At 11:27 PM 10/22/97 UT, you wrote:
I'm more irritated by the driver's side.
>I have to wiggle the key a bit to get it in the lock. Sometimes it's a real
>pain and now all my keys have a slight bend in one spot.
Sounds like the inside of the lock (pins and springs) has gotten real
dirty. When that happens moisture from rain or even the humidity in the air
can cause the dirt to pack like mud inside the lock. The pins will then
stick when the key tries to push them out of the way making the key hard to
insert and making you have to jiggle it to get it in. This is why you
should NEVER spray WD-40 in a lock, it attracts dirt like a magnet. (I'm
not saying you sprayed WD-40 in your lock, any lock that is out in the
elements will get dirty over time, especially one used as much as the lock
on a vehicle door.) Unfortunately, I don't know of any way to fix it short
of taking the lock apart and cleaning it (probably not cost effective
unless it gets unusable or you can do it yourself (not recommended unless
you know what you're doing)). Once the lock gets so dirty that you are
bending the key trying to get it in you may as well spray it with
something, after all it's to late to worry about dirt at that point.
The best way to protect a clean or new lock is with powdered graphite. It
doesn't attract moisture and since it's dry, it won't attract dirt. You
should be able to find it at any hardware store, probably most auto parts
places, I think I've even seen it at Almost. The next best is a silicon
spray. I doesn't attract dirt and moisture like WD-40.
BTW -- a bent key is subject to breakage at any time. Having a spare (or
two) made is a lot cheaper than having to call a locksmith when one breaks
off in the lock.
-- Mike Crumley a0020124@airmail.net
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