Seized Lock

[Julian Gladyshev]

Whena lock has been left for some time outside in the elements, rust and grime builds up and can seize a lock. Unseizing a lock can take some time and patience. The symptoms of a seized lock include not being able to insert the key, the key does not turn or the key turns but nothing happens.

Key goes in but does not turn: Using the WD-40 with the straw attached to the nozzle spray a large dose into the lock and leave for a few minutes. Then insert the key in and out like a saw to help the WD-40 move around in the lock. Occasionally removing and wiping the key each time with a tissue to remove any dirt. Test the key and if still not working repeat.

Key does does not go in: Usually this means the lock is heavily seized and can take several days to free up. First check there are no broken pieces of key or other debris in the lock which is causing the issue, and that you have the correct key. Using WD-40 with the straw attached to the nozzle, spray several large doses into the lock and leave for an hour. Try inserting the key again. If the key does not enter repeat this process as we mentioned before it can take days for the WD-40 to penetrate and release the lock.

Key enters the lock and turns but nothing happens: If this is the case then the key and barrel part sound like they are doing their job and it's what they are connected to that has the issue of either being seized or damaged.

We are a UK based family run business who have been in the online key cutting industry since 2008. We cut tens of thousands of keys every year on behalf of very happy businesses and individuals around the world.

A few days ago the key to the front door started to malfunction. I used a spray from the store to clean it up. At first it seemed to improve things but later the lock became completely stuck. I also used WD-40 to clean the lock to no avail.

I was able to open the cylinder while cleaning it. Lots of greyish stuff came out. I guess it was the graphite. The fact that the lock seized completely after using wd40 makes me think that re-adding graphite could improve the situation.

Update: I added graphite and the lock moves better than ever now. Looks like wd40 washed away all the graphite and completely seized the lock. Adding graphite and moving the lock back and forth solved the problem (for now...)

If you replace the lock yourself, make sure to keep the old one as evidence it failed due to wear and tear (ie, you didn't break it). If your landlord is honest they should agree to pay for it. Of course you need to give them the keys to the new lock when you leave.

Replacing the whole lock is very likely going to cost less than having a locksmith service the one you have (unless you have a locksmith do the replacing, and possibly even then, since it's also less labor even with markup on the lock.)

If you're particularly attached to the existing lock, a new lock (for a few days/weeks) would allow you to drop the old lock off with a locksmith for rebuilding, without the "out of shop service call" markup. Or to have a try at rebuilding it yourself, if you are so inclined.

Graphite (used sparingly, all it takes is a puff/dusting) was a traditional lubricant for locks. A better choice these days is something like Tri-Flow (one of several equivalents) which has a wet carrier that evaporates, leaving behind a dusting of microspheres -- tiny ball bearings. WD40 provokes religious arguments, but at least is generally harmless, and like the liquid in the microspheres lubes may act as a solvent to loosen things up.

But there's a lot more that can cause problems, from loosened or overtightened screws to mechanical wear to weakening springs to... If you don't have the skills and/or patience, replacing it is a reasonable choice. If you actually care about security, as opposed to just wanting privacy, I would recommend a Grade 2 lock, which is a step up from the Grade 3 most builders install because it's cheap. Basic lock security depends on design, materials, and precision of manufacturing; Grade 2 improves all of these over Grade 3. (And on installation and use, of course!) Grade 3 is cheap enough to be considered disposable, even if it can be repaired.

If it's already a good quality lock, and simple fixes like dismounting and remounting it don't resolve it, then I'd suggest you can take it to a locksmith to avoid the trip charge... if you can find a locksmith who still has a shop. If course that's a bit of a gamble; if the problem is how it was installed he'd have to look at your door, so you might waste a bit of time and a bit of money and wind up paying the on-site fee anyway. But it's worth considering.

(ORK Security Services, a division of Kubyc Solutions. Full-service locksmithing, extremely part-time; basically just helping friends. Haven't even renewed my bond, or my trade-journal subscription, in a long time.... Migawd, I've retired from a hobby.)

So, the lock under the seat that releases the rear seat is seized. The tumblers appear to not move at all, and I can only get the key about 3/4 of the way in. There's nothing visible inside blocking things.

On the 2018, the main seat cannot be removed without removing the rear seat, as the screws are (unlike previous models, where you could just peel back the back of the seat) underneath the rigid body of the rear seat.

The key does not go in all the way so I think you are okay there. I suspect there is something pushing the back of the seat up. Like @minkster says, push down on the back of the seat while unlocking it.

Something similar happened to me, the key would hardly turn, felt like it would snap if I twisted it harder. I was at Yamaha Champ School when it happened. I had the YCRS mechanic look at it and could not open it either. We pushed down, backward, forward, and twisted, no go. Stayed like that for 2 days. When I got home, I tried it and it popped right off first try . It has worked fine ever since. Try riding around on some bumpy roads, see it it loosens itself out.

Locks themselves can benefit from powdered scrapings of pencil lead inserted with the key. But with everything else inside there it is prob too late for that. Anyway, looks like a blockage (as above).

I would take the key to a key maker and tell them what is going on. I've had keys do that (not go all the way in or be troublesome going in) and so I asked them to smooth the edges a bit because they appeared too sharp and angular. I did that recently with some new mail box keys that didn't want to go all the way in. It worked like a charm, apparently just one 'too sharp' of an edge can cause problems. GL! Let us know if that was the problem.

Pushing on the rear seat didn't help, because I was unable to fully insert the key and the tumblers couldn't move to the unlock position - no amount of twisting was going to help that short of breaking the key or lock.

So, as you all likely know, the key turns a lever which pulls a cable, releasing the rear seat. So how I got the seat off was surprisingly simple: I removed the two mounting screws for the lock, stuck the key in as far as I could, and simply turned the whole lock mechanism. This pulled the cord, releasing the lock, and allowing to me get it all apart.

Once out of the bike, it was simple to remove the two screws in the rear of the lock and pull the assembly out. I left it to soak overnight in vinegar, which dissolved the salt. Stuffed the thing full of grease and worked the mechanism around as much as possible, then wiped out as much excess grease as possible. This left a good coating throughout the lock, and it works fine now.

Either today or tomorrow, it gets re-installed in the bike. In the mean time, I just tied a wire to the end of the pull cable, and left it hanging out through the lock hole so I could remove the rear seat again to reinstall.

I know it's already done with the grease but the next time you go to lube that lock I recommend something that doesn't gunk up and get sticky like how grease can when it gets old. I've been using the WD-40 White Lithium which worked well but I've switched over to the Dupont Teflon in hopes that it's drier and attracts less. It looks like you're a happy man for now so that's good. Stay frosty!

I live in Calgary, Alberta, and I ride every day, year round. I wash the bike regularly, but I guess it was just accumulating in there and of course the inner surfaces of the lock are two different types of metal (brass and aluminum) which was totally unlubricated initially.

The problem is that lock is open, kind of low on the bike, tucked under stuff. The other locks like the ignition have that little shutter over them, but this is just an open keyhole. So I guess it just built up, and while I wash the bike off regularly, it's not like I washed out a keyhole. I'm just going to add a rinse and lube process there for the future, do that when I clean and lube the chain.

Just by chance are you washing your bike from softwater, still do not understand the salt as you are land locked per say. I assume then that they spread salt to de-Ice on roads? or you ride on a salt flat, or your use salt as soap or someone put salt in your lock because they dont like you?

have you

Get back in there and neutralize that vinegar fast. Hot water with baking soda will do the trick. The acid of the vinegar will continue to to way away at anything until it's neutralized, and those tumblers have tiny leafs in them that may not last long. Even with the grease packed in there the vinegar acid will still continue to work. In the future, plain water will melt salt easily.

As to salt: Our roads are doused with warmish sodium chloride, as a liquid, to de-ice. There's sand, too, but it doesn't really play into things. It's needed, because the intense sun tends to melt snow and ice quickly during the day, despite it still being below freezing. At night, all that melt would turn the roads to ice.

The problem is that because the sodium chloride is liquid, it splashes around. The water base evaporates quickly, leaving a crust of salt on whatever it was splashed on. I always wash the bike as soon as possible (that is, once it's warm enough that it's possible to wash it) afterwards, but it had never occurred to me to get right into that lock.

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