Changing ignition cylinder lock? help! 2002 toyota corolla?
Question by The Voice of Reason:
The ignition cylinder lock on my ‘02 corolla seems to be breaking down… car only has 32k miles, first owner, so who knows why. It is difficult to take the key out of the ignition most times, and I have to fiddle with it very carefully to make it happen. Sometimes the key won’t move inside the ignition without a great deal of fiddling to turn the car on.
The ignition cylinder lock on my ‘02 corolla seems to be breaking down… car only has 32k miles, first owner, so who knows why. It is difficult to take the key out of the ignition most times, and I have to fiddle with it very carefully to make it happen. Sometimes the key won’t move inside the ignition without a great deal of fiddling to turn the car on.
Anyway what should I do about this? I’m thinking I just took the key out too forcefully one time and bent something inside the lock, and it has been slowly getting worse over the last few months. Is it easy to open up the cylinder and fix it? could a locksmith handle that? Or should I just pick up an new ignition cylinder off ebay?
The only thing is I don’t want to need separate keys for the ingnition and doors/trunk, so I want to fix the cylinder I have if it is possible.
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Comments on Changing ignition cylinder lock? help! 2002 toyota corolla? »
the dealer or even autozone has a diagram of how to replace the lock. I would go ahead and replace it and make sure it is very well lubricated. That WAS all you needed at first, but now, you should replace it. Good Luck
the easiest way is to replace the lock assembly but a locksmith could repair the lock,make sure that its not the key causing trouble,try a new key first
Use the number off your key tags to order a new ignition lock with the proper keys for your car. If it isn’t available for your car, a locksmith can re-key your ignition lock so it will work with the door and trunk locks. It isn’t too hard to replace it your self.
I just have one thing to add to the good answers given. If you have a lot of keys, bangles and ornaments on your key chain that weigh a ton, that alone often causes the early death of an ignition switch. So, after you replace it with a proper dealer lock, re-evaluate how much stuff you need to carry and lighten the load as much as possible. Sometimes a detachable car key that clips on and off your main set of keys works well and is still convenient.