how can i tell if my ignition is not the stock original?? what are the tell tale signs as i have never driven a zed that had a factory key...
a good guess would be if you take off the plastic surround around the steering column and have a look from the left hand side there is 2 bolts that hold the ignition barrel onto the steering column if they look like they have no head (these are called shear bolts) then chances are its original as most people dont bother buying new shear bolts and use regular bolts instead or they do what I did and cut a slit on the end of the shear bolt to allow for a flat screw driver and use the same shear bolts. You have to remember that these cars are 20 odd years old and over the years the original key would have worn so much that it wouldnt start the car anymore. However there are Titanium key replicas and also OEM key blanks that you can buy around the net and get cut to your key if you are pedantic like me and like the look of having the OEM keys.
yea it turns out i am podantic and thats the whole reason why im checking. i stupidly ordered an OEM key but my local key cutter says... a) its not long enough to match my current key and b) it looks like the grooves are almost the oposite to my current key. am i an idiot and just bought an american key or does this mean my ignition has been replaced?? i really want a sweet zx key to add to my zed fetish
im not too sure what they mean by not long enough or whatever, I would imagine even if it was replaced it would have been replaced by another unit basically the same, in which case the key would still be the standard length. Someone correct me if Im wrong cause I really dont know but I really dont think that the american key would be any different to an Aus or a Jap key. Perhaps post pics of the 2 keys side by side? or see another key cutter.
ok heres the link below. (damn flash) as you can see my current key has longer grooves cut than the zed key. The grooves on the zed key also dont match up to my current key at all which makes cutting impossible right??? [/URL][/IMG] any insights appreciated
Oh ok, I see now, The fact that the groves on your key are longer isnt the issue its the fact that they are in the wrong position that is causing the problems, the only part that really matters in length is the part from the tip of the key to the little ledge that steps up, they look to be the same length and thats the only part that goes into the ignition. You still may be able to get away with the key, see if the blank fits into the ignition, dont try to force it, if it is going to fit it will, it probably wont go all the way in but it should go in far enough to see if the notches in the key are going to cause issues, which i suspect they will. Could anybody shed some light on this? does anyone have a key similar to the red one pictured with regards to groove position, or does anyone know whether the barrels in america are actually different or is this just a cheap sh!t key copy and when they made it they stuffed it up? EDIT: Best bet is if you cant find out any extra info, buy a titanium one from on here, I believe rob260 was going to/is selling them. Failing that option, See if anyone is willing to part with a complete lock set with OEM key although it might be really hard to find and you may have to wait forever but another option none the less.
Im going to take an educated stab in the dark here and say that the key you have ordered is a valet key so will be slightly different to a normal key. By the looks of things valet keys are designed to only work in the doors and ignition barrel (ie. won't open the boot, glovebox, lockable targas if you have them). Your guy should still be able to cut up to the point on the valet key and still have it work however it will probably won't work in every barrel in the car.
the grooves don't match up because the red key is a valet key and your original key looks like it was cut from the master key. the valet key doesn't open the glovebox because the grooves are closer together but it will still start the car if it's cut to the same shape profile as the original key. you can still unlock and start the car with the valet key.
Ahh, I didnt think of that but it makes sense, I knew about the valet key but didnt think too much into it to work out how they made that work.
So to sum up... The key I have is a valet key and could be cut to start the car but won't open all locks?? If this is the case where can I get an official master key because I ordered this from the OEM site???
There was/may still be a seller on ebay for them, I believe they were selling the red (valet) and the black (normal) as a set cant remember anything on price but that is where i would start, Other than that if you are interested in a more flashy look I would PM rob260 and ask him about titanium keys.
My local locksmith said the same but i just asked him if he could cut it anyway and the key works everywhere
