder]

yea thats how mine is but my FOB is in NC (now on the way to me UPS) but as long as you get the door open you have i think 15-30 seconds to rip the steering column off and short across the #3 position which will disable the alarm (thinks key is in ignition) and you turn the switch to off on the center console and then take time to clip wires and hotwire and get get rid of the steering lock...

 

or simply pop the hood and disconnect the battery turn switch to off hook battery up and clip PA wires for a backup

 

so who now will relocate their alarm switch (this is all for the factory alarm)

 

I hate being an engineer b/c I always look at the deficiencies in the system and how to get around it and for your everyday radio thief the alarm is enough but for your pro car thief working for a chop shop will find a way around it

 

its a good thing i'm not into the pathfinder spare parts business especially since I can strip one with care alone in less than 12 hours

Edited February 11, 2009 by unccpathfinder

[adamzan]

ha yeah i got keylees now and never use my key. if u use my key and not the remote the alarm goes off lol. Its made so if a theif gets the door open by picking the lock and the alarm is on its going off anways ha

Since the door sensor doesn't work for my drivers door you can open it with the key and not have the alarm go off. But as soon as you put the key in the ignition and turn it, it disables the starter and sets off the siren.

[edicer2]

yeah i get about 5 seconds before mine goes off so it sucks o well dont need to work about useing the key unless the battery dies! theres a way to disable mine on the 2 way remote but i rather have it on haha

[DavefromOZ]

I had the same problem a while back, only have one key, on way out to the truck at 6:30am to go to work. All I did was run my thumb the length of the key with a tiny bit of force and she snapped. I ended up calling in sick at work and taking both pieces to me mate the locksmith, cut me a new one for nothing. I should get a backup cut too I think.

[edicer2]

ha yeah probably a good idea i always make like 5 when i buy a car....you never know whats going to happen

[unccpathfinder]

Well here was my problem:

[DavefromOZ]

Well here was my problem:

Mine snapped in the same place, only mine snapped in my hand. Pretty sure it was pre-stressed though, cos I dont have super powers.

[unccpathfinder]

yea i think it is from being cycled...i noticed it was right at the "flip door" to keep dirt out of the lock which would put it in a shear/couple each time the door is unlocked or locked

[GrimGreg]

Next time, use a wire hanger.

 

Take a wire hanger and unfold it so it is all straight. Bend a hook and the end, then bend that hook so it is 90deg to the straight part. Next pull gentley on the rear upper corner of the front door (either side) and slip the hanger down into the gap. Fish it down to hook onto the lock pin and pull, door open. (Could probably also stick it down to actuate the power unlock button, but never tried personally.) I can get into my 93 using this method in 20 seconds.

Edited February 13, 2009 by GrimGreg