Iginion key and lock

Craig:

G.M. has had a problem for a long time with this issue. The most common cause is the tumbler spring retainer not being tight enough and over time, it works itself out. The tolerances are pretty tight in the lock cylinder and it doesn't take much for the cylinder to start hanging up or not turning at all.

I have fixed hundreds of these locks, but it is beyond the expertise of the common man. If you start to take the cylinder apart and the tumblers fall out of the inner cylinder, you have a mess on your hands that you won't be able to figure out. You have to be able to "read" the key or have a measuring device to find out the cut depths to re-install the tumblers correctly. I have enough experience that I can look at a key and cut another one without using the original - GM only.

Your best course of action is to either 1) take the whole vehicle to a locksmith that has experience dealing with automotive locks OR 2) take it back to the dealer.

The dealer will most likely replace the lock cylinder with a new one. The locksmith will probably be able to repair it - so the locksmith will most likely be the most inexpensive way to go.

Never, ever put any kind of chemical in the lock cylinder slot. It will gum it up and render it useless eventually.

The key is cut on 47 degree angles so it will slide in and out past the tumblers and doesn't need lubrication of any kind.

On behalf of locksmiths everywhere, thank you. I don't do much car lock work any more, but some other locksmiths do.

Living in NY State, we have road salt to the extreme during the winter. I use 10W30 motor oil in door and trunk locks of vehicles. And powder graphite in the ignition.

Do yourself a favor and stop using 10W-30 motor oil in the door and trunk locks. Instead use:

MP is the product of choice for drying electrical and ignition systems and protecting electrical equipment from freshwater and saltwater damage. AMSOIL MP is also the product of choice for protecting firearms and other fine componentry. It contains no silicone. AMSOIL MP is compatible with plastic, leather, fabric, fishing line and paint. And for salt protection on body parts that come in contact with road salt use:

MPHD is the product of choice for metal surfaces that require a heavy duty lubricant or are exposed to the damaging effects of salt, moisture or chemical corrosion. It is ideal for hinges, wire ropes and springs, nuts and bolts, motorcycle or bicycle chains, and for undercoating wheelwells and other metal surfaces exposed to water, dirt or road salt.

I'm not a locksmith, and I do not play one on the internet either. Just a shade tree mechanic, and licensed communications contractor with varied skills and experience picked up over the years. I have always just used powdered graphite in locks. If I needed to fix that lock (sometimes replacement is not an option due to government headaches and inventory control measures) I take it to a lock smith to fix. However, I would like to add that my dad was a postal contractor for many years, and the recommended product for mail box locks in his post office was Super Lube. It's a silicon based spray lubricant. They were very specific. Just that brand. His little country store post office had 200 boxes and he usually had spare hardware for 10 or 20 boxes.