Lost ignition key...now what?

[chadzeilenga]

Key

I did notice that the front half of the key has the same shape but the back half is different. I think the front half is used in the door locks and the whole part is used in the ignition. This is probably how they have many keys interchangable with door locks, but it's harder to find an ignition key that matches.
I'm going to try and find an ignition that matches the key I just bought...haha I'm cheap!

[bruce wiles]

Ijust went to my Festy junk yard and changed the steering colum

[festivalife]

Gotta agree with those of you who believe the keys aren't interchangable with the following exception: Kia Sephia door and ignition keys all fit and work in the doors and hatches of our Festivas; never tried to use my Festiva key in the Kia though. Got three Festivas and the door keys all work in all the others but the ignition keys sure don't work.

[chadzeilenga]

I have an update!

Ya, I know it's been a while since my last posts on this subject, but I wanted to give an update.

I got the key to turn. I went out last weekend and after trying to turn the key and all sorts of stuff I tapped the end of it while it was in the ignition with a hammer. I guess that was enough to get it all the way in and I was able to turn it! Even though it turns I'll probably replace it because something isn't right with it.

Once the key turned I put a battery in the car and after a little priming I got the car running!!! Only to find out that the car needs a head gasket bad. I think it was using the radiator as an exhaust...! haha.

Since I already was planning on doing the clutch, I'm just going to pull the whole deal and get it all sorted out with the engine/trans outside of the car. It will give me easier access to rebuild the suspension & R&P.

[Unco]

some people have suggested getting the number from one of the door cylinders. i would think this would be the best approach.

i wouldn't advise hammering the key into the ignition barrel. if it doesn't turn with a bit of WD40, then it's the wrong key. period.

as for there only being 3 universal keys, i'm sorry, but i find that hard to believe. it is far more likely that ignition barrels/cylinders and keys wear out over time, making them more likely to be started with other keys than the ones they were originally designed to work with.

[Levitan]

I just had to have a key made for Levistiva a week or so ago. I took the driver's door cylinder in........and got educated! Passenger side cylinder is the one that has the code. I got lucky and he was able to make a key for me anyways. He told me that the driver's cylinder only has half the pins, so only half a key could be made. He entered the existing pin sequence in his computer and it came back that the other half of the key could be one sequence. He was right!! Also, he said there were 1200 combinations 1989-1993. Not sure why '88 wasn't listed.

Oh yea, found my "lost" keys the day before yesterday. Right next to my car in all the debris from this winter. Right where I had run a floor magnet 3 different times. Aggravating! Key was mangled badly. Must have driven over it a few times.

Lesson: Spare key $1.60, Lost key replacement $30.00.

[chadzeilenga]

Unco,
I did pull the Pass lock cyl and have a key made from that. I put it in the ignition and it still did not work as mentioned earlier in the post. it was not until i tapped the end of the key lightly with a hammer was it able to turn, and no, I didn't use a 3.5# sledge to tap it. The ignition works ok for now so that's all I care about.

[knux511]

hey, theres a member on here selling an ignition and door locks on ebay...

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20777

[Unco]

Unco,
I did pull the Pass lock cyl and have a key made from that. I put it in the ignition and it still did not work as mentioned earlier in the post. it was not until i tapped the end of the key lightly with a hammer was it able to turn, and no, I didn't use a 3.5# sledge to tap it. The ignition works ok for now so that's all I care about.

you mentioned you're planning to replace it. i'd agree with that. last thing you want is to be out and about and the key that had trouble turning finally stops working at all.