So, I bought this for about $1.7k a few days ago, and it came with the original keys from 1991...

So, I bought this for about $1.7k a few days ago, and it came with the original keys from 1991, and most things are stock on it. But after putting the ignition cylinder to "LOCK", I went to bed this morning, and when I came out to go to work, the key wouldn't turn the cylinder. I figured maybe it just needed a wiggle, but still nothing.
>Tried calling locksmith
>"Only a dealership can help"
Is going to the stealership for a new key really my cheapest and best bet? Can they make a key for a car this old with just the VIN? Because if I have to get a whole new cylinder, I'll be losing the airbags for some damn reason and would rather avoid that route.

>Pic related, the keys I got from the last owner

Nissan can make keys for any vehicle off the VIN, at least here in Canada they can. even if its a JDM car

you wont lose the airbag over the lock cylinder, dont know why you think that. when i was a mechanic we dealt with this all the time, you can get a new lock cylinder with blank key at Napa and go to a locksmith and say you need to get this key/cylinder combo matched, $40 later youre done. thats all we did, only thing is you need your old keys for the door lock cylinders

i dont know if you have to remove the steering wheel on S13 to get the lock tumbler out, even if you do you just unhook the battery for 20 min and the airbag is simple to remove and re-install

Holy fuck those keys are worn.
Did you try turning the wheel slightly? There might be a button too to unlock it

What the fuck

actually wait, should have added there may be a lock. years ago i owned a 1992 Maxima and my key got stock in the cylinder, if you take the small bezel trim around the ignition cylinder there may be an unlock button you push with a paperclip like i had. got my key out and fixed all my issues

It's not a JDM one, and I was looking up new ignition cylinders online and they all had "For Automatic without airbags" or "Manual without airbags" so I assumed that meant I'd lose the airbags if I got it.

If it's that simple, that'll be a life saver. Working a night shift means my time awake when places are actually open is rather limited. Thanks for this info user, if the Mazda dealer can't make me a key, I'll try what you suggested.

Ya, they're in terrible condition.
Tried that, looked all around the column, didn't find a button anywhere. Even took the plastic off of it since it was just held on by 2 screws and still didn't see anything.

25 year old keys man. I'm surprised they aren't completely flat by now.

I'll take a look again when I get home, but I seriously didn't see shit. The key isn't stuck in the cylinder, it just won't unlock it. It still turned if I left the ignition in ACC and took the keys with me. Battery was fine so long as I turned everything off before leaving it. And since it turned on the car, that's why I figured it was odd that it couldn't take the cylinder out of LOCK.

fuck nevermind my lock thing, i thought that was a 240sx by quick glance. dont know if Mazda has an unlock button or not, but try wiggling the steering wheel and turning the key. if not considering how worn it all is, i would just do a new cylinder, check Mazda forums about the airbag thing but i cant see how its remotely related

i work nights too and know the struggle, when i get off at 5 i dont want to stay up til 8 when places open and by the time im awake at 1 i just want to chill lol

Looks like it's time to rig up an ignition flip switch, OP.

This may be unrelated, but I had a similar issue with my '90 Miata. The steering wheel was locked due to my nephew turning it while the car was off. I then could not turn the key in the cylinder while the wheel was locked. IIRC, I resolved it by turning the key to '1' or ACC to unlock the steering wheel and then turning the key to ignition.

>Nissan
>S13

As everyone else has suggested, wiggle the wheel while turning the key, or turn it to "on" or whatever and do so

I had the same thing happen in my miat and it was p scary

About the airbags, first off I'm surprised it even has them, but you actually *do* want to lose them

The "first gen" airbags, especially in Mazdas are pieces of shit to begin with, now they're >20yr/old pieces of shit that will only fuck your shit up (burn you and throw your hands through the windshield, etc) or kill you in a collision

Had the 10 blink airbag code in my 92 MX5 and I sure as shit am glad it didn't go off when I slid the passengers front corner into a parked car at 70mph

If it's auto is it all the way in park and not just slightly in reverse? I had that problem once in an excursion. The linkage was loose so it looked like it was in park but wasn't.

>Nissan

I know some older Nissans has a small button that you have to press in right next to the ignition are you sure you're not over looking that OP? I'll be honest though I don't now too much about Nissans, especially the 240sx. If it was a A RX-7 I could probably solve your problem blindfolded.

Neither of those are original keys

I was thinking of that.

Nah, I've already tried all that to no avail.

Can't turn it to on. It's straight out stuck in LOCK. I can't even turn it to ACC.

Manual.

It is an RX7, so please solve the issue!

Well they're sure as fuck worn out enough to fool me.

Wow, fucking Veeky Forums sometimes...

STEP 1: Spray dry graphite into lock cylinder. A pin is probably seized up.

Anyway, you are going to need new keys after it's unfucked...

Also

>1.7k
>body that clean

Is it auto-tragic?

Already tried a lubricant. Granted, probably a lack of foresight now that I think about it. But it's not a pin.

5 speed Manuel. It's not without its flaws though. The roof needs to be replaced, the passenger side lock is picky as to when it wants to work, passenger side window doesn't work at all and is stuck slightly down (just enough to let water in if its sprayed at it), and the trunk could be in better condition. But mechanically, it's all sound.

That's a hell of a good deal, these things go for like 5k here in shit condition and with 200k miles.

Anyway, rule of thumb is that at this point you take the cylinder out and take it to a locksmith. They then make you a new key. That way you will have matching keys for doors too.

The "only a dealer can fix it" line is bullshit. In the end, it's just a lock.

Ya, I got it through my dads friend, otherwise I could only get one for twice the price and a lot further away.
>The top is really bad, and if it wasn't for how little rain happens here, it would be higher on the priority list

I don't know about taking the cylinder out myself, as I don't have the tools to really do it. Just got back from an outing to the dealership now, and they said they use a mobile key service. I ended up finding one that said they can do it and that they would be out within an hour. Hoping this works, and if it does, I'm making a backup purely to use for making replacements.

>So key matches the doors
I need new cylinders entirely in the doors. The passenger side doesn't work at all, and I'm fairly certain that the driver side can be opened by anything that could fit into the hole.

Good luck.

So the locksmith came, broke a key in the ignition, and said he'd order me a new cylinder. I can turn the car on and get to work now, but he took off this blue wire from somewhere, and now my wipers won't work. Where the fuck do I connect them back to?

Scratch that. Wiper wire was just a bit loose. But that begs the question, what the fuck do these wires go to?!

What the fuck am I looking at?

The keys to my car. According to the locksmith, they aren't even for a Mazda. They were for a Toyota.