What to do when the eye breaks off your ignition key.

[Chuck Tribolet]

I recently had the eye break off my ignition key. Here's what I did. There arefour tie-wraps, two going vertically, one going horizontally through both verticaltie-wraps, and around the key. The fourth doesn't really show in the picture,but is at the top and goes around both vertical tie-wraps and the little loop ofcord. These are SMALL tie-wraps, Ancor p/n 351225 (bag of 100) available atyou local ship's chandlery (West Marine, etc.). The loop of cord is to reduce thestress and it might be a good idea to do something like that BEFORE it breaks.

Anybody got another solution?

[Kidastra]

here at the dealership if the client doesn't want to replace the key, we usually drill a hole just under where the "eye" would be, and place a key ring in that. edit : (oh and grind away the rest of the plastic left from the old eye)

[Densetsu]

here at the dealership if the client doesn't want to replace the key, we usually drill a hole just under where the "eye" would be, and place a key ring in that. edit : (oh and grind away the rest of the plastic left from the old eye)

But what's the anatomy of the key? What part of the key is safe to drill, and what part would we be drilling into the chip?

[slickroger]

I thought that blue thing was the chip.

Nice zip tie contraption

[Empty V]

I recently had the eye break off my ignition key. Here's what I did. There arefour tie-wraps, two going vertically, one going horizontally through both verticaltie-wraps, and around the key. The fourth doesn't really show in the picture,but is at the top and goes around both vertical tie-wraps and the little loop ofcord. These are SMALL tie-wraps, Ancor p/n 351225 (bag of 100) available atyou local ship's chandlery (West Marine, etc.). The loop of cord is to reduce thestress and it might be a good idea to do something like that BEFORE it breaks.

Anybody got another solution?

That doesn't look DIR.

Billy

[Ron Burgundy]

here at the dealership if the client doesn't want to replace the key, we usually drill a hole just under where the "eye" would be, and place a key ring in that. edit : (oh and grind away the rest of the plastic left from the old eye)

Ha. Thats exactly how my key came when I bought the car.

[Densetsu]

I thought that blue thing was the chip.

Nice zip tie contraption

Didn't even notice that... on mine it's black.

If that's all there is to the chip, then why are the key heads so big?

[bmlawless]

Didn't even notice that... on mine it's black.

If that's all there is to the chip, then why are the key heads so big?

Marketing.

[Kidastra]

yeah the inside of the key is just like any old house key, with a plastic coating. drill the opposite side of the chip (blue thing). The key heads are so big so you can grip it to turn it.

[lino]

Love how you zip-tied it . Save up for a new key and save yourself the aggravation.

[e2xx33]

But what's the anatomy of the key? What part of the key is safe to drill, and what part would we be drilling into the chip?

A few years back I actually had a key that split in half. I am not sure if Nissan changed this but on my 98Q (or 99G, I cant remember) the actual metal flared out into the plastic part of the key. From a top view it looks like a trapezoid, if that makes any sense.

[Chuck Tribolet]

BTW, the zip ties are still going strong 2.5 years later.

Chuck