After driving home in jubilation of having passed an MOT with no work required I then went and rendered my van temporarily immobile by loosing the keys
I've spent 2 weeks turning the house upside down and am content they wont just turn up now so trying to figure out what to do next. Fortunely I can still get into the van.
I've read about people replacing the entire set of locks, but have also read it can be possible to get new keys cut by identifying the number from the lock barrel ?? Can this be done from any of them? Which is easiest to get out to find out the number? (We already have the stearing lock housing out, but nothing relevant is visible) Will any VW van centre be able to help, or do I need to go somewhere specific/particularly helpful?
She's an '82, and I'm in Gloucestershire if it makes a difference!
did one key fit all your locks?
the sliding door has to be one of the easiest to get out, or the tailgate, about the same really........
i would imaging a maion dealer is the place to go for working just on a lock id, but its not that hard to rekey them to a new key that comes with a ignition lock iirc.
someone who has had more to do with this kinda thing will be along soon enough..........
It was one key for all the doors and ignition. Different key for the fuel filler cap, but that's not so much of a problem.
Am quite confused by all the different things I've read - things like the ignition barrel/stearing lock housing being a sealed unit (so can this lock be changed or need to change the whole thing?). So if anyone has an idiots guide for the different options that would be fab!
I work with elderly confused who put keys anywhere and everywhere. The first place I look for their house keys is the fridge! Most of the time that is where they are. I lost mine the other day and wife found them (in the fridge ). Just thought I'd share that with you!
Have you looked in your tool box? Another hot spot!( )
Not sure what use it is, or if anyones bought anything from them, but after searching everywhere for a full lockset (one key) i came accross this site in germany doing full sets for 155 euros.... Bulliklinik Sacka shop
lol, the fridge was the first place my fella suggested after the usual places (kitchen side, arm of the sofa) had failed - we found his ciggies in there last week.
They aren't there tho, or in the freezer, behind the loo or under the bed, I think they have either fallen out of a coat pocket or I've put them somewhere I wont ever find (like in a charity bag or the rubbish bin )
we have a rule....
if the keys aint in the ignition, they are either hanging on my belt, or hanging on the key hook behind the back door, its worked for the last couple of decades.
In the ignition? Shouldn't joke! Seriously, I can ask at our local VW specialist for advice if you like. They'll be open tomorrow. Just a chance they may be able to help with key matching. Need to send lock but they may do a good deal on a new lock set! Worth a try?
If you want to ring they are called Continental Autospares (01904610286). If they can help but won't post (I'm sure they do mail order) I'll collect and post to you.
Hi SyncroAndy, I have also read that and ideally is what I'd like to do - but I'm struggling with identifying the correct number.
I now have the lock out of the glove compartment which worked on the same key (but could probably be opened with anything) and one of the door handles off (I can see this turning into a laurel and hardy sketch where I am left with just the drivers seat and a million pieces of van )
Any clues eactly which number I should be looking at on the door handle/lock - there is a number stamped on one of the two "prongs" at the back of the lock - is it that one? how many didgets should the number have! Otherwise there are several other numbers on the handle in different places
the number you want , i'm sure will be on the actual barrel of the lock, which you will need to take out to see i think.....
sliding door is best bet, only one screw after taking the door card off
Mocki wrote:
sliding door is best bet, only one screw after taking the door card off
aaaaaggghhh, nothing is simple
I went and had a go at this... unfortunately (in this instance) I have an auto-home with "U" shaped seating, which means I can't get to the back screws of the (covered in carpet) door card unless I either remove my sliding door, or my seats. Not sure if the inner handle is the original or not, but you can't get it out without removing the door card anyway.
So I'll be having a go on the tailgate insted tomorrow
From what I've herd the original key number is usally stamped on the cab door handles, assuming they are the original handles!
The cab handles are really easy to remove, theres a Phillips head screw behind the door seal next to the lock mecaisum. I haven't had the joy of factory fitted cab handles and genuine replacement handles don't seem to be marked but from bentleys description they were stamped on the spikey bit that does the locking/unlocking stuff, or maybe some other part of the handle not visable when fitted - have a look.
I don't think dealers know what vans had what lock numbers on file, they gave a small tag with key number on to the first owner who usally lost it! The factory stamped the original handles somewhere too but if your locks have been changed that could be wrong/missing. You might find a locksmith that could cut a key blank to fit a lock? (slider is the easyest to get out) or you might be looking for a lock change. If you want I have some pairs of genuine VW (metal logo'd) keys with numbers I could send you but you'd need to retumble your locks to fit them (I have them spare as they came with some new handles I retumbled to fit my van.)
One of the first things I did when I got my van with 1 set of keys was get a spare set cut! I use the new copys and keep the original (well, thats a copy too but its a lower generation) as a template as I don't know the key number - if its not stamped on the boot lock I'll never know it as the original cab/slider handles are long gone and they didn't mark the ignition/fuel cap.
). Just thought I'd share that with you!
)
)
Shouldn't joke! Seriously, I can ask at our local VW specialist for advice if you like. They'll be open tomorrow. Just a chance they may be able to help with key matching. Need to send lock but they may do a good deal on a new lock set! Worth a try?
