Absolute Noob Fixes Honda Civic Ignition Lock Cylinder EASILY

NO NEW PARTS.
My 2004 01-05 Honda Civic key won't turn. So I start taking it apart to try to fix it myself. This video documents the process so you can see exactly how I fixed this problem.
No need to buy a new ignition assembly - this is easy to repair yourself.
Just remove the Ignition Lock Cylinder - this takes some work.. I had to drill next to the roll pin to pry it out. There's a specific tool set to do this non-destructively, but who knows where to find one?!
Once I took out the cylinder, I show how I removed the broken lock wafer.
This is a split wafer lock design - which makes it challenging to pick. But also, this design is prone to failure after about 15 years. After the repair, we just gotta hope another wafer doesn't get jammed. When it does, we can just take it all apart & repair the problem again.
I hope you find this helpful - although it's more of a 'watch me do' rather than a 'how to' video.

[@cartdog3]

I'm a locksmith in Australia and just charged AUD$700 to attend site, diagnose, take the lock apart, remove the broken wafer, reassemble and make a new key since the customer's existing key was worn. Great work getting it done yourself, it's amazing what you can find online to DIY.

[@hewittmcelroy3711]

You tackled a daunting task, did your research, pulled the trigger and succeeded. Way to go, man, you nailed it. Do not be discouraged by the negative comments. As far as the suggestions go regarding replacing all of the wafers, one can certainly inspect the rest for wear and simply remove them as well. Cheers!

[@Levisrad]

Thanks so much for the encouraging comment! I appreciate this greatly!

[@hewittmcelroy3711]

@@Levisrad Hi! Just tackled this same project yesterday on my 2008 Honda Odyssey and wanted to let you know that your video was very helpful. Cheers!

[@diamonddetails9445]

Not all heroes wear a blue and red cape... Thank you for your help Sir 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅

[@ViliBogdan]

Just used this video to fix the ignition on my 2004 Civic. Thanks for the video!

[@nikhilf50]

Thank you so much for this. I replaced the cylinder entirely with one from Amazon. Took me 20 mins and $20. Dealer quoted me $1100 for this 🤯

[@Levisrad]

Nice work! I’m glad it helped!

[@kyussman76]

I watched atleast 20 videos of this and yours is by far the most straight forward and easiest to understand.. from one noob to another, thank you so much!!! Locksmith quoted me $550 and i would have us to wait 3 weeks. Fixed in under 2 hours!!

[@Levisrad]

thanks! I’m really glad this video was useful for ya.

[@robingram9515]

Thanks for the video, I was able to do this start to finish in about two hours, if you plan for a four hour window you can probably knock it out. I went ahead and pulled all the wafers and springs out so I won't have to worry about it again :) Thanks, drilling the hole right along side the roll pin was the saving grace for me, just started picking at it and in about 5 min the ignition came loose and then it was non-stop until I finished it.

[@Levisrad]

Awesome to hear! That's great that you were able to get it done in so little time! Congrats!!

[@hanjikidda]

Thanks for your help brother I fixed mine 2010 honda civic Saved alots of money thanks

[@powerthoughtsontools4831]

Im so glad that you were able to pull out your cylinder and pull out the tiny pins for full seperation of the internals. It makes me so glad when, through youtube, people learn from each other about knowledge they can gather to empower themselves, and stave off the high, unnecssary bills of a shop overpricing a person.

[@Levisrad]

Yeah man you're totally right - this community is a great help for folks who want to dig into stuff and fix it themselves. Power to the people!

[@Jon-jk8vd]

Thank you for making this video, it saved me. This is the best vid and a precise solution. This problem all started when I accidently inserted a Nissan key into my ignition, since then it took 5-10 minutes of fiddling to get the key to turn, and it grew worse each time. After a successful start, as long as I didn't remove the key from the ignition, the key could continue to be turned, so I just left the key in the ignition like this and locked the car door with the second key for about a week. The FOB wouldn't work with the key in the ignition. This fix took me about 2 hours, although it could be done much faster on a second attempt. I spent most of the time fiddling with drilling the hole and removing the pins. I had to drill both directions like you said at 1:28. There are other videos with closer detail on drilling the holes. At 4:21, drill this hole; I was able to jimmy out the pin without drilling, but next time around I will drill it so you can slide a punch through it and punch out the pin and save a lot of time messing around. Remove that brass arm clip over a table, there will be a tiny spring and pin that will fly out and can become easily lost. When you finally pull out the tumbler, the bad wafer will be sticking up with the key in it. Keep the key in to prevent losing the wafers as you said. *To remove the bad wafer* - With the key in the tumbler, I wrapped the tumbler with electrical tape to keep all the tumblers in place and left the bad one exposed, I then removed the key and pulled the bad one out with needle nose pliers. I did this because I felt it would be too difficult and risky to lose control of the wafers. Also take pictures as you move along to help with orientation. Also when removing the one difficult brass screw near the beginning, I had a cheap #2 Phillips with a 90 degree bend laying around. When also removing the top cover, the tabs will likely break, I am currently attempting to superglue them.

[@user-ty4gw2ov4r]

Brooo!!! IT WORKED!! THANK YOU! it took me three hours total and I did it all in one Sunday afternoon lol I had to watch three other videos including yours to cross reference everything but I did the research and everything came out great!!

[@Levisrad]

Congrats man! Im so glad you were able to get it fixed. Good work!

[@rcarioca]

Two hours ? That is an overly optimistic estimate.

[@sergiuszciskowski8354]

There you go 😊 now I can start ignition with an ice cream stick

[@calebcontreras3545]

My dear friend I'm a locksmith myself and that repair goes for only $200 of course I live in GA, but what you didn't think about was that replacing or removing only 1 wafer/tumbler only fix the problem temporarily because all the others one will go bad eventually, best scenario is to replace them all and cut a new key for $85; BTW we do fix those without no drilling nor damage to the cylinder or housing itself.

[@Levisrad]

You're totally right! My method is really just a short term 'hack' fix with some serious flaws. If I could've afforded it and deemed that the car was worth putting the money into in that area, I definitely would've had it done properly. The prices you've cited sound totally reasonable to me. I wish it was that affordable here. If it were that price here, it would've been a no-brainer to have it done properly by professionals. I also like your idea of having all the locks replaced (if I'm comprehending that properly). That wasn't offered to me, but it seems totally logical. There's only 3 locks on this car so it doesn't seem like 'that much' more work to just replace them all while you're at it. I assume that would've costed me a lot more here as well. At the end of the day my whole reason behind attempting to 'fix' this myself and make a video about it is just to challenge myself and learn about how stuff works. Thanks for your comment, I think you have a valuable perspective on this!

[@pouncerminned863]

@@Levisrad he meant replacing the wafers in that single ignition lock. But hey, if it’s not important and it works, then your good to go!

[@akimateru7980]

I got changed 11 hundreds for mine to get removed and repaired.. I don't know why this guy charge me so much to get mine replaced..400 dollars to get the parts replace and 700 dollars for labor..

[@blazeboyblazeboy4470]

​@@Levisrad I took all.my tumblers out. The car still needs ur transponder key to start even tho a screwdriver may turn the.ignition.with all removed. Bitnit won't fail again.

[@MrYega-zq7rz]

I'm poor

[@charlestaylor3195]

I had a Honda Civic with a stick shift, that was a fun car. Same thing happen to it and now to my current Honda.

[@Levisrad]

They’re good cars! But yeah unfortunately they sometimes give us headaches with little problems like this. Best of luck in your repair!

[@charlestaylor3195]

@@Levisrad Getting ready to take the $180 new one back, thanks to your video. It's not high quality, just high priced. The other one in town was $335.00, but was unavailable wtf.

[@libin8m]

Thanks bro. Great help for me. I just did it. It was tough to repair the lock and did it with the help of some other videos. You saved me a lot of time and money.

[@Levisrad]

I’m glad it worked for you!

[@sergeb.1717]

On my 2007 accord, when removing the cylinder, it seizes the whole part and I think it's done on purpose. I put the cylinder back, but it wasn't turning. When you pull that cylinder out, it hooks and brings the inside part a tiny bit forward and it's no longer turning after this. Have to remove the whole assembly to have access to depress the steering wheel locking part and then the internal lever can be pushed back slightly. It clicks and starts operating as normal. It's super sensitive on mine, I played around and not able to remove cylinder without it locking it. Guess the idea is - if somone rips this cylinder out, they still need to go through the tamper screws.

[@user-ty4gw2ov4r]

I just had my car try being broken into, so I replaced the front drivers side door lock cylinder.. I bought the new kit at auto zone for like 45$ bucks and the kit included 1 door lock and 1 non-transponder key (spare key).... it took me a couple hours to get my door apart and to install the new door lock and reassemble door... install came out great! but now i have 2 keys on my ring.. later that day i went to the grocery store and unlocked my car and was in a hurry to get home.. I accidently put the wrong key inside the ignition and jammed / wore the wafers inside and now my car won't turn over / start.. the ignition has seized.. I've done a lotta research so far to figure out what i need to do as far as repair my car and basic repairs of ordering parts and getting a locksmith to reprogram new keys runs any where to 850 to 1100 US dollars.. SO with that said, I am glad to have run into this video and I will be giving this a shot because the risk is worth giving it a try myself, just to remove the wafers that are worn. Worst case scenario, I send the ignition cylinder/ Barrel into a locksmith and get the wafers rebuilt with the original key.. THANK YOU for the vid!!!

[@sssaracha]

Hey! Did this end up working for you?

[@jeffwest5551]

👏 Nice job. I may be trying this on an 07 civic. Same problem.

[@Levisrad]

I hope it works out for ya!

[@broccolihart1]

I just went waferless myself on my 03 element....saved a buttload of money.

[@Levisrad]

Awesome to hear! Good work!

[@ryantrafford3988]

What an inspiration. And I actually burst out laughing when the chest sound from Zelda came on

[@Levisrad]

hahahah thank you. That was a big breakthrough!

[@jred23pyro]

Thanks for the vid. Earlier today I didn't even know of this method I was bummin it thinkin I was gonna have to do the new whole new key and new parts. I just need to get a drill and some picks. Mine started acting up today. I'm lucky to find ur vid lol. Wish me luck 🤞

[@Levisrad]

You’re very welcome! I hope it goes well for you. There is also a ‘roll pin extraction tool/kit’ you might be able to find at some auto parts stores, or maybe even borrow from a mechanic if you know any. That’s significantly less destructive. But for an old car, drilling into it like I did works just fine if you don’t mind the damage it causes. Best of luck in your repair!

[@wallywally3738]

In the hood where I’m from this is called Tweekin 😂

[@jasonkeuma1986]

A friend was quoted from the dealership $1110 to replace her ignition lock cylinder assembly. We will be doing this tomorrow. I’ll post the ease of this task tomorrow

[@jasonkeuma1986]

One hour. Start to finish

[@Levisrad]

Awesome. Glad it was a quick fix for ya. You saved a good chunk of change! Good work man!

[@estebanego7887]

Great video, it helped me a lot when doing it. I also decided to try to fix this after watching Lockpickinglawyer, in my case I had to buy new pins due to the old ones being bent. Luckily for me I didn't need to drill anything.

[@Levisrad]

Thanks for checking it out and I'm glad it was useful for ya. Good job on getting the fix done especially without having to drill it out! Cheers!

[@dogbounty6399]

The world is yours and all that is in it.,,, awesome win.

[@user-gp8xp3rw4b]

Good form young brother, perseverance pays off; "Dare to know! Have the courage to use your own intelligence"! ~Immanuel Kant~ Hooah

[@cayrick]

Nice video and well explained with all your trials and tribulations. My first inclination was to buy a new keylock assy. from AMZN and run around with 2 keys but you inspired me to try and get the old one working. Thanks!

[@rcarioca]

some important steps missing : the hard ones in removing switch. Take photos of which holes are keyed on the cylinder . Don't remove key yet. Once the key is removed , the pins and springs will all pop out and fly everywhere and you will lose track of what goes where. Thus, carefully and slowly remove key while holding down on the spring loaded keys on both sides of cylinder with the fingers. Orientate the cylinder with pins up and finger on reverse holding the pins on the bottom. Slowly remove the top fingers. Now you can remove the pins noting position and number because if you mess up, at least you know how to put it back together.

[@Levisrad]

thanks for the feedback! This is really helpful info so thanks for sharing it here!

[@theworldisnotenough5185]

good job thanks for sharing

[@Levisrad]

Thanks!

[@eduardoacosta7398]

I had the same issue and sprayed some wd40 dry lube and it worked like a charm.

[@Levisrad]

that's awesome! I'll have to try that next time!

[@WeightlessFloatCenterKY]

Surprisingly easy. Just did mine.

[@tunertorquetv]

My lord does this ever look like Calgary area! Great video!

[@Levisrad]

It is Calgary area! Haha thanks so much

[@IfYouOnlyKnew_648]

FML, i don't have the right tools, and I'm now stranded. My POS 07 key won't turn at all now Started yesterday after the key was only going halfway in at 1st The key goes all the way in, and the lights come on but refuses to turn LOVELY

[@Levisrad]

That’s terrible, sorry to hear that. That’s a case where I’d recommend going with the mobile locksmith or having it towed. They’ll have the proper methods for fixing this properly. My approach is hack-y and destructive. Best of luck with it!

[@forumrider86]

I appreciate your video!

[@jacobgomez2682]

He got a like from me when he said "every person passing thought he was stealing the car lol

[@zzzonezz]

Could not have done this without your video. Thank You for uploading it. It took me about 4 to 5 hrs and its was a bitch. Ha. I used a grinder to get at the first pin and a drill for the second one. That second one is tough. It's really stuck. I used a C-clap like a vice to push it out with a flat skinny nail.

[@Levisrad]

Thanks for the comment! I'm super glad to hear that this video was useful to you! Also that C clamp technique is a good trick, good thinking there.

[@blazeboyblazeboy4470]

If ur careful u can take all the tumblers out of the ignition tumbler

[@johnguzman6374]

Thanks big dawg you just saved me a lot of money!

[@Levisrad]

Glad it was useful and worked for you!

[@leonstitanius8377]

Honda Civic Ex coup 2012, having heaps of trouble removing the the back screw for the immobilizer ring? It seems to be the only screw holding the immobilizer ring, instead of 3 screws? Is there a special screwdriver for this tight spot?

[@Levisrad]

I just looked up "2012 civic immobilizer exploded view" in images to see the diagrams. See if it's accessible from below. If you haven't already, try a mini ratchet that can hold the appropriate bit, or bit adapter. If there's not enough clearance for that, It might just be inaccessible while that assembly is mounted. If that is the case, you may be best off removing the security bolts on top of the column, and replacing that lock cylinder assembly. The new kits are fairly inexpensive. I could be totally wrong; as I've never worked on a 2012 model. Best of luck to ya. I hope this is useful info!

[@kweliwamungu9549]

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is what I needed

[@Levisrad]

I'm so glad this was useful to you! Thanks for the comment friend & best of luck with it!

[@dekonfrost7]

Good job. You worked the problem. Thats the soul of engineering.

[@Levisrad]

Thanks for the encouraging comment!

[@duubtuub3071]

"...worst case, like if I totally mess this up, then I can hire a mechanic or a locksmith..." Don't misunderstand me, this is precisely my philosophy, but it has led me to scary places where I find myself in the middle of a horrible self-imposed debacle, with no apparent way out, knowing in my heart of hearts that if I have to bring in a professional at this point, it's going to cost at least TRIPLE the original amount. My advice from experience: take the rest of the day off and sleep on it.

[@pierrebarr]

Your video helped. Thanks

[@michaeljohnaudettejr3492]

That car is priceless and people will pay more than kbb says there Worth

[@markcavandish1295]

This is terrific! Thank you

[@ras9875]

Good job

[@ozstriker5281]

Awesomeness bro

[@Lord_Heroicus]

This video really saved my ass. Thanks

[@Levisrad]

I'm so glad it was useful to you. Good work on the fix my friend!

[@gmdaddyrocks7730]

If you remove all wafers, will the key turn? I don't want to replace tumbler either...as long as it turns

[@Levisrad]

Yes I believe it will still work. Then it’s really only the immobilizer keeping your car from starting. A friend of mine did this to a much older vehicle and could start it with a screwdriver. Not recommended but possible for sure!

[@royquesada5295]

Way to stick it out!!

[@user-ou5es1iw8e]

So i jist did this to my car but it will not start now. Everything turns on but i go to start car abd it does nothing

[@Levisrad]

Ah, sorry to hear that. If the key turns, maybe it's the immobilizer. Make sure it's connected Other than that, I'm not sure what it could be. It'll take a round of troubleshooting to find where the fault is, and then you may have to replace the part.

[@WPGinterceptor460Interceptor]

called the locksmith and he did it for 300$ parts and all, original key

[@Levisrad]

That's perfect! You got a good deal!

[@cutterhead13]

yea , good fix !

[@335ibimmer10]

Bro you saved my ass! Thank you so much

[@Levisrad]

Glad to hear this video was helpful! Thanks for the kind words!

[@patrickkeeney3763]

If you not carefull you can trigger the relocker in side the steering wheel lock.

[@Levisrad]

This is useful info! I hadn't even considered that before.

[@Temppy1]

a new cylinder are now $16 just move ur old chips into the new keys

[@Levisrad]

That’s perfect, thanks for the info!

[@Codzydawg66]

Can I still do this with the key still in?

[@Levisrad]

Im not entirely sure. I have a feeling the key might get in the way of some things, like the immobilizer ring. But I know sometimes that key can be stuck in there. If you can figure out what’s keeping the key stuck in there you might be able to find a way to get it free again. If I were in that situation I’d try to work around the key as much as possible, but at some point the key would have to be removed to fully take the assembly apart.

[@jennifetbarnhart844]

I have a 2001 Honda Civic and lost all keys help

[@Levisrad]

I'm so sorry to hear that. In that case, you'd be best off getting a professional come and cut you new keys, or replace the lock cylinder and include new keys with it.

[@zahkarii7933]

Is your fix still working to this day?

[@Levisrad]

Yes, it has held up!

[@ev3847]

@Levisrad I did the samething except send mine to a locksmith, I set everything back up and the key still doesn’t want to turn, do you have any advice?

[@Levisrad]

There could be something still jamming it causing it to not be able to turn. I'd remove the lock cylinder again, inspect each wafer & see if there's any still sticking out when you insert the key. If that doesn't lead to any solutions, inspect the spot where the lock cylinder goes, see if there's anything that could be causing it to be stuck. If you can't find what's wrong, you might be best off replacing the whole assembly which is what the locksmith would do for you. Also the steering column may be locked, preventing the key from turning. Sometimes wiggling/turning the steering wheel while trying to turn the key might unlock it. So sorry to hear about this & I hope you can find a solution!

[@ev3847]

@@Levisrad thanks for the advice! Also when I drilled the ignition out I didn’t see a roll pin, perhaps it fell into the lock cylinder and that is what’s stopping it from turning maybe? Not sure if that would be the reason

[@Levisrad]

@@ev3847 it definitely could be that. It seems really weird that there wasn't a roll pin in place when you pulled it out - that definitely makes me think it could be what's getting in the way.

[@ev3847]

@@Levisrad ya when I was drilling, the ignition just popped out randomly. Didn’t have to scrape the roll pin out or anything, looked everywhere outside, in my car don’t see the pin anywhere

[@mmiikamatias8401]

Do this works in honda accord 2006

[@Levisrad]

I'm not sure, I don't have any experience with that particular year/model. If you aren't sure about fixing it yourself, it's best to hire a pro to fix it properly, then you can have the peace of mind that it's been done correctly! Best of luck with whichever route you take!

[@gibgarberg7979]

Way to not zoom in on the pin part. It was a huge help you just saying drill into it! Wow, so great.

[@Levisrad]

Sorry fam, can’t always get it perfect.

[@Levisrad]

Sorry fam, can’t always get it perfect.

[@daproyaknow7056]

Call a locksmith...you need a new ignition and key

[@Levisrad]

Especially after hacking into it like I did

[@DETH_ADDR]

Fuck yeah man,

[@akimateru7980]

This guy charge me 11 hundreds dollars to get mine repaired am I getting ripped off?

[@Levisrad]

Depends on your area as that can drastically change the price for the work, but I’d say that you might be able to get it done cheaper. Don’t let them take you for a ride. Get a few quotes. If you’re handy, you could attempt to fix it yourself, but is it worth your time? Keep in mind my fix is basically a hack and not a proper fix. If you don’t have the tools/skills to do it yourself, definitely hire it out so you can get back on the road, but get a few quotes to secure the best price. Best of luck my friend!

[@ByStephenJones]

How to fix a lawnmower (joking…)

[@Levisrad]

honestly a lawnmower is probably harder to fix than this! haha

[@mikeneff832]

Lmao no one wants to fix your mess up. Either do it yourself or call someone before hand. Smh 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Melissa.Simmons]

Too much side talking.

[@Levisrad]

This is true

[@kevinwitt8827]

LOL, locksmiths don't hate you, you just don't understand. A locksmith will key the ignition to match your trunk and door. They wouldn't leave you with a mis-matched ignition like you stated at the beginning of the video. Also, sorry, but you didn't fix the problem, you just relieved a temporary symptom and set yourself up for future problems, thereby wasting even more time than you already did. There are tons of videos on youtube of people doing this exact same thing, thinking they're fixing things the right way. "Working properly" is a relative term, apparently.

[@Levisrad]

I wish the locksmith I had spoken with initially had offered to re-key the new lock to match my existing keys / locks, but they didn't, they only wanted to replace the part without matching the keys. I wish I had access to a better locksmith at the time! I know my hack-job fix a band-aid and not a proper fix. But if it gets me a few more months out of an old car that isn't worth much at all, I'll take it. Again, I wouldn't recommend this on a nice or expensive vehicle. Thanks for the feedback though sir!

[@kevinwitt8827]

@@Levisrad Good call, the locksmith should have explained that to you!

[@tonyacosta3918]

Dude...you talk way toooo much..!

[@Levisrad]

sorry fam I'll shut up 😉

[@Seantherightway06]

@@Levisrad to hell with that dude. You do you man.

[@Levisrad]

@@Seantherightway06 thanks friend!

[@oopskky]

Good job thanks for sharing

[@Levisrad]

Thank you!