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Hey folks, Was not sure what thread to put this in, Our 1970 98 Olds LS door locks do not seem to function, I am sure we have the correct key as it works in the trunk. I have been spraying it over and over again for the last 2 weeks with penetrating oil. I can not seem to get the key cylinder to turn at all with the key. The locks funtion proerly other than we can not unlock or lock the car with a key. I am unsure what the best process other than replacing the key cylinders would be. Any help or tips would be great.
I had a similar symptoms on my '68 Cutlass, found a broken spring on the lock mechanism inside the door that returns the lever that the thumb-button pushes on to open the door. That lever, when stuck in (like if you were holding the thumb button in) prevents the key cylinder from rotating to unlock the door. For me, it also prevented the inside unlock **** from being pulled-up (preventing me from opening the door from the inside too). I posted this issue (w/ photos) in a thread here a few months ago.
Last edited by JohnnyBs68S; June 22nd, 2023 at 07:51 AM.
The door locks work with the igintion key, not the trunk key. If the ignition cylinder has been replaced, you will need to pull one of the door cylinders and take it to a locksmith.
Seriously, I always thought that GM used the round key for the locks and the square key for the ignition. Well We will be giving that a try this evening.
The ignition/door locks used the square key in the 1970 model year. The trunk/glovebox used the oval key. From the 1970 owner's manual:
Note that for 1970 the square key is a "J" blank and the oval key is a "K" blank. These blanks have different grooves and you will not be able to slide the oval key into the door lock if the locks are original. If you actually can insert the trunk key into the door lock, your locks have been replaced and all bets are off. Additionally, many aftermarket locks have removed the internal grooves in the cylinder, which allows one set of lock cylinders to be used with any key blank. This allows the repro company to reduce inventory by requiring fewer part numbers, but it also reduces the security of your locks. If you can slide both the ignition and trunk key into your door lock, you have an aftermarket lock cylinder. Also, what are the letters or numbers on the key blanks. Aftermarket blanks will have either a number (B46 in this example) or a letter (J and K in this example) to designate which groove configuration it is.
DOH! A much simpler solution. BTW, when did GM transition to using the oval key for the door / trunk / glove box? I could've sworn dad's '74 Ventura used the square key only for the ignition. I've never owned anything from '71-'73.
DOH! A much simpler solution. BTW, when did GM transition to using the oval key for the door / trunk / glove box? I could've sworn dad's '74 Ventura used the square key only for the ignition. I've never owned anything from '71-'73.
1974 was the first model year where the door used the oval key.
Well the square key doesnt even come close to fitting in the door lock cylinder, So Im assuming the ignition was changed at some point and now I need to replace the door lock cylinders as I do not have a key that works in them. Any suggestions on where to look to purchase these?
The door lock cylinders SHOULD be the same, but you need to pull one of yours out for a visual comparison. Most repro vendors act like GM only made A-body cars and don't bother to list applications for other models. Also, I wasn't recommending that particular vendor, only using that photo as an example. You can also have your current door locks re-keyed to fit your existing trunk key as an option. I can do that but it will probably cost as much as buying a new repro lock set.
I can confirm from the parts book that every 1970 Oldsmobile used the same door lock cylinders, so despite what a vendor may say, any lock package that fits a 1970 Cutlass or Chevelle will also fit an Olds full size from that year.
June 22nd, 2023, 07:27 AM
