The Locksmith Information Blog

Rekeying car door locks might seem very intimidating and especially with today’s complicated anti-theft device. For this reason, most car owners leave it to be done by locksmiths. However, what most people don’t know is that with the right tools and a little patience, re-keying car door locks is not as hard. You will usually want to rekey the door locks because of a car break-in or theft. You might also wish to rekey the lock if you lose the keys or if you suspect another person has a copy of the key. To rekey your car door locks, follow the simple steps bought to us by the guys at Cherry Hills Village Locksmith, outlined in this article.

How does car rekeying work?

The process of rekeying involves modifying the tumblers of your lock in order that your old keys won’t work on the locking mechanism anymore, or even in yet another situation it can change the lock to enable a single key to work inside several locks. Car door lock rekeying involves replacing the lock pins found in your current lock or changing the wafer or tumbler setting so that you are able to unlock the car with a new set of keys. Once you rekey your lock, the old keys will no longer function.

Things you will need.

· Re-keying kit.

· Set of lock pins.

· Cylinder follower.

· Ring remover.

· Plug follower.

· Screwdriver.

· Needle-nosed pliers or tweezers.

STEP 1: Purchase a rekeying kit.

To get started, buy a rekeying kit but only from a reputable seller. Make sure the kit contains all the necessary tools that will be needed for this job as listed above. Note that you can also buy this kit online. When looking for this kit, you ought to identify the model or brand of your current lock. Buy a kit depending on the components of your car door lock. Certain locks use pins while others have more sophisticated components.

STEP 2: Remove the lock from your car.

The exact method you will use depends on your vehicle. You may require special equipment for this task.

STEP 3: Remove the doorknob and cylinder.

The doorknob or lock face is held tightly in place by a single clip. To reach the clip, you should insert a wire or pin into a tiny opening to give you access to the interior of the lock. Use the cylinder follower (a small brass pipe) to remove the lock cylinder. To successfully remove the cylinder, remove the sleeve and then push the lock cylinder from the entire assembly. Once the sleeve has been removed, the cylinder can be accessed with a lot of ease.

STEP 4: Remove cylinder ring retainer and plug.

Use the ring remover to access and remove the cylinder ring retainer. Store the retainer safely in a place where you can retrieve it later. To successfully remove the cylinder plug, use the lock’s key. Insert this key to the lock then turn it as if unlocking the door. By turning the key, you will be separating the upper and lower lock pins. When this happens, use your plug follower to get rid the plug all this while exerting pressure onto the cylinder. The pressure will keep the upper pins well in position as you hold up the springs supporting them. Once you do this, you should be able to get rid the plug with the pins still in their position.

STEP 5: Remove lower lock pins.

Since you have safely secured the upper pins, you can go ahead and remove lower pins. The lower pins have pointed ends which usually lie on the door key. In addition, these pins come in varying lengths and their total number can also vary. They are very easy to remove, so there’s nothing worth worrying about. After you have removed all pins, unplug the key.

STEP 6: Insert your new lock key and pins.

Insert your new lock key onto the cylinder. At this point, the new key pushes the existing pins and springs off the way. This is because the pins must touch the current lock key, so that you know where and how far the new lock pins will be placed. When placing these pins, ensure that the pointed or sharp sides touch on the key. The new pins come in varying lengths and colours to help you know where each pin will be placed on the lock. If you are rekeying more than one lock, ensure you arrange the pins in a similar order in every lock so that you can use the same key for all of them.

STEP 7: Test the New Key.

Once the key is cut, ensure that all your tumblers are perfectly flush with the outer edge of the tumbler-plug. Reassemble the door lock mechanism carefully after which you can go ahead and try the new key. With any luck the new key will operate perfectly and your car door lock will have been re-keyed successfully. You can now take the new key to an hardware store and have several copies. In case the key fails to work, remove the door lock and recut a new key.

Other useful tips when rekeying the car door lock keys.

· It’s advisable to lightly lubricate the lock after replacing the pins.

· To prevent losing upper pins and springs, work over a high contrast surface or over a dish or bowl that can catch the lock components when they fall out.

· Remember that after rekeying the locks, the old keys will be useless and should be discarded so that you don’t confuse them with the new keys.

· Ensure that the door lock is fixed properly to prevent future complications with the lock system.

No matter the reason why you need the car lock system changed, rekeying is in most times the best solution. This is because rekeying ensures you have the convenience and security you need at a less costly price compared to replacing a lock. What’s more rekeying is an easy procedure that takes a very short time to complete. Well, it takes a burglar just a few minutes to get a bump key or an exact copy of your car door key so in case you lose your key or suspect that the lock system has been compromised, follow the easy steps discussed above to rekey the door lock.