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greenraVR6
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Joined: January 19, 2011
Posts: 120
Location: Bellingham, WA
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 Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:33 am Post subject: Ignition key won't turn... |
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So I go out to my van this morning to take a quick trip down the driveway to get my mail and immediately have a problem. My key is very hard to insert into the ignition and once it's in it will not turn, even with the whole "jerk the steering wheel" action. Finally after 20 or so times of reinserting the key and jiggling the key it turns and the van starts as usual. Go get the mail, return home and shut her down. Remove key and reinsert, won't turn...
My key looks very worn down, but there has been zero problems with the ignition leading up to this, just drove the van yesterday. Will getting a new key help me here, or is my ignition lock cylinder just all of a sudden toast??
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Jake de Villiers
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Joined: October 24, 2007
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Location: Crescent Beach, BC
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WM971252
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Joined: September 10, 2004
Posts: 1397
Location: Franklin CT
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| Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:44 am Post subject: |
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| Yes a worn key may be the problem. It may also be a problem with the wafers inside from going too long with a worn key. |
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greenraVR6
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Joined: January 19, 2011
Posts: 120
Location: Bellingham, WA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 11:36 am Post subject: |
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| Jake de Villiers wrote: | | Have you held the gate open with the key and blasted the lock cylinder with WD-40 yet? |
didn't try that but I sprayed my key with wd40 to try and lube the lock cylinder mechanism but it seemed to have no affect
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Red Beard
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Joined: May 09, 2006
Posts: 112
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm guessing sticky or bent wafers in the lock cylinder. I would stick the little straw from your WD-40 can into the lock and spray the crap out of it. The other trick I was told (when this happened to me on a non-vanagon) was to put the key in the lock then tap it inward gently but firmly with a mallet. |
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greenraVR6
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Joined: January 19, 2011
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Location: Bellingham, WA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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sprayed a shot of WD into the ignition key slot as suggested and all is well now. Kinda weird how the key worked fine one day to seemingly not wanting to work at all the next. Also had a new key made but it's just as thin looking as the one I had. Guy who made the key (ex vanagon owner) said that looked pretty normal. Thanks for the help 
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Jake de Villiers
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Joined: October 24, 2007
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Location: Crescent Beach, BC
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| Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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| greenraVR6 wrote: | | sprayed a shot of WD into the ignition key slot as suggested and all is well now. Kinda weird how the key worked fine one day to seemingly not wanting to work at all the next. Also had a new key made but it's just as thin looking as the one I had. Guy who made the key (ex vanagon owner) said that looked pretty normal. Thanks for the help |
Yeah, I've had that happen to me... I think the wafers just run out of lube at some point and bind in their channels. 
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Red Beard
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Joined: May 09, 2006
Posts: 112
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:53 pm Post subject: |
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| greenraVR6 wrote: | | sprayed a shot of WD into the ignition key slot as suggested and all is well now. Kinda weird how the key worked fine one day to seemingly not wanting to work at all the next. Also had a new key made but it's just as thin looking as the one I had. Guy who made the key (ex vanagon owner) said that looked pretty normal. Thanks for the help |
So, a little warning: If for some reason one of the wafers is a little bit bent, you may end up getting stranded somewhere. Happened to me. Maybe see if you can get a new cylinder for it and change it out before that happens. Not sure how much or where you get that for a Vanagon, but for a Jeep Cherokee it was like $50 at the locksmith. |
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daroota
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Joined: December 19, 2012
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Location: bc
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| Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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| I agree with Red Beard, take off the assembly and take it into a locksmith with the key. They will fix it right and it shouldn't be expensive at all... unlike a emergency roadside cost. |
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WM971252
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Location: Franklin CT
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| Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 6:00 am Post subject: |
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| greenraVR6 wrote: | | Also had a new key made but it's just as thin looking as the one I had. Guy who made the key (ex vanagon owner) said that looked pretty normal. Thanks for the help |
You need to get the key cut by code, duplicate will just repeat what you have now. |
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Neptuno
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Joined: March 23, 2004
Posts: 95
Location: Wilmington, DE
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| Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 6:08 am Post subject: |
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| WM971252 wrote: | | greenraVR6 wrote: | | Also had a new key made but it's just as thin looking as the one I had. Guy who made the key (ex vanagon owner) said that looked pretty normal. Thanks for the help |
You need to get the key cut by code, duplicate will just repeat what you have now. |
this ^
I have the same issue it happens from time to time. My keys are worn, none seem to be "original". The solution as IIRC is to take the starting key assembly or door handle tumblers to a salty dog lock smith and have them look at the code in the tumblers. They will cut a key to code.
That should give you a better (meatier key) that will turn the locks like it should.
GL and report on your progress.
El t
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greenraVR6
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Joined: January 19, 2011
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Location: Bellingham, WA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 11:03 am Post subject: |
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| Neptuno wrote: | | WM971252 wrote: | | greenraVR6 wrote: | | Also had a new key made but it's just as thin looking as the one I had. Guy who made the key (ex vanagon owner) said that looked pretty normal. Thanks for the help |
You need to get the key cut by code, duplicate will just repeat what you have now. |
this ^
I have the same issue it happens from time to time. My keys are worn, none seem to be "original". The solution as IIRC is to take the starting key assembly or door handle tumblers to a salty dog lock smith and have them look at the code in the tumblers. They will cut a key to code.
That should give you a better (meatier key) that will turn the locks like it should.
GL and report on your progress.
El t |
My door lock key and ignition key look nothing alike. The key for all the doors is almost twice as wide as the ignition key and will not work in the ignition. Nor will the ignition key work to unlock the doors. Is it possible to get a locksmith to get the door key to work in my ignition?
The door locks/key work awesome, although I very rarely lock the doors so never really use them...
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WM971252
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Joined: September 10, 2004
Posts: 1397
Location: Franklin CT
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| Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 6:48 am Post subject: |
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Pictures would help but...
You Vanagon came with one key that worked all doors and the ignition (and maybe the gas cap depending on which style it had). One each lock there will be a code and they all should be the same. A good guess on my part is you have a replacement ignition or it is so worn inside that it will not accept the original key. Either way you have some work to do to get it right.
And as posted do get it fixed soon as you can be stranded real easy. |
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davideric9
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Joined: January 21, 2009
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Location: Oakland CA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:34 am Post subject: |
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REKEY - if you are prone to tinkering, you can remove and rekey all your locks to match one key. I had a key cut to code (number on the lock) by lock smith and then rekeyed my vans to that key so that both (or more) vans, all locks work on the same, "original" (code cut) key. I was able to to this because I had a bunch of spare locks so spare tumblers to move around.... Ignition tumblers are not the same size as the door locks. But its all very doable if you like doing this sort of thing.....
So for me its 4 vans, 24 locks on the same key.
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greenraVR6
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Joined: January 19, 2011
Posts: 120
Location: Bellingham, WA
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 11:57 am Post subject: |
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| davideric9 wrote: | REKEY - if you are prone to tinkering, you can remove and rekey all your locks to match one key. I had a key cut to code (number on the lock) by lock smith and then rekeyed my vans to that key so that both (or more) vans, all locks work on the same, "original" (code cut) key. I was able to to this because I had a bunch of spare locks so spare tumblers to move around.... Ignition tumblers are not the same size as the door locks. But its all very doable if you like doing this sort of thing.....
So for me its 4 vans, 24 locks on the same key. |
Would this work if I used tumblers from a mk1 rabbit igniton, or maybe a corrado ignition? I have a couple of those laying around. Or use tumblers from a mk3 jetta door lock? If it's doable as you say I think I would be able to make it happen.
Having owned and worked on many VW's over the years I'd guess the parts are probably very similar if not identical. It'd be nice to have the door key work in the ignition as well
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