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Been wanting to do this writeup for a while, there's a lot of pieces of this information around and a lot of misinformation. Let's clear some of this up.
From the factory, the FD in the US came with 2 keys. There are multiple door lock cylinders - one in each door handle, the ignition switch, rear hatch, glovebox, and storage bins. The FD is an old-school "dumb" key, there's no chip in the key or anything fancy.
The original US keys are "long" and have the Mazda "toilet bowl" emblem on the key head. In Japan in 99 they changed to a shorter key blank with a black plastic head and the Flying M Mazda logo. The Spirit R models had the 99 style key blank with a red plastic head instead of a black plastic head.
Aftermarket key blanks sometimes have the black plastic, some are just all metal. Garage Alpha makes really nice key blanks that are copies of the 99 style and they also have an all-Titanium version as well. "Plain" aftermarket blanks are typically available through a locksmith - they are pretty inexpensive (only a few dollars) but the Garage Alpha versions are far superior in quality.
COPYING KEYS
If you need to get another key made, there's a few ways to do it. You can have your existing key copied by a locksmith. They will put the existing key in a machine that will trace the contours and cut those same contours into the key blank. This is easy, cheap, and fast, but if the original key is worn the copy will be "worn" as well and may not work as well.
The passenger door lock cylinder has a code stamped onto the cylinder itself. That's the key code for the car. A good locksmith can program that code into a computer that will cut you a perfect key based on that code that will be just like the original key was when it came from the factory. The cylinder isn't too hard to get to - remove the trim behind the door handle inside the car, remove the 2 10mm nuts that holds the handle in, remove the wire clip that holds the lock cylinder into the door handle and slide out the cylinder to see the code.
LOCK CYLINDERS
There are 6 lock cylinders in the car - left door handle, right door handle, ignition, hatch, glovebox, and storage bins. The one key works for all the locks.
Sometimes cylinders are changed out by previous owners - I have seen a few cars that had a different key for the door handle and one for the ignition, for example. This is mainly due to sloppy work - a cylinder was stuck or damaged, so they just got one from another FD with the key.
A good locksmith can re-key the cylinders to match the car's master key. The locks have shutters in them, they just replace the shutters with the appropriate ones that match the key and you have a working lock. This is something that can be done in just a few minutes at a locksmith.
The door handle cylinders are easy to remove and I mentioned that above. The glove box cylinder will require the removal and disassembly of the glove box to remove the cylinder. The storage bin cylinder requires the bins to be completely removed from the car for access, you get to them from underneath the bins. The ignition switch cylinder is held in with 2 security bolts - the bolts were torqued at the factory and the heads sheared off. You can use a Dremel to cut a slit into the head of the bolt then use a flat head screwdriver to remove it - using an impact screwdriver is recommended. Once out, you can replace the bolts with Allen-head metric bolts (m8). The hatch cylinder requires the whole rear bumper to be removed, there's no way around that unfortunately. Once the bumper skin is removed there's a tab holding the cylinder in place.
The exterior cylinders have a dust shutter over the key hole, this shutter is pushed in when the key is inserted. The original shutter was opaque plastic and there's a tiny spring that pops it back closed when the key is removed. The driver's side door also has a small bulb that lights up the key hole when the door handle is lifted to find the key hole in the dark. Many times these shutters have broken off and sometimes they get wedged down into the cylinder itself, simply removing the cylinder you can bang it on a workbench and get the broken piece out of there. Some aftermarket sources have a metal shutter, this keeps debris out of the cylinder but doesn't let the cylinder light up. There are replacement shutters available in the aftermarket.
LOCKSMITHS
I keep mentioning "a good locksmith" - this is important. If you get your key copied by the automatic machine at the hardware store or by the kid at Wal-Mart, you're going to have a sloppy key you have to fiddle with and it can actually cause damage to the cylinders over time by not fitting properly.
I fortunately have a good friend in town who owns an FD and also owns a top locksmith company. According to him, a good start to finding a competent locksmith in your area is finding out what locksmith does the work for AAA. They are pretty strict with their locksmiths as far as having a fast response time, having many guys ready to do lockouts, etc. so the company really has to be up to a good standard. They should have a shop with their equipment and should be able to do this work very easily and while you wait for most anything.
Also, if you do lock your keys in the car, CALL A LOCKSMITH. They can pop the lock on an FD in less than a minute with zero damage. Don't monkey around with coat hangers or break a window. Once you do find out who the good locksmith is, program their number in your phone if you need them.
KEYLESS ENTRY
The FD did not come with keyless entry from the factory. In Japan they did offer a dealer-installed keyless entry kit at a later point in the FD's life (probably with the 99 refresh). The kits are very hard to track down and expensive if available. They are also designed for RHD cars so they don't immediately work with a LHD car.
Stock, the FD has a simple power lock setup. There is a sensor in the driver's door that sees when a key is turned in the cylinder. When that is turned, there is a motor in the passenger door latch assembly that unlocks the passenger door.
For adding keyless entry a motor to unlock the door has to be added to the driver's side door. It's possible but a lot of work to use a passenger door latch from a RHD car to use the motor from it to add the motor in. There are also aftermarket motors that can be added. A "brain" would need to be added as well to receive an unlock signal from a fob, there are full alarm systems and also simple aftermarket systems that just do keyless entry with no alarm.
This topic gets very complicated and is out of the scope of this post, but that's the high level overview.
MAINTENANCE AND FINAL THOUGHTS
The exterior lock cylinders should be lubricated once per year to keep them operating smoothly. I prefer using powder graphite to lubricate the shutters in the cylinder - squirt a little in, work the key in and out a few times, and turn it back and forth a few times. It's also worth lubricating the door handle moving parts with white lithium grease - when they bind up, they put more strain on the handle, and that's a lot of the reason the handles break.
If you get a nice key blank (like a Garage Alpha titanium) I would have your local locksmith get some cheap blanks as well. Have him cut the key with the key code on the door cylinder and test the key in all the locks to make sure it's good before committing to cut the titanium blank. Titanium needs to be cut SLOWLY for it to be done right, make sure the locksmith is aware of that.
It's also worth having a spare key in your house in case you lose or lock the keys in the car, saves a lot of hassle.
Key Codes: it is a 5 digit number, it usually starts with a 1, my old FD is 11507 for example. The key code is stamped on the Right side lock (US passenger), it also is usually on the warranty history report which can be run at a dealership, or someone with access. in ye olde times we had a decoder book, and a manual key punch machine, but the fully electronic one is much better.
Keys: The first cut on these (MZ27) keys is usually very big, and this makes them weak. It then becomes critical to keep the locks lubricated, anything is better than nothing, and the powder that Dale mentions is probably ideal.
Additionally the Mazda blanks (FD01-76-201) are a nicer material than the usual aftermarket and thus lasts longer. Mazda changed the key blank in conjunction with the flying M logo, so the F1Y2-76-201A (which is the old lock with new head) blank is not available in the US. There is also a valet key, and it will open the doors and start the car, but it won't open the glove box or bins, the tip is different, it is FD01-76-202
Locks: the FD door locks are childishly simple to re-key, no need for a locksmith. (FC and Miata too). the ignition and others need some skills.
Thanks, I meant to put something about the valet key but it slipped my mind. Those keys are mostly all gone and lost to history for the majority of the cars out there.
Also, I believe the cars originally came with a small metal tag on the factory key ring that had the 5-digit key code stamped on it. Again, lost to history for most of the cars out there.
At this point if you need a key blank I'd opt for the Garage Alpha blanks. The OEM blanks are excellent but I'd support GA, they are doing some fantastic work. No relationship with them just a happy customer.
Even when the cars were relatively new keys breaking or bending was somewhat common. The original keys were long and I think it just put a lot of unwanted stress on them.
Also, check with your local mazda dealership as well, its been a few years since I had this done, but was able to get them to cut keys based upon the VIN. This won't work if a non dealer has changed your lock cylinders, but I was able to get a brand new key cut with my VIN that worked on all the locks.
Thanks, I meant to put something about the valet key but it slipped my mind. Those keys are mostly all gone and lost to history for the majority of the cars out there.
Also, I believe the cars originally came with a small metal tag on the factory key ring that had the 5-digit key code stamped on it. Again, lost to history for most of the cars out there.
Dale
agreed on both points, i just mentioned it because you can actually still buy them (!). i know the car came with 2 normal keys and the little metal tag on a key ring, but maybe also a valet key? actually the sames department is such a mess its a little unusual that the original owner actually got all the keys
My 94 euro-spec has a factory installed Laserline alarm who also tie in to the central lock system for remote open/close.
I prefer Garage Alphas "Flying M" designs, and OEM keys for the later versions if you want period correct.
Any if you bring the part number to your dealer they should be able to order from Japan? At least here in Europe that is no problem.
Dale, are you able to get part numbers from your locksmith for the pins inside the door lock tumblers so we can rekey ourselves? Or are you able to share his information and maybe we can mail in our locks/keys? It has been nearly impossible for me to find a locksmith that isn't just a mobile service; none will touch a rekey for automotive.
Any if you bring the part number to your dealer they should be able to order from Japan? At least here in Europe that is no problem.
its been done, but dealer has to call and someone has to approve it, and then the pipeline is really long (18months), easier to buy direct from Japan, Amayama
I recently had both door locks out to replace the long gone shutters on both doors, and gave both cylinders a good cleaning and lube to try to restore smooth lock function. The effort helped significantly, but it still takes a bit of key jiggling to get it to catch & work right 100% of the time -- so I suspect the old keys are worn out and it's time to get some new keys made from the 5 digit code.
BTW, what's the typical street price a locksmith might charge for cutting a new key from your code, assuming you DIY the cylinder removal and bring it to the locksmith? I've made a few calls to local locksmiths, and only found one guy so far that does this job - he quoted me $100 for it. Sounds pretty steep for a job that's probably less than 15 minutes start to finish, I think I'll keep looking for another locksmith!
BTW, what's the typical street price a locksmith might charge for cutting a new key from your code, assuming you DIY the cylinder removal and bring it to the locksmith? I've made a few calls to local locksmiths, and only found one guy so far that does this job - he quoted me $100 for it. Sounds pretty steep for a job that's probably less than 15 minutes start to finish, I think I'll keep looking for another locksmith!
we used to cut the keys for free at the dealership, so i'm going to say $100 is too much... granted the key blank can be $20
the difference is the physical blank, the valet key is different. so you cut it the same
I did that, and they can all operate the glove box and storage bin.
Here's a picture of the keys I got cut, long before I knew what the all-metal key was for.
The valet key blank is unnotched in the area circled in red compared to the regular blanks. I'm planning to buy a new key blank and ask the locksmith to preserve material there and just copy the rest.
I recently had both door locks out to replace the long gone shutters on both doors, and gave both cylinders a good cleaning and lube to try to restore smooth lock function. The effort helped significantly, but it still takes a bit of key jiggling to get it to catch & work right 100% of the time -- so I suspect the old keys are worn out and it's time to get some new keys made from the 5 digit code.
BTW, what's the typical street price a locksmith might charge for cutting a new key from your code, assuming you DIY the cylinder removal and bring it to the locksmith? I've made a few calls to local locksmiths, and only found one guy so far that does this job - he quoted me $100 for it. Sounds pretty steep for a job that's probably less than 15 minutes start to finish, I think I'll keep looking for another locksmith!
If you send your VIN to Ray Crowe he can have keys cut for you using Mazda blanks. No need to disassemble your door (although that is very easy). He may ask for verification of ownership if you don't have an ongoing relationship.
I did that, and they can all operate the glove box and storage bin.
The valet key blank is unnotched in the area circled in red compared to the regular blanks. I'm planning to buy a new key blank and ask the locksmith to preserve material there and just copy the rest.
j9fd3s, does that sound right to you?
no, lol. the valet key is actually missing a chunk, it doesn't engage the last tumbler. although i think the key machine does ask if you're cutting a valet key, its been a while, and i'm not sure ive ever tried to cut a valet key?
there are also a bunch of different blanks, the FD is a little unusual because it only got the FD01 style key, the other Mazda's were more varied
I am a locksmith ( dales locksmith friend ) and we cut keys by code for 15.00 -20.00. Pm if you have any questions about rekeying locks. I have not cut the new GA titanium keys but I have highly calibrated equipment that will cut these keys... I will make a point to cut one to my car this week and I will film the process so everyone can see what is involved.
Thank you very much for this useful thread.
Now I know what I have to do to change my trunk cylinder...
one of the most reliable parts of the car, i have no idea. see pic, slide the 58-961 out of the way and the lock will come right out, i have idea which way it goes though
For owner's that have replaced their ignition switch cylinder and would like to replace the 2 Mazda OEM steering lock bolts, the part number is:
H04366154
In j9fd3s' post above, the part is labeled 60-436.
Originally Posted by DaleClark
LOCK CYLINDERS
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The ignition switch cylinder is held in with 2 security bolts - the bolts were torqued at the factory and the heads sheared off. You can use a Dremel to cut a slit into the head of the bolt then use a flat head screwdriver to remove it - using an impact screwdriver is recommended. Once out, you can replace the bolts with Allen-head metric bolts (m8).
Dale
04-16-20, 10:16 AM
DaleClark's all about FD locks and keys
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