eoph

i heard the locks for fc's suck. r either easy to pick or keys or other fc's work.......is this true? if so sounds scary...............

Templeswain

True the door locks often malfunction. Each of the last two fc I had did.

If you want security from getting the car stolen, then rig up a fuel pump cut off switch that only you know the location of.

If you don't want your stereo stolen, well, you could probably make the door locks out of titanium. But then agian, a rock traveling at a modest speed might make you wish you hadn't spent $800 per door, Plus the money you'll spend getting a new window.

eoph

can't u just um 'fixup' the door locks??

Scott 89t2

just replace them with new ones...
when they get worn out, which most are. yes you can open them with other FC keys

bottlejockey

I also had to replace my driver side door lock.

goblues24

coincidentally my 90 z key will open the door of my 89 rx vert.....and i have also seen a situation where a friend of mine picked up a junker 79 rx7 and my old 82 rx 7 keys worked to open the doors and start it!!..you can arrange the tumblers and setup a new keyset to correct this problem...but it is pretty common...im sure most of the guys on this board who have buddies with an rx7 could get the keys to work with a little playing..they are old cars and have seen millions of key turns to wear them out much like erosion works!!

goblues24

most dont know cuz they simply have never even considered to try it...i found out both times by simple accident...just had the wrong key in my hand for a different car out of habit

5 point whoa

yeah, mine opens with another key, but it's hard to open my door, you have to lift the handle all the way up, and the pull up as hard as you can, and the pull out

Templeswain

Yeah you could fix them up.

But I asure as everything with this car, its always unecessarily difficult. You'll probably have to fight a brigade of sabre tooth tigers once you pull off the interior door trim.

Josepi

Lexan windows all the way around. Shave the door handles and install remote door openers...

eoph

i find this extremely funny at the same time scary. i just read how some people can pick their own lock in 10 seconds

Black13B

iTrader: (1)

My '86 GXL key will unlock and lock the doors on defprun's '84 GS.

I recommend getting an aftermarket alarm and either do something about the locks, or remove them entirely like Josepi suggested.

Templeswain

With Lexan you wouldn't be able to see through very well.

Better to rig up a shock spring attached to a 16 oz full size boxing glove behind the stereo.

That'll teach em.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

And I believe you were there when I opened that gold car...

Really, the issue with interchangable keys is that all the locks are pretty worn, as Scott said. Replacing them cures the problem.

Not sure what the comment is about the doors being difficult to work on. They're wide open once you remove the interior trim, and the mechanism is straightforward.

NZConvertible

Replacing the locks may not be necessary. Easily opened locks are usually just dirty. I posted this a while ago:

This problem is often just caused by dirty key barrels. After 10-15 years crap builds up inside them, wedging the tumblers up in their slots. The more tumblers that are stuck, the more likely it is that a similar key will open the lock.
Squirt liberal amounts of spray lubricant into the lock and then work the key in and out 10-20 times to move everything around. You’ll see lots of black crap on the key. Wipe and repeat if you want.
I’ve seen this work myself on a mate’s car, where both my key and his father’s key would unlock his car (we all had early Toyotas). After this treatment, only his key worked. This works for the ignition barrel as well.

BTW, you shouldn't rely on locks for security anyway. They're basically there to keep the honest people out. A screwdriver jammed into a lock is a lot quicker than picking it, so if a thief wants to get into your car, the condition of the locks is unimportant.

Black13B

iTrader: (1)

Good point. I never thought of that before.

FrostRacing

fc security sucks *** i can let you know now i have reposed a few of them the door can be open by another key or slim jim. the ignition is just as bad 5 screws and a flat head and its started(currently using this method lost keys ) i lived the bad life once and most older cars have these shity locks the 5.0 mustangs have pin and tumbler which can be picked very easily. most cars can be stolen with a slim jim and a 90 degree screwdriver a good thing to do is get a alarm with a rolling code that rolls ever 5mins the lower the better but if a thief wants you car he will get it. oh yea the best thing to do is rig a gm lock for your car damn i hate them sidebar locks sorry its so long haha

Templeswain

Um, okay.

Obviously I have no idea how to get a wrench behind there with window in the way. Of course when I tried to remove them the power windows were stuck in one position. Either way, window up or down, its precarious.

eoph

wat's that rolling code thing.

homing device on the car

NZConvertible

You've just described every car of a similar age. This is not an FC-specific problem.

FrostRacing

yea nzconvertible most 80s - mid 90s cars have the same problem and a rolling code is where the alarm device in your changes the transmitter code that way if some one got you r/f code or i/r code in 5mins the code would just change again and the code they have is no longer useful please correct me if im wrong

sir_christopher

What is a gm lock?

eoph

huh, but if it changes constantly how can u shut it off

NZConvertible

Read this.

Icemark

Rolling codes change a portion of the code sequence by a predetermined algorithm every time the transmitter is pressed.

For example (very shortened layman’s example):

if the code was AR65BC23 the first time the programed remote was pressed.

The next time the remote was pressed it would send AR65VG63 which if the alarm was following that same algorithm, it would expect to see.

and the next time after that when the remote was pressed the alarm brain would be looking for AR65LY13

Mind you that is a very basic layman’s version of how code hopping or rolling codes work. There are usually at least 68 billion different codes on even the very old systems and 2/23 or 2/40 codes or more on the newer systems.