Old car keys and copies

[Donald]

I went to HD to have a copy of the ignition and door keys made. The copies did not work well. When I went back to HD they said my keys (and the tumblers) were very worn and had worn together. Thus they would work fine together, but new copies with sharp edges might not work well. Given the copy ignition and door keys both had the same problem, very stiff, need a lot of wiggling. I am skeptical, but the machine at HD seems idiot proof. The vehicle is a 93 Suburban.

 

[CivicFan]

Even a tiny difference in the cut can create problems. If you want copies made by people who understand keys, go to a locksmith's shop, and take the car with you to make sure that you can test the new key.

The devices and the copy machines in retail outlets are built to be operated with minimal knowledge and training. But special cases may require skill and care.

 

[Kestas]

Did you put the two keys together (old and new) for comparison?

I've seen some key cutters wire wheel the keys to smooth the edges before presenting them.

 

[SuperDave456]

I agree with the locksmith.
I have had some odd keys that I needed duplicates of and a local Lock Smith and Safe place has made them without issue.

 

[silverrat]

I got spares cut for my Accord at the dealer. They don't need the originals as they verified my VIN and cut new keys based on the vehicles info. They worked perfect in my 1993 ignition. Maybe try the GM dealer for better cuts?

 

[John_K]

Originally Posted By: silverrat
I got spares cut for my Accord at the dealer. They don't need the originals as they verified my VIN and cut new keys based on the vehicles info. They worked perfect in my 1993 ignition. Maybe try the GM dealer for better cuts?


+1, I have much better luck at the dealer.

John

 

[SrDriver]

Have had all kinds of keys both old and new made at Wal-Mart. Never had any issues - lucky I guess?

 

[eljefino]

I also had good success with a VIN cut key, I was suprised as I was going with the "worn together" theory.

A locksmith might be able to measure your current key, account for wear, and come up with its initial number, and cut from that number. IOW make a more perfect copy.

 

[JDD]

Wear down the sharp edges of the new key with sandpaper. Not a long term fix but cheaper for sure. And when you do get around to getting a good key made by a locksmith, make an extra copy and don't use it--keep it as the 'master' for later.

 

[cchase]

I still have the original key for my 1993 Chevy with 370k+ miles on it. Copies were made because the original had worn to literally the thickness of a knife and was concerned it would break off because it was so thin.

The new keys work fine.

 

[silverrat]

Just to add it was about $12 for a new Honda key with cut, at the dealer.

 

[07Wolfie]

I used to cut keys in a previous life and ran into this situation quite a bit. You're right, the machine at HD is idiot-proof, but it's also skill-proof. Before you go to the dealer for a VIN key (which likely won't work any better than your last copy), just go to a small hardware store with an older, non-automated key machine. Ask for their best "key guy" and explain that the lock cylinder and tumblers are worn. There are a couple ways the blank key can be aligned with the original in the machine, and often you can't just "bottom out" the old one against the shoulder stop, since the old one is worn. It works better to align the tips of the keys instead... Like I said, it takes a little experience. He or she should be able to cut the key and then use the wire wheel to wear down the new one to match the wear on the original key. It takes some time and skill by the key cutter, but I've been able to "age" lots of new keys and get them to work when a sharp-cut key wouldn't even go into the cylinder. Good luck!

 

[severach]

Originally Posted By: Donald
were very worn and had worn together.

If a counter person tells you this, ignore it. They are repeating an old husbands' tale. If a locksmith tells you this, find another locksmith. Keys and locks *DO NOT* wear together. They always wear apart.

A new code cut key almost always restores original quality of service. Sometimes if the lock is very worn a clever locksmith will add a bit extra to the tumbler positions that get the most wear to make the key less likely to stick.

 

[CivicFan]

Originally Posted By: 07Wolfie
I used to cut keys in a previous life and ran into this situation quite a bit. You're right, the machine at HD is idiot-proof, but it's also skill-proof. Before you go to the dealer for a VIN key (which likely won't work any better than your last copy), just go to a small hardware store with an older, non-automated key machine. Ask for their best "key guy" and explain that the lock cylinder and tumblers are worn. There are a couple ways the blank key can be aligned with the original in the machine, and often you can't just "bottom out" the old one against the shoulder stop, since the old one is worn. It works better to align the tips of the keys instead... Like I said, it takes a little experience. He or she should be able to cut the key and then use the wire wheel to wear down the new one to match the wear on the original key. It takes some time and skill by the key cutter, but I've been able to "age" lots of new keys and get them to work when a sharp-cut key wouldn't even go into the cylinder. Good luck!


I used to be a locksmith in a previous life. One of my favorite ways was to cut keys for locks with lost keys. It now seems funny that the customers would bring the whole steering rack to the shop. If we got lucky, there would be a code somewhere in there, otherwise we had to take the lock apart somehow and then start making the key. Thank god for the computers but my favorite way was to cut them by hand using an old 1930-s manual key cutting machine.

The good old days.

 

[FL-400S]

I have found HD and lowes to be hit or miss. Whenever I get a new key (new or used) I generally get a bunch of copies made and hopefully they work. If they do, I will typically carry a copy on my keyring for several months until it's "broken in". Then I'll start with another new copy. Eventually I have a bunch of keys that are not "tight" in the locks. I've never worn out a lock cylinder either, never even worried about it.

I have a good local locksmith that has yet to make me a bad key.

Wait til HD or lowes tries to tell you they cant copy chipped keys into generic because it will cause the car's computer to jam if you try to start it with a non-chipped key.