2 key to 1 key

I have a '90 that has two keys (one for the ignition, one for the doors) and need to change my door locks. Does anyone know if the one key setup from the newer XJ slide right in?
TIA,
Alan

Keys

Take it to a reputable locksmith.
I broke my door key on my 89',called STEALERSHIP,$10.00 ea for the doors,n sumpin like $120 for the hatch cause you have to buy the whole mechinism.
Locksmith in my area re keyed lock (still 2 keys) made me a new key and cost $5 n some change.

The one-key XJs use Chrysler keys, IIRC.

Like the man said, take it to a locksmith. He can get you new door cylinders and re-key them to work off your ignition key. Don't forget the lock on the liftgate. If you don't change that, you'll still have a 2-key XJ.

If your XJ is like mine you have GM keys. GM used a "door" key and a 'ignition" key. I think the door key fits the driver's, passengers and hatch locks plus the glove box lock. The igniton key fits only the lock on the column.

On our XJs we have 5 pin locks and the door cylinder has a different pattern for the key than the ignition key. This is added security no one key will unlock and start the vehicle.

On the "one-key" fits all locks in a car they use 8-10 tumblers. They also have a "chip" in the key to keep someone who had a key cut from starting the vehicle since the chip was not authorized.

I have the same setup as you and carrying 2 keys is not a problem to me but then the first car I learned to drive was a 1969 Camero and it was the first year of the column ignition lock.

Also look at it this way with 2 keys you can go start your XJ on a cold morning, go back in and finish breakfast and come out to a warm vehicle. The vehicle is secure. If you had the "one key" then you'd have to have 2 keys to warm it up with the doors locked.

martin said:

Also look at it this way with 2 keys you can go start your XJ on a cold morning, go back in and finish breakfast and come out to a warm vehicle. The vehicle is secure. If you had the "one key" then you'd have to have 2 keys to warm it up with the doors locked.

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Here in St Louis car theft numbers go up every severe winter due to folks doing just that. They start the car, lock the door, go inside and come out to discover the car gone.

Sarge

Sarge,

I know all about St Louis City and it's high auto theft rate. I use to work on Goodfellow Blvd just south of I-70, had coworkers with batteries and entire cars stolen. Nothing like seeing a buddies car after it was recovered. This one 84 Monte Carlo SS was trashed out by the low lives that stole it.

That why I chose to buy a house in St Louis county when I lived there. My car insuarnace rates went down quite a bit when I moved from an apartment in St Ann to house in Webster Groves. When I first moved there I talked to a high school classmate and he told me how it was 2 to 3 times more expensive to insure a car in St Louis City vs St Louis County. For you non Missourians St Louis city is NOT in St Louis county that means living in a city with 200 plus murders a year or a county with about a dozen murders a year.

True anyone who wants your vehicle WILL take it, have to be smart about leaving your car running with the doors locked in winter. I was just showing one of the benefits of having 2 differnt keys for your vehicle.

Martin

I started following this thread because the topic is one I have been wondering about. I have a '90 with two keys and it drives me crazy; I want it to have one key like our '92.
No one has answered the original question. I fool around with locks sometimes and I don't want to just "take it to a locksmith". I sometimes see '91 to '93 XJs in junkyards, without the keys of course. I can maybe make a key by taking apart a door lock, but I don't know how to get the ignition lock out without the key.
I am considering another approach. The ignition key from my '90 goes into the drivers door lock very easily, but not into the passenger door or the rear hatch. I assume this is because the drivers door lock is worn from heavy use. When I look at the keys, it seems that it might be possible to enlarge the grooves in the side of one of them to make it go into all the locks on the car. Then I might be able to move the pins or wafers around to key the locks the same. Less trouble to do this for just the ignition than for all the rest, but I have no experience removing the ignition lock.
We'll see. Maybe after I get it running better and fix the rust , and ...

One of the local Pep Boys stores has replacement ignition cylinders out on a display rack (another does not, for reasons best known only to Manny, Moe and Jack). There are several different cylinders that all appear to be the same GM style. IIRC, one of them said something about having an "AMC Keyway."

I have had problems in the past getting keys cut for my '88 because they couldn't find a blank that matched the key. In the old days of AMC, I had a key that would open the door AND start the engine on probably 85% of the Javelins and AMXs I ever saw on a used car lot.

Look into the difference between the GM keyway and the AMC keyway -- you might be able to hit Pep Bpys for either an ignition cylinder or door cylinders that will accept the same key. I'm not a locksmith, so I'm sorry I can't be any more specific than that.

Do I have an oddity?

1 Key for all doors and ignition. I even have the ability to leave the jeep running and remove the key from th eignition and lock my doors.

If you can take the key out with the jeep running, your ignition switch is worn. Anybody with a CJ knows about this.

XJ91 said:

I even have the ability to leave the jeep running and remove the key from th eignition and lock my doors.

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That is common for GM lock cylinders. I can do that to about every GM car I have owned. Kinda handy at times, if you have all your keys on one keychain you can still start the car then remove the keys to open the trunk or something.

On the older XJ to get one key you woulld have to put in a newer steering column with the chrysler lock cylinder I think?