Should I intentionially sabotabe my locks/tumblers?
 

Alright - here is the deal

My car was broken into and my briefcase stolen (had my laptop and im 99% sure it had my Valet key in it) Long story short I got my car back. and Am slowly going thru things to try to make it less attractive to theives. I already got a nice tint job and im saving to have a Clifford GPS Tracking system installed.


My main concern right now is the chance that the theives might come back with valet key in hand and drive off like they own it. I wish i could move but I cant. I talked to my local dealer and there are two options:

1) for $1000 dollars I can have all the locks/tumblers/ignition replaced, this is the ideal solution but I can't afford that

2) (two parts) I'm having my ignition key recoded this week and the codes changed on the car so the valet key will not start the car. However they (in theory) would still be able to get IN my car, and if they REALLY wanted the car, would just throw it in neutral and tow it away.

I'd love to get my whole car rekeyed the RIGHT way so i wouldnt have to worry anymore but I Just dont have 1000 dollars laying around. My thought was: since I only use the remote keyless entry on the car, is there any way to personally disable the physical tumbler lock so that it does not function? If there was a REVERSIBLE way to disable the tumblers I'm 100% for it even if i have to take apart my door.

A harsh and somewhat less desireable way? You tell me.... superglue in the lock? I'm open to all ideas here people.

Thanks and have a great day

Was this an insurance claim? If it was shouldn't they pay to re-key the locks??

If not...I quess I would opt fot the re-program. Most theives wouldn't come back for the car.

Even if they did....your deductible must be much lower than 1K :D:

damn, thats a predicament... im guessing there might be a wire you can disconnect at the lock that might isolate it from the system... because when you turn the key, its all electronic i think, not mechanically connected to part that locks the door shut... but i could be very wrong...

i also never physically open any of the locks with my key (only with my remote), and would be able to easily live without them... so long as my remote batteries dont die, lol

If you can live with having two keys just get a used lock cylinder with key from a wreck. The Valet key only works on the door. Your remote should also still work, but the lost valet key wouldn’t. Try posting in the Mazmart forum for a lock cylinder with key.

If you filed a claim through your insurance company I'm sure they'd be willing to pay or help pay to have your locks redone. Hell if they start to give you any grief just say "Its either this or one day I call you up to tell you its stolen". Just tell them your valet key was in there and you dont wish to run the risk of another break in or worse. To me its common sence but most insurance companies dont have that sadly :(

I hope your job is paying you well man 'cause the last few months your car has been the neighbor hoods bitch.

thanks for the reply guys - im going to post in the mazmart site to see what I can dig up, gave me some good ideas.

Insurance wouldnt pay for it - they already covered 3K in damage for this situation and wouldnt cover any more.

Hey expo - if i understand your idea correctly, if I get a used lock cylinder with key I could replace all that stuff in there and then just continue using my remote unlock FOB, correct? I wouldnt absolutly have to carry around two keys, but if i ever wanted to physically unlock my drivers side I'd need the "used" key.

One last question - someone said that the valet key only works on the door... is that ONLY the drivers door? or both the passenger and drivers door? if someone has their valet key laying around would you be so kind as to check for me?

Calvius - work does pay well, but they are still cock munchers for not putting me up in an apartment that has private garages. (not to mention it would save 1000/month) The actual neighborhood I'm in isnt bad, but its an area with a LOT of hotels, and apparently the "hotel area" is targeted for crime due to all the travelers.

If ONE more thing happens to my car - im outta here, i will pay out of my OWN pocket to live in an apartment. It will suck to have a lot less income due to paying for my own place/private garage etc but yeah... my poor car sitting out in the open all the time.

Speaking of which its time to go tuck my car in (car cover time)

Keep the ideas coming :)

do you have a lock cylinder on your passenger side door handle??

Cheap....
 

To fix this cheaply, you would first need to get the locks out, a body shop can best do this, about $100.

Take them all to a good locksmith, explain the problem. They can re-arrange the order of the existing pins, and cut your remaining keys a little deeper where it counts - bottom line, for $150 tops, he can make the valet key unusable.

Papa was a locksmith, I picked up enough of the magic to know it's an easy fix.

S

There is no tumbler lock on passenger side and the valet key does not work in the trunk tumbler, so if you switch out the driver door tumbler with a used one from a junk yard and then never use it you will be safe from somebody trying to get into your car.

Honestly, if someone wants to get in your car they'll just break the window. I never leave anything of value in my car.

yes corners: i realize that there is nothing of value in my car the interior is bare as can be. My concern is with them perhaps coming back getting in the car and throwing it into neutral and popping the handbrake and then pulling it out on ropes or something like that. Maybe im really paranoid, but having a key to gain access to the inside of the car (even if they couldnt start it) really worries me.

Maybe you just need a Little more security gaurding your 8

http://img55.photobucket.com/albums/...dget24-med.jpg

but in all seriousness, posting a thread about sabatoging your tumblers might not be the smartest thing to do.

Have you thought of getting a push button starter and removing the key ignition all together? You'll still need to have a master key to prime the push button, it might be cheaper then replacing all the locks rendering the valet key useless

There is a clip you can remove in the door to disable the lock.

John

I think you should just bite the bullet and save $1000 to get the job done right. It's going to make it easier if you ever want to sell the car. Trying to sell a car with f* uped locks is not going to fly with most people.

Besides, peace of mind is probably worth it to me. It's an expensive lesson to learn.

why exactly would the "valet" key not work in the ignition?

I know mine does, not for an rx8, but i thought that was the point of the valet key.....to give to a valet so if something happens you dont lose one of the original keys and it is a lot more difficult to copy?

also my take on disabling the tumblers would be that if the system is electronic you should just be able to cut the power to them. But i would imagine that this would also prevent them from unlocking with the key fob also because the same trigger would be activated by the reciever in the car?

That makes a lot of sense. Even if you get a body shop to take the cylinders out (and put them back aftewards) and have a locksmith re-key, you've now got a car with an unknown key code. So if you lose your key, calling Mazda for assistance won't do you any good.

Toxin, that $1000 will be less money than getting an apartment on your own. Also keep in mind the MO of the guys who ripped you off, and avoid the kind of behavior that attracted them. I know I learned my lesson after I had a car broken into.

If you do nothing and those guys do come back and steal your car using the valet key, remember that you're insured, and your insurance company decided that re-keying wasn't worthwhile.

Ken

[QUOTE=mac11]why exactly would the "valet" key not work in the ignition?
QUOTE]

My understanding was that the valet key is for the ignition only (maybe the drivers side door), it's so the valet can't get to the other areas you can lock off by key.

right but it should still work the ignition is what i am saying.

That is correct. The valet key will ONLY work on the drivers door and start the car. I just comfirmed that with mine.

VVV

what does VVV mean?

I don't see how having a tint job and keeping it under a car cover would make it less attractive to thieves? Surely they will go for the car that appears to have "something worth hiding". Car covers get pulled off all the time by nasty folks thinking there might be something worthwhile underneath like a collector car.

If it was me, I'd get under the dash and install a temporary breaker switch to cut the power to the ignition - just a 99c switch from radioshack should do the trick. Then save up the $1k for the new lock job.

Well - we all know that no matter what we do if someone REALLY wants something in the car or the car itself no alarm, no tint, no locks, are going to stop them.

All I'm trying to do is make it less attractive - if they cant see whats in the car, or if anyone is in it. A car cover (mine is locked to the car) is one more thing they have to get thru to get to the car.

I'm having my keys recoded such that the valet kill will NOT start the car anymore. If i cn disable the keyhole/tumbler to where it wont function or seeing about getting a used tumbler/key and only using it IF my remote key battery failed.