[surfseeker7]

...so I'm crusing in the Insight to a friend's house Saturday night, with another friend in the car and we get a flat on the rear right tire. I spring into action getting out the standard issue jack, spare, etc only to find there is a wheel lock on one of the lug nuts...and no key in sight (no pun intended). This not only means I can't change my tire, but even AAA can't change it, and I have to be towed all the way home (thank you friend with AAA Plus plan !!).

I bought this car used 2 months ago from a dealership that didn't include any lug nut / wheel lock key. Should I call them up and give them a piece of my mind ? Or is there some trick to this that I didn't read in my owner's manual ? Or was this an add on from the previous owner (who sold it to the dealership) so the dealer may have not even known about it ?

Finally, what should I do now that the car is home ? I still have a flat. Should I go to the dealership, or to an auto parts store ?

Help !

 

[Foxpaw]

Hmm, well, since you're not out on the road and probrably have access to more tools, you may be able to cut or grind the nut off somehow. My Insight didn't come with the standard wheels so I can't say how possible a solution that is, though.

As a last ditch effort you could drill holes into the nut in a triangle pattern, put bolts in those holes, then weld the heads of those bolts to a regular nut, and use the wrench on THAT nut.. but that would be an awful lot of work, not to mention wrecking two nuts.

 

[No. 166]

Hi surfseeker7:
Try contacting the dealer again and ask if he's still got the special nut for your car lying around somewhere. Normally the Insight isn't fitted with this.
The mistake in this case lies definetly in the hands of your dealer. So don't pressurize him at first but IMHO HE needs to take care of your problem.

I wouldn't try the welding machine or cutting it off. At first I would try chiseling it off, depending on how the nut looks like.
Describe it, I may help you........

 

[Holicow]

Take it (tow it) to a tire shop before you break something. They can probably get it off. Call them first to see if they know how.

If you absolutely have to do it at home, another trick is to pound the closest size socket on the lock. This will destroy the lock and probably the socket, unless you can get them apart after....

Remember that the rest of your wheels have the same lock on them, so see if you can eventually find a key.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

<snip>

Or was this an add on from the previous owner (who sold it to the dealership) so the dealer may have not even known about it ?

Finally, what should I do now that the car is home ? I still have a flat. Should I go to the dealership, or to an auto parts store ?

Help !

As a used car it is _very_ unlikely the dealership added _any_ accessory.

There are perhaps more than a dozen variations of style and of those dozens perhaps as many differently coded keys for each.

There are a variety of different tools made for removal of such lugs and have varying success.

Perhaps the best way is to use a die grinder with a cut off wheel and "slot" the lug such that a large screwdriver and or chisel can facilitate removal. Sometimes the chisel technique works alone.

HTH!

 

[No. 166]

Before doing anything, CALL the dealer. He might be happy to help you out. :wink:

 

[Rick]

Don't try to get it off, you might break something. If the dealership doesn't have the key then take it to a tire place, they have special kits to get wheel locks off.

 

[Holicow]

Take it (tow it) to a tire shop before you break something. They can probably get it off. Call them first to see if they know how.
.

Don't try to get it off, you might break something. If the dealership doesn't have the key then take it to a tire place, they have special kits to get wheel locks off.

Notice anything familiar??

If you break something, you can't say we didn't tell you so!

 

[Rick]

Haha, well yeah close. I just wanted to mention they have a special kit to remove wheel locks. Alternatively of course you could buy your own wheel lock removal kit, but I think a basic one runs around $50 or so, could be wrong, but I know they aren't that cheap.

 

[surfseeker7]

Thanks everyone ! It's Sunday today, and though the service departments at my local Honda dealers are closed, I did get through to one guy doing oil changes who said they have a master set of wheel lock keys at the dealership. So I'll have to have it towed there tomorrow.

I'll need to buy the key from them since this same lock is on my other wheels, and will likely try to get this reimbursed from the other dealership I bought it from (which is 300 miles away). Such a pain in the neck for protecting against possible Insight wheel thieves ! I mean, there's only you guys who would be interested in snatching my wheels...and none of you.....hey, wait a minute...maybe those locks aren't such a bad idea after all ! :lol:

 

[AZCivic]

That's a little weird.. in fact that's a LOT weird considering Insight wheels are probably the least likely wheels to ever be stolen.