30 Keynotes June 2024 aloa.org Toyotas have always been easy to work on. There is almost always a code stamped on the passenger door lock. The only problem is getting the door lock out. They usually have screws holding the lock on, which are inside the door. After a number of years, these screws can become corroded and are very diffi- cult to get out. If you take the lock apart to make a key, the depths are usually stamped on the tumblers. Just remember that in Toyota, the depths are reversed. A No. 4 or 5 depth is the shallowest. Nissans (the old Datsun) are easy to work on also. The passenger door lock will have a code on it, but it has an internal clip. Before starting, look in the glove box. The older Datsuns had the code number on a piece of paper stuck to the lid of the glove box. Sometimes it had the “X” in front of the code, and sometimes it did not. Just add the “X” to the number, look up your code and cut the key. Sometimes it is easier to pick the trunk and work on that lock. These suggestions will only work if the car does not have aftermarket locks on it. All but GM can be impressioned. Impressioning is an important skill to learn for a locksmith. Take a class and practice, just not with car locks. GM and 10-cut Ford can be impressioned, but it takes skill. Also, check the glove box and see if the dealer has written the code in the owner’s manual or (with GM) put the knockouts from the keys in the glove box. On the imported Volkswagen Beetles, look for a key under black plastic tape on the firewall in the hood or in the wash box. They frequently put them there in case the keys were lost in transit. A good reference for working on some classic cars is the STRATTEC (Briggs and Stratton) Big Red Book. You can download it from the STRATTEC website. Progressing a GM 6-Cut Glove Box Lock What do you do if you have a GM door or trunk lock with no code on it? Easy — you progress the key. Check to see if it has a locking glove box. Most of the older GMs did. First, you need to remove the glove box plug. Then you can insert a blank key and read the 4 wafers. Cut these depths. Most of these locks had the depth number stamped on them. However, it may be hard to get the tumblers out with some of these. Now, in 4 blanks you can cut all the possible combinations for the door and/ or trunk locks. First, remember that the MACS for a 6-cut GM is 2. You can never have a 1 next to a 4, as it would cut away the seating of the 1 cut. Also, the sum of all the cuts for a GM 6-cut key will always be an even number. With these facts, you can figure and cut all the possible combinations to get a working key. The matrix would be: 11 12 13 14 15 21 22 23 24 25 31 32 33 34 35 41 42 43 44 45 51 52 53 54 55 When you take away the impossible to cut combinations (MACS violations), you are left with: 11 12 13 21 22 23 24 31 32 33 34 35 42 43 44 45 53 54 55 Cut your first blank 11xxxx. The Xs are your known cuts. Then, if that does not work, cut the same blank 12, then 13, then 24, then 35, then 45, then 55. You have now cut 7 of the possible combina- tions on the one key. Now cut your second blank 21xxxx. If that does not work, cut 22, then 23, then 34, then 44, then 54. You have now cut 13 of the possible combinations on two blanks. Now cut your third blank 31xxxx. Try it, and if it does not work, recut it 32, then 33, then 43 and finally 53. You have now cut all but one possible combination on three blanks. That only leaves you with 42xxxx to try. As you can see by cutting down the blanks, you have now tried all possibili- ties on four blanks. In actuality, you will have probably hit the right combination before you get to the last blank. Most GM glove box locks will use 3-6 for the spaces. However, some may use different spaces. For these, just adjust the matrix to match the unknown cuts. It will still work the same. Note that there is a second way that you can cut all possibles on 3 key blanks. First, cut 11xxxx, 12xxxx, 13xxxx, 42xxxx, 43xxxx, 53xxxx. Then 12xxxx, 22xxxx, 32xxxx, 33xxxx, 44xxxx, 54xxxx. Then 13xxxx, 23xxxx, 24xxxx, 34xxxx, 35xxxx, 45xxxx, 55xxxx. Bill Mandlebaum, CML, is the president of ALOA SPAI. Toyotas have always been easy to work on.
