I recently purchased a 1995 Toyota Avalon LXS. What I didn't notice until after I bought is that the keys will not open the doors nor will they open the trunk. They do start the engine. The remote will unlock and lock the doors.
Any idea as to what could be causing this behavior?
Thanks Bob
When I say the keys won't open the doors or the trunk, I mean that the keys won't turn.
There are 4 possible causes:
1) The previous owner always used the remote to unlock and lock the doors and the lock became gummed over time. Try using Lock-Ease in the aerosol can to see if you can free up the lock.2) The previous owner always used the remote and use the key only in the ignition, so the key and ignition lock wore differently from the door and trunk locks.
3) The ignition key is an imperfect copy and it happens to work in the ignition but not in the other locks.4) The ignition lock was changed at one time.
Sure, if there is not a different key for access via the door or to the trunk, then at some point the ignition lock was changed
mike
Could the guy have just been given a valet key or do those open doors?
Thanks for the quick response. I'm going to try the lock-ease and if that doesn't work I guess it's off to Toyota to get a new key cut. If I have to use one for the doors and one for the ignition, it's not a big problem.
They don't appear to be valet keys I think the folks who have said the ignition lock was changed are probably right.
The valet key opens the front doors.
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