4 Steps to Rekey a Car Lock

Regular rekeying is a critical step to maintaining the security of your vehicle. Every car owner hates experiencing lockouts. Although this happens, there are steps that you can take to regain access to your vehicle.

Now, picture this scenario: either you have misplaced your car key or it has been stolen. A thief does not necessarily have to steal your car. Some of them may want to take valuable or expensive items, while others may be interested in accessing your confidential documents.

Modern car key thieves are smart, and you should not be vulnerable to their antics!

Therefore, it is paramount you work with a professional locksmith to rekey the car lock or just change the locks altogether. Note that reservation might be a bit tedious to schedule.

We will help you understand rekeying and also show you the four steps to rekeying a car door lock to further enhance your security and safety.

What Does Rekeying Mean?

Rekeying a lock is a technique for changing the springs and pins inside the lock-cylinder. This implies you will need a separate key before gaining access to your home or car. Re-keying a car lock changes the pins and resets the waver/tumbler for using new keys to open your car.

Once rekeyed, the old key will not open up this lock. Surprisingly, for rekeying, it is not always necessary to have the original key. Sometimes, rekeying is carried out because there’s no access to the original one.

Gather Your Tools and Materials

Ensure you have all the required items and equipment before you begin rekeying. Most of the time, you will require a key decoder, a new key, a plug follower, a pinning tray as well and appropriate-sized pins. In addition, ensure you have a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. This would ensure smoothness of work by having all your tools in place.

Remove the Lock Cylinder

Start by dismantling the lock cylinder from the automobile door. Use a screwdriver to take off these screws gently. Carefully remove the screws and slowly pull out the lock cylinder from the door without inflicting any damage.

Open the Current Key, Pull the Pins

Determine the current key’s pinning sequence using a key decoder. The rekeying process relies on this information. After that, use a plug follower to take out the old pins from the lock cylinder. Note the pin lengths depending on the decoded key.

Insert New Pins and Test

Pair the new pins inside the lock cylinder with their ordered sequence derived from the key. Place all pins then gently put together the lock cylinder to the car door. Ensure that you test the new key for proper operation. So, if the key moves well and works properly with the lock then your car lock has been rekeyed successfully.

Conclusion

No doubt, rekeying your car lock improves the security of your vehicle. Do not panic! Always consider car lock rekeying when you buy a used car, when the keys are lost or you simply do not trust the security of your car. Remember also that car key replacement requires skilled locksmiths who are determined to enhance your car's security.

Diego’s Locksmith is here for you. We shall spare your worries about the locks issues, to save you all efforts and time. Contact us to get more information about the benefits of our services.

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