Fix and Rekey a Car or Truck Door Lock | Lock Cylinder

I'll show you how I fixed and rekeyed the broken door lock cylinder on my Toyota Camry. It's an easy and simple process to rekey a car or truck door lock and doing it myself saved me quite a bit of money. You don't need a locksmith to fix or rekey a car or truck door lock cylinder.

[@johnaitken2300]

Hey, thanks. My '88 Canter crane truck fell over a wall 4 years ago and although I could buy most of the parts to glue it back together, the only driver's side door I could find was in Queensland (I'm in Perth Western Australia, 4000kms from Queensland). The thing delivered was a bit like the door in the photos once I'd drained off the glass cubes I'd hoped would be a window, but you take what you can in the most isolated city on the planet. What I didn't know then but do now, is the door was cursed. I should have allowed for that because things from Queensland often are. To ease the pain of the falling over the wall thing I’d spent a few extra bucks hoping we could re-bond while the vapours of fresh paint where still intoxicating. So, three months and $17,000 later I proudly reversed it out of the panel shop into my hire truck. The driver’s side door absorbed what a brake pedal or steering wheel would have in the hands of a competent operator. I haven’t repaired it. Like a head on a pike, it mocks misplaced confidence. I suspect Queensland was a parts bin toilet for unsaleable Canter models because no available parts fitted “the door”, including the lock. Thanks to you and you’re vid I can now lock “the door” without a 1.5m length of fencing wire to hook the knob from the passenger door. Funny thing is, no one bothered stealing it in the 4 years it’s been unlockable anyway. 😊

[@musangamfuraclement9791]

Very understandable tanks a lot for your skills you shared with your subscribers

[@virginiawilliams8947]

Me and locks don’t get along so I’m really impressed

[@frugaldiy1]

I get that. It can be a bit time consuming to rekey a lock.

[@selahtaylor4049]

You are amazing! You are so easy to follow and understand. Thank you so much.

[@frugaldiy1]

Thank you, selah, for your supportive and kinds words. They mean a lot to me--truly. It was a fun project to rekey my car, and it saved me a bunch of money. ;)

[@rayrobinson3015]

Just what I needed to know. Bought two new lock cylinders for my 99 Toyota. Found a complete set of pins Toyota on E bay . Got about 10 of each (1-4) for about $10. Your video was the best on U-tube. You made it very easy for anyone to understand. Thought it would be much more complicated than it really is! Thank you very much for the great video!.

[@frugaldiy1]

You're welcome, Ray. I just love to hear that one of my videos helped someone DIY and save money, so thank you for taking the time to comment and let me know. I appreciate that. It's kind of a fun project to rekey your vehicle. Happy DIYing!

[@justaskwhy1]

This is an excellent video.

[@frugaldiy1]

Thank you. I hope it helps you. Rekeying the lock cylinder myself saved me over $100. It's so easy too. :)

[@vera4799]

Love your vedios but this task would be too difficult for me. Thanks for your help.

[@frugaldiy1]

Oh no ma'am it won't, Ms. Irma! Please don't say that! Please tell me why you think you can't rekey a lock? You don't have to go to a junk yard to get another cylinder lock because you can buy the pins/wafers online. I just go to the junk yard because I'm so frugal a penny screams leaving my hands. :)

[@bluebayeux]

So in concept I totally understand this video. Great job btw. But here's what I don't understand. Let's say I buy a brand new car door lock cylinder (2007 Escalade for me). Is it going to have all of the necessary pins needed? For instance, if it comes with 8 pins, are all of them going to fit my key once I get the order correct? Or will I have to purchase additional pins in case a number is used more than once?

[@frugaldiy1]

No, the brand new car door lock may not have all of the necessary pins numbers for your vehicle's keyed lock cylinder. The key to your vehicle's car door lock is specific to the lock cylinder based on the numbered pins and their placement/location in the lock cylinder. So, you may have to purchase additional pins to get the correct numbered pins. I'd look on eBay for those pins.

[@bluebayeux]

@@frugaldiy1 Ok thank you. That's what I thought.

[@nunyabznz3029]

If you don't have a certain pin and omit it at that location entirely, will the lock still function despite less secure?

[@frugaldiy1]

No, nunya, it will not. For the lock/lock cylinder to function, all pins have to be in place and match the "code" on the key. The "codes" meaning the peaks and valleys of the key.

[@slaternapier1640]

Could someone point me to an ebay page that sells the pin set for Scion (Toyota) door locks? i'm struggling to find anything other than home lock sets. My phob isn't working all the time and my key only matches the ignition..

[@bluebayeux]

Are the tiny springs different? Can't you just put one in a slot and keep trying the pins until one lines up and then repeat?

[@frugaldiy1]

No, the tiny springs are not different, but I like to place them back into the locations they came from. I think it will work just fine if some get relocates. Make sure to clean out the lock cylinder while you have it apart. Then, before you put the lock cylinder back into your vehicle, lubricate the lock cylinder with either white lithium grease (spray is fine) or silicone lubricant spray. I prefer silicone because it's easy to re-lube the cylinder locks several times a year to keep them in good working order.

[@bluebayeux]

@@frugaldiy1 Excellent! Thank you :)))