Hey, I feel really stupid asking this but I just recently bought a first gen as a project car, and I was wondering how you open the hatch.

The car came with no keys, so I had one cut off the ignition cylinder. It worked great for the drivers side door, but not so well for the passenger side and hatch keyhole. The key goes in fine, and it will turn slightly, but do nothing more, and all I am doing is bending up the key. So is there like some trick to open the hatch?, is there a secondary release in the cabin?

Thanks alot.

 

I have a hatch release beside the gas hatch release. Yes, I also have a separate key for the hatch itself.

 

If your key doesn't work properly in the passenger door, the new key is probably the issue. I've had to take a few keys back that didn't work right. If the key maker is good they can often wire brush or file the key to make it work better. Sometimes they just cut a new one.

FBs have an electric hatch and gas door release on the bottom edge of the dash, left side of the steering wheel, just below the choke ****.

 

Ohh ok, I was worried it would be an electric hatch release as the car was gutted and all the parts just tossed in the cabin. So if I take off the passenger lock and have them fix the key so it will work for both the passenger and driver side, will it work for the hatch better, or is there a completely different key for the hatch itself like you said?

 

You should be able to take out the passenger door lock to read the keycode. Then a locksmith can cut you an exact key from the code.

 

I think its a completely different key for the hatch. Mine have different numbers on them, one for the ignition and doors, one for the hatch. It sure would have been easier if Mazda would have just made them all the same. Good Luck

 

Yeah I hear that, I guess I will try getting it keyed off the passenger lock, and if that doesnt work I guess I will have to tunnel through the parts to get to the hatch, hahaha.

 

My car had 1 key for all doors including hatch....

 

Stock they are the same for everything

 

One key should work for all the locks, including the fuel door for those models that didn't have the electric release. It wasn't until the 2nd gens that there was a different key. Those came with a valet key that opened everything except the glove box.

 

humm. Mine are Mazda keys, they sure look factory and I have a Different key for hatch. This is on a 84 GS.

 

Your car may have had its locks replaced at one time. All locks use the same key on each car.

 

Darn, I wish mine were all the same. Would male things alot easier.

 

Alright good to hear I dont have to cut another. I was able to get the key that I had made work for the passenger side by just loosening up the linkage by hand. Hopefully just after 6 years of sitting all that happened was the locks got stickey so I will just have to crawl back there and loosen it up like the passenger side.

 

Spray some Brake Kleen in the keyholes, then some white lithium lube. That may clean and loosen them up enough for the new key to work.

 

I heard graphite was best for the keylocks...

Oh and it should be one key for both. My orginal '82 and the 84 shell I am using both only need one key for all the locks

 

I was wrong, I have one key that fits the doors and hatch, then one that starts the car. All are Mazda keys so I dont know its like that.

 

when you buy a new lock from mazda it comes keyed randomly. so if you buy a replacement lock, it comes with a new mazda key too

 

lol my two keys 1 opens doors, 1 starts car and opens hatch. you can get the locks matched I beleave. don't quote me I'm no locksmith.

 

Well, just an update, I pulled everythng out of the trunk through the front. I managed to unlock the hatch through the inside, and it turns out the keyhole linkage was broken. The other thing that I found pretty stupid was I found the original keys deep under parts in the spare tire well, it looks like somebody just tossed them in there along with the parts, shut the hatch and was done with it.