Worn ignition cylinder help pls.

My truck is an 01 and just this week ive begun having a repetitious issue of not being able to easily start my truck. The worn key and likely worn cylinder add up to an qnnoying problem ha. Can i easily re-key a new ignition cylinder so i do not have to change my door locks too. I am going to get new keys cut at toyota using the vin#. to sew if that helps for now

 

if the new cut key doesn't help then I can help you fix it for free and all you need is a dremel tool and a file

PM me if you need help, I did mine a few months back

 

I am lucky I have friends that are lock smiths . I get lock cylinders rekeyed all the time.

Just how did your locks get worn so hard??

 

Two years ago my key got stuck in the cylinder, unable to move.

Had it rekeyed.

 

well i had a key cut using the vin#, it works much better but i can tell the cylinder is worn too. i may just buy a new cylinder since ive been told its crazy easy to change them and just have it re keyed before i put it in. but my key had chips and was slightly twisted upon closer inspection.

 

Why don't you try spraying some graphite spray in there to see if it'll make things easier on you?

 

Your on the right track, the key cylinder is not hard to do and is pretty cheap. Change it now and be done with it.

 

My 1998 Tacoma with only 270,000mi started this for the first time today. I tapped on the key with a screwdriver handle and got lucky and it turned.
Clymer manual says to disable the air bag system, remove the steering wheel and steering column covers but I am not sure that is necessary is it ?
cant I just remove the bottom panel and IGN switch cover (bezel) then as it says : "Insert a small screwdriver into the hole in the bottom of IGN switch and pull it out" ...?

does this switch have a rack and lever that presses on another switch like Ford has ?
it makes a pretty loud click when i pull the key out sometimes is why i wonder

 

the key has to be in ACC to remove the lock cylinder.

It never hurts to disconnect the negative battery cable when working so close to a bomb ready to go off.

 

Yep ACC didnt post entire instruction thanks , I can see how the roadside steering wheel bomb could possibly go off if romoving the steering wheel but just removing the bottom panel and IGN lock ? .....well ok do it anyway , bomb squad safety 101 , CHECK

 

no need to disconnect battery and no danger of airbag going off for this job, if your going into the steering wheel then yes you should disconnect the battery for that.

the switch has a slot on the back that turns the switch, it also has a rod on the outside of the lock cylinder that is for the steering lock.

to remove the cylinder lock you first have to remove the dash trim around radio, then remove the lower dash panel under steering wheel and this allows the trim around the ignition switch to be removed. i mention this because the video below picks it up after all that had already been done.

here is a video that's shows you how to remove the cylinder lock, see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0CRdsFtWdQ

after you get it out you should test it to see if its really a problem with the lock cylinder or something else going on.

once you are sure the issue is in the lock cylinder, carefully dremel off the part of the rivets on the back side of the face plate that stick up so the front face can be carefully pried off. DO NOT DRILL OUT THE RIVETS< YOU NEED TO REUSE THEM.

next, with the face plate removed, insert the key to hold everything in place and slide the inner cylinder with the tumblers out. as long as the key is in place nothing can fall out. now carefully file the brass keyways that are sticking up until you can no longer feel them protruding above the surface and when this is done you lock is as good as new now.

what happens is over time the inside slot of the keyway gets worn and start letting it stick up until it hits the locking slot and that's when the key wont turn until you "jiggle it" so by filing it down you restore the correct shape to thing while still maintaining you unique key security. when you are done put the inner cylinder into the cylinder shell and test it for function. if everything is copasetic then press the face plate back on and use a punch to tap on the rivets to secure it. even though the rivets no longer stick out they will still expand to hold it firmly in place.

 

Hey thank you VERY much Keaker !
will save me a lot of trouble being able to service it myself

it wont even turn by jiggling anymore. Tried every jiggle ritual combination and the only thing that got me home was tapping on the end of the key with a screwdriver handle and chanting eastern prayers. Once it starts turning it will turn every time ....until I REMOVE the key, then its back to prayer

 

To each there own .

I always disconnect things Then I am a klutz

But having to buy a Hydraulic control computer @ $1800.00 caused by a slip of a screw driver .

I might be paranoid!!

 

sometimes just flipping the key over can do it or pull it completely out and back in can be "just enough" to get it to turn sometimes. I know exactly how aggravating it is to do this 15-20 times every time before you can start your truck lol.

if the brass keyway sticks up even as little as a 64th of an inch it jams and wont turn because the clearances in there are that tight. also before you retap the rivits be sure to rub some lithium grease in good everywhere in the cracks of the inner cylinder so it works smooth as new. after all, the last time it had grease or lube in there was 15 years ago lol.

 

yep none of the key rituals worked
I got it working now thanks to your help

One of the two piece tumblers was completly shot and I could not get it to retract fully with the key in so I just left it out . I think that was the true perpetrator.
the two pieces of tumbler lost enough tolerance from were that they would fall out of place with the springs and jam
that must be why it only works by tapping until the stuck tumbler falls back into place
I did clean up the buggered cast aluminum cylinder body but it was still sticking until I removed the worn out tumbler
should be good for another couple hundred thousand

I tried to load pics but now my Flicker app is jamming too
could be worse

Hey thanks again

 

glad your all sorted now, its amazing how such a tiny little thing can cause so much damn headaches

 

I just removed the four 10mm bolts on the bottom panel and dropped it out of the way, leaving the hood latch in place, the mid dash console is just snapped in place . just pull out on the fan, air circ, and heater temp control knobs and set aside , then pry out on the radio dash just enough to get the key cover off , it just snaps out too :


then just put in the key and if it wont turn tap on the end until the tumblers drop and lets it turn to the ACC detent,
remove the light ring if it has one and poke in the stopper button while pulling out on the key
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Here is the removed tumbler that was sticking :

You can see it second up from bottom (one side or the other will not drop :


here is the burred diecast aluminum cylinder bore before de-burring with a file :

 

looks like that keyway got bent, most likely by trying too hard to turn the key one time

one note about the above description, you forgot to mention the ash tray and bracket need to be removed along with the floor dash trim around the dash hump so you can get to the screws holding the dash trim in place. there is one screw behind the ash tray bracket and 2 or 3 more behind the heater control cover plate.

the heater control cover plate needs to be snapped off after removing the control knobs. be careful not to lose the inner metal "D" shaped sleeves inside them when you remove the control knobs. unsnap the heater control cover plate by starting on the right side working left and gently lifting it straight outward.