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[Webby the Bear]

Hi guys, hope you're all well 

Jumped in my Omega and key didn't turn at all. The key turning has never been a problem before and it suddenly wouldn't turn.

Anyway after some gentle "fiddling" and a bit of oil on the key I got it to turn. I am now in a position where if I putt the key in, turn it slightly, pull it back and then turn it all the at it works. However I don't want to continue like this.

My ma has my spare key and is dropping it over in the morning so if that works nice and easy then I can reasonably assume it's the key; my usual key does look quite worn.

However if it's the barrel I'll replace it next week. Spoke to Vaux and as I have my Vauxhall pass card they can do me a barrel that will work with my key for £45 plus vat.

I've actually never replaced an ignition barrel so aside from the expense it'll be something new to do. My question though is this....

Haynes wants me to remove the steering wheel. This isn't a problem but our guide makes no mention of having to do that so do you need to do this or can I get just enough access by removing upper and lower plastic cowling?

Cheers. 

[Doctor Gollum]

Remove the cowling and use a 4mm allen key as the barrel release tool

Takes all of five minutes start to finish assuming that you're blindfolded and pause for a cuppa

[Nick W]

Remove the cowling and use a 4mm allen key as the barrel release tool

Takes all of five minutes start to finish assuming that you're blindfolded and pause for a cuppa

And that you're sensible enough to do it BEFORE the barrel seizes completely.


After all, nobody would be so stupid to just leave it for a £20 part. Would they?

[Doctor Gollum]

Remove the cowling and use a 4mm allen key as the barrel release tool

Takes all of five minutes start to finish assuming that you're blindfolded and pause for a cuppa

And that you're sensible enough to do it BEFORE the barrel seizes completely.


After all, nobody would be so stupid to just leave it for a £20 part. Would they?

Around here? No chance...

[Webby the Bear]

Lol. Cheers boys.

I tried spare key and though initially it worked ok it too soon started being difficult to turn.

Ordering barell Monday.

Cheers all 👍

[Shackeng]

It doesn't actually need the new barrel, only the worn plungers. Don't throw the old barrel away, get new plungers and rebuild it for a spare from here: https://www.nwkeys.co.uk/Store/keying-kit-to-suit-vauxhall-h-y-laser-series-locks.

[Bigron]

I followed that link, because sometimes my ignition lock feels a little stiff, so I need to do likewise with mine.
However, I couldn't find a listing for the plungers for Omega, so I tried to register; they wouldn't accept me as a civilian and wanted trade references!
Do they want to do business?

Ron.

[terry paget]

There's a guide on here telling you how to loosen up your lock barrel. You take it out of the car, with key still in it, carefully remove the key and somehow capture all the springs and plungers as they ping out. You then keep them very carefully in order, clean them up, and put them back again. A good afternoon's fun, and very rewarding.

[Andy B]

I followed that link, because sometimes my ignition lock feels a little stiff, so I need to do likewise with mine.
However, I couldn't find a listing for the plungers for Omega, so I tried to register; they wouldn't accept me as a civilian and wanted trade references!
Do they want to do business?

Ron.

Just phone them ..... far easier 

[omegod]

I work a few hundred yards from NW keys if it's any use

[Nick W]

There's a guide on here telling you how to loosen up your lock barrel. You take it out of the car, with key still in it, carefully remove the key and somehow capture all the springs and plungers as they ping out. You then keep them very carefully in order, clean them up, and put them back again. A good afternoon's fun, and very rewarding.

Way too much sodding about for me. £20 for a new cylinder and a couple of minutes to change it is a much better use of the time.


I've recovered far too many old Vauxhalls with seized barrels(every one of which had given signs of the impending failure) to patch one up.

[Shackeng]

I followed that link, because sometimes my ignition lock feels a little stiff, so I need to do likewise with mine.
However, I couldn't find a listing for the plungers for Omega, so I tried to register; they wouldn't accept me as a civilian and wanted trade references!
Do they want to do business?

Ron.

Yes as Andy says, I phoned them, having struggled with their site.

[Bigron]

I'll phone them: if I order a barrel, will I have to configure it to the key, or is that a stupid question?

Ron.

[omegod]

They do a barrel kit, comes with shed loads of pins and you make it up to match your key, fiddly but very satisfying , about £28 last time I bought one

[Bigron]

Another stupid question: obviously, all the pins are different, so how do you know which ones go where?

Ron.

[omegod]

You need to strip the old one down and note which one came from where then copy it to the new one, failing that I have a spare barrel from a low mile car 

[Webby the Bear]

There's a guide on here telling you how to loosen up your lock barrel. You take it out of the car, with key still in it, carefully remove the key and somehow capture all the springs and plungers as they ping out. You then keep them very carefully in order, clean them up, and put them back again. A good afternoon's fun, and very rewarding.

Way too much sodding about for me. £20 for a new cylinder and a couple of minutes to change it is a much better use of the time.


I've recovered far too many old Vauxhalls with seized barrels(every one of which had given signs of the impending failure) to patch one up.

+1 for me also.

Nick, you keep mentioning 20 quid. Where do you get yours from? Vauxhall want 45 plus vat for one that's already set up for my key (and probably would have wanted £1million extra if I wasn't fortunate enough to have my Vauxhall pass card with my serial numbers on!)

Cheers. 

[Nick W]

I've seen them for less than that from various web suppliers, by just googling Vauxhall keys.
But that won't match your existing one, which is something I would insist upon. The £45 you quoted for a matching one is what I would buy. It's what I did several years ago when my BMW needed a new lock. Cost about the same too.


I would only buy second hand wear parts if new ones were impossible to source.

[Shackeng]

Webby, the bits that wear and cause the problem, as you will see when you remove it, are the brass plungers, even though there may be slight wear elsewhere in the barrel.

[Andy B]

Another stupid question: obviously, all the pins are different, so how do you know which ones go where?

Ron.

They all have a number on them ..... you need the number of the tumblers when you phone e.g. 2xNo5 1xNo3 etc

As Omegod says,  strip it Dow raking note of what goes where. If you put the wrong tumbler in the wrong slot, then when the key is fitted, the barrel won't be round ie there'll be bits of brass tumbler sticking up where it shouldn't be, so won't spin in the barrel.

[Bigron]

Ugh, that's a big snag: in order to phone the numbers through, I have to demolish my lock, and no car until I get the new tumblers!

Ron.

[Webby the Bear]

I've seen them for less than that from various web suppliers, by just googling Vauxhall keys.
But that won't match your existing one, which is something I would insist upon. The £45 you quoted for a matching one is what I would buy. It's what I did several years ago when my BMW needed a new lock. Cost about the same too.


I would only buy second hand wear parts if new ones were impossible to source.

Cheers Nick, my thoughts exactly.

I've got a feeling it may come with a spare blade too. 

[Bigron]

What if I don't have a Car Pass? 

Ron.

[Webby the Bear]

What if I don't have a Car Pass? 

Ron.

£24 from Vauxhall I do believe. 

[Andy B]

Ugh, that's a big snag: in order to phone the numbers through, I have to demolish my lock, and no car until I get the new tumblers!

Ron.

you could rebuild it in between .... 

[Bigron]

Ok, ya got me! 
I suppose I could treat it as a practice run.....

Ron.

[Nick W]

Ugh, that's a big snag: in order to phone the numbers through, I have to demolish my lock, and no car until I get the new tumblers!

Ron.

you could rebuild it in between .... 

Yet more buggering about for a five minute job!


I wish I could justify that amount of time and effort.

[Andy B]

Ok, ya got me! 
I suppose I could treat it as a practice run.....

Ron.

     

[Andy B]

Ugh, that's a big snag: in order to phone the numbers through, I have to demolish my lock, and no car until I get the new tumblers!

Ron.

you could rebuild it in between .... 

Yet more buggering about for a five minute job!


I wish I could justify that amount of time and effort.

Depends how much free time you have 

[Nick W]

Ugh, that's a big snag: in order to phone the numbers through, I have to demolish my lock, and no car until I get the new tumblers!

Ron.

you could rebuild it in between .... 

Yet more buggering about for a five minute job!


I wish I could justify that amount of time and effort.

Depends how much free time you have 

I wouldn't even have considered it last year when I was unemployed.

[Shackeng]

It only takes five minutes to replace the levers! Mind, you have to take the old ones out to identify them first.

[Doctor Gollum]

It only takes five minutes to replace the levers!

A new barrel could be fitted before the kettle boils...

[Shackeng]

If you have one to match your key, or with its own.

[Webby the Bear]

Replaced this today. Took ten minutes and all is now good again. I also had a spare blade in the kit the same as my current key so all good. 54 quid inc. vat.

Only thing to note is I couldn't get the 3mm Allen key in for some reason. So used a 2mm and the barrel popped straight out. Moved steering lock down with flat head and popped new one in. Job jobbed 

Cheers for all the help 

Now to look at this suspension..... 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Ugh, that's a big snag: in order to phone the numbers through, I have to demolish my lock, and no car until I get the new tumblers!

Ron.

you could rebuild it in between .... 

Yet more buggering about for a five minute job!


I wish I could justify that amount of time and effort.

Depends how much free time you have 

I wouldn't even have considered it last year when I was unemployed.

Ah but its all down to what individuals prefer to do with their time.

Personally I take a lot of satisfaction in fixing things like this rather than bin and replace, given its a short and simple job (and a fix can be made in the interim with a file) its time better spent than say 30 minutes in front of the TV