How to Rekey A Car Lock

Many people like driving cars in their spare time or working days. While, in the process of driving cars, you will meet different kinds of problems of cars. One of the most common problems is about car locks. Do you know how to rekey a car lock? 

 

What’s the Meaning of Rekeying a Car Lock?

Rekeying car locks refers to the process of changing the internal components (wafers, sliders, disks, etc.) of a lock cylinder to open with a new key. This process essentially functions as a car door lock replacement, except it will not fix a broken lock.

 

How to Rekey a Car Lock

1. Evaluation

There are a few main aspects of your vehicle that have to be evaluated before you rekey a car. The three main considerations are parts, function, and time. The parts element is the most straightforward. What internal components does the lock use, and how available are they?

 

The function of the lock has to do with whether or not it works. You might need car door lock repair or concern yourself with the cost to replace a car door lock rather than rekey it. If the car key broke off in the ignition, you will need broken key removal before it is possible to rekey the car lock.

 

Time is a factor because this corresponds to the difficulty of the car rekey. Some vehicles are more complicatedly built than others and may take some time to remove side door or dashboard panels. Once the locks are accessible, the difficulty of making a key will also add time.

 

2. Removal

Often, the most time-consuming and labor-intensive part of addressing any car door lock cylinder is gaining access to it. As opposed to rekeying residential locks, it is significantly more difficult to rekey a car lock. You will encounter a mix of screw types and pull to replace panels.

 

Whether it is an ignition or a door lock cylinder, removing the surrounding panels will expose wires. If this work is not done properly, you can damage the panels themselves and disconnect or fray important electrical components.

 

It pays to have a professional who knows about car cylinder removal in terms of process and risks. That way, when you set out to rekey a car, you don’t end up needing car ignition repair or have to end up replacing your car door lock cylinder.

 

3. Rekeying

To rekey a car, you have to understand a bit about automotive locks. Unlike rekeying a residential door, the internal components to rekey a car are far less universal. You have wafers, sliders, and disk detainers, all with manufacturer-specific sizes.

 

To replace these components, you need new components that will fit the lock cylinder. A simple way around this is to rearrange the existing components. For example, by moving the third wafer to the first position, the first to the second, etc., the old key will no longer work.

 

The difference between rekeying vs replacing locks is when you rekey a car lock, you are not necessarily repairing the cylinder. If you are rearranging existing lock components, wear and damage that cause sticking or unresponsiveness are unlikely to be fixed.

 

4. New Key 

When you rekey a car, you are replacing your existing key as well. This is not the same as standard car key replacement, as this new key does not correspond to any existing vehicle information. The key will be made based on a brand new key code.

 

For this new key to be made, you need a key cutter that can make cuts from code because there is no key to duplicate. Getting this code will take professional tools and knowledge. But if there is any wear to the wafers, sliders, or disks the new key might need to be customized.

 

If in the future you have lost your car key and have no spare, the locksmith or dealership will not be able to use your VIN (vehicle identification number) to cut a key. Anyone making a new key will need access to the current key code or will have to decode the rekeyed car lock.

 

You can follow the guidance to know how to rekey a car lock. And you can also ask for a professional locksmith to help you fix the problem quickly. It is necessary for people to keep car lockout kit at home.