key broke in tumbler!

[drunkclever]

yup.. my key broke in the tumbler.. I have to get to work and its about 30 minutes away.

situation..
its a lil dark outside
I have a flash light and tools
fresh out of profanatities in less than 1 minute

car is on.. but the steering wheel is locked

I guess I could break the tumbler. I really do not want to do that though. Could I take the tumbler out and jiggle the peice out out or maybe poke it out with some small wire or nail?

1990 camry dx wagon just turned 165342 miles. I can take the key out while the car is on and running. The car would only turn on with the "original" or copy of original key.



please help me get to work. ps.. anyone know where to get lower control arms for less??

[timebuilder]

First, I'd find a different way to get to work today.

Yes, I'd take out the tumbler to try and get the key fragment loose. Your success (before taking the tumbler to a locksmith, which is an option) depends largely on how much of the key remains in the tumbler. The big problem is getting a good grip on that fragment.

Dental explorers (those needle-like picks dentists use to find soft spots between teeth) or lock tools can probably grab the fragment and pull it out. If most of the key is in the tumbler, try to grab it with a tweezers or forceps. I keep those tools in my electronics toolbox. Remember, a key is only designed to go into and out of a lock in one tumbler position, so use the remaining piece of key to put the tumbler into that position before you try to remove the fragment from the tumbler.

Other methods some folks use include trying to drill a small hole in the key fragment, but that is extremely difficult to do and will most likely fail. You can try super glue, but most people will use too much and glue the lock together.

Or, you can say to yourself, "I think I'll take the tumbler to the locksmith." That's the easiest, course with the best outcome, and you will pay a nice price for it. Take a working key along and have some copies made, or have a couple of keys cut from code.

[es250nut]

I realize as I write this that you most likely are either already at work, or called in with car problems so I'll just put in my experience with this problem. The neighbor had the exact thing happen to his 88 LE. (I sold it to him few years back) I had to take the whole tumbler out and take the tumbler apart before I could remove the piece of key. Before doing that we tried to fish the key fragment out with the above mentioned ideas, none of which worked.

If you have AAA or another similar road service plan, I'd call them and have them send a locksmith, as something like this would be covered.

[drunkclever]

Does anyone know what holds the tumbler in place, I see theres an opening for some sort of set screw.. anyone know its size or which tool other than a drill?

I have all sorts.. tq drives, star, phillips, flat. I have been trying all of them to no avail,, but maybe I am just using the wrong size.

[timebuilder]

As es250 said, there are no guarantees. Since I have had some success (and I can pick locks, so I have a little more background than some) I always encourge folks to try.

I've worked on too many nameplates to recall the exact method of removing the tumbler without having it in front of me.

According to the book for my 1989, there is a hole in the casting near the word "toyota" where you push in a pin with the tumbler in the "accessory" position, and then draw out the tumbler. It also goes back in in the same position.

The first position is "lock," then "accessory."

[drunkclever]

well thats it.. I can not turn the tumbler to the accessory position.

Used a drill, hammer, chissle, flat and phillips, lots of impressive exlicives, adjustable wrench, small flat screw driver, 3/4" extention, bubblelicious(strawberry blast), and lines men pliers.

everything was preaty much used to destroy or remove the tumbler. except the bubblegum- that was used for holding the "thingy" that holds the steering wheel lock thing down.

I decided to get a newER car soon for some reason.

[BritishBodger]

The shape of the Gen 2 Camry keys has an obvious weak point. I had exactly the same thing happen. I fabricated two hooked peices of stiff wire and used them to pull the key fragment out.