My wifes Vauxhall Omega needs a tyre replacing and now shes discovered that
shes lost the locking wheelnut key to the alloys. The alloys are the five
spoke style (Omega Sport 'Touring' estate) with extremely deep wheelnut
holes so there is no way you can get close up to the lock to attack it. The
'face' portion of the lock has three circular holes which the key fits in -
the diameter of the lock is *very* close to the internal diameter of the
wheel hole so no room to get much in, and is also perfectly circular (so
nothing to get purchase on if you slam an old socket onto it). Vauxhall do
not have a record of which particular key is supplied to which particular
vehicle, and say there are several hundred key permutations so they are
unable to try them all even if they DID have one of each at the local
dealer. A local garage has looked at the idea of welding a blob onto the
lock and then turning that to release it but for reasons unkown has failed
at that too.
The car is now at Vauxhalls while they consider what to do - at 47 per hour
plus VAT. Surely someone losing the key cant be *that* rare? What the hell
happens? Any suggestions anyone?
TIA

dealer. A local garage has looked at the idea of welding a blob onto the
lock and then turning that to release it but for reasons unkown has failed
at that too.


That worked for a friend of mine...he welded a nut to it, then used a
different sized wrench than normal, and got them out.
At least it sounds like yours are possible for that technique. Some have a
shroud that prevents welding.
Sounds like the welding man didnt have enough current or something. A nut
means you can also weld inside the threaded portion, making it stronger.

There is obviously a moral to this story somwhere??....lol, are you sure you
have checked everywhere, ie ashtray, glovebox, under spare etc as people
leave them in places like this in case they get a puncture on the roadside.

Neil

"Neil" wrote in message
...
dealer. A local garage has looked at the idea of welding a blob onto the
lock and then turning that to release it but for reasons unkown has
failed
at that too.


That worked for a friend of mine...he welded a nut to it, then used a
different sized wrench than normal, and got them out.
At least it sounds like yours are possible for that technique. Some have a
shroud that prevents welding.
Sounds like the welding man didnt have enough current or something. A nut
means you can also weld inside the threaded portion, making it stronger.

There is obviously a moral to this story somwhere??....lol, are you sure
you
have checked everywhere, ie ashtray, glovebox, under spare etc as people
leave them in places like this in case they get a puncture on the
roadside.

The cars been stripped bare looking for it - Ive evenhad the carpets out ;o(

Check all you documentation, if these are vauxhall locks you should have a
card with the code on it, you can order a new key via the dealer.

Failing that you have to get a device that screws onto the wheel stud/nut
with a reverse thread that has a bolt on the face of it, a skilled mechanic
can wind it on and then undo the bolt, trashes your locking wheel stud/nut
but its not much use anyway.
Failing that you've got to drill it out without trashing the hub.

"pork'n'stuffing" wrote in message
...
My wifes Vauxhall Omega needs a tyre replacing and now shes discovered
that
shes lost the locking wheelnut key to the alloys. The alloys are the five
spoke style (Omega Sport 'Touring' estate) with extremely deep wheelnut
holes so there is no way you can get close up to the lock to attack it.
The
'face' portion of the lock has three circular holes which the key fits
in -
the diameter of the lock is *very* close to the internal diameter of the
wheel hole so no room to get much in, and is also perfectly circular (so
nothing to get purchase on if you slam an old socket onto it). Vauxhall do
not have a record of which particular key is supplied to which particular
vehicle, and say there are several hundred key permutations so they are
unable to try them all even if they DID have one of each at the local
dealer. A local garage has looked at the idea of welding a blob onto the
lock and then turning that to release it but for reasons unkown has failed
at that too.
The car is now at Vauxhalls while they consider what to do - at 47 per
hour
plus VAT. Surely someone losing the key cant be *that* rare? What the hell
happens? Any suggestions anyone?
TIA

On Fri, 1 Aug 2003 09:01:02 +0100, "pork'n'stuffing"
wrote:

Any reason it can't be drilled and use a screw/stud extractor set?

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...30660&id=18643

My wifes Vauxhall Omega needs a tyre replacing and now shes discovered that
shes lost the locking wheelnut key to the alloys. The alloys are the five
spoke style (Omega Sport 'Touring' estate) with extremely deep wheelnut
holes so there is no way you can get close up to the lock to attack it. The
'face' portion of the lock has three circular holes which the key fits in -
the diameter of the lock is *very* close to the internal diameter of the
wheel hole so no room to get much in, and is also perfectly circular (so
nothing to get purchase on if you slam an old socket onto it). Vauxhall do
not have a record of which particular key is supplied to which particular
vehicle, and say there are several hundred key permutations so they are
unable to try them all even if they DID have one of each at the local
dealer. A local garage has looked at the idea of welding a blob onto the
lock and then turning that to release it but for reasons unkown has failed
at that too.
The car is now at Vauxhalls while they consider what to do - at 47 per hour
plus VAT. Surely someone losing the key cant be *that* rare? What the hell
happens? Any suggestions anyone?
TIA




Best Regards
John McCabe

To reply by email replace 'nospam' with 'assen'

pork'n'stuffing wrote:
My wifes Vauxhall Omega needs a tyre replacing and now shes discovered that
shes lost the locking wheelnut key to the alloys. The alloys are the five
spoke style (Omega Sport 'Touring' estate) with extremely deep wheelnut
holes so there is no way you can get close up to the lock to attack it. The
'face' portion of the lock has three circular holes which the key fits in -
the diameter of the lock is *very* close to the internal diameter of the
wheel hole so no room to get much in, and is also perfectly circular (so
nothing to get purchase on if you slam an old socket onto it). Vauxhall do
not have a record of which particular key is supplied to which particular
vehicle, and say there are several hundred key permutations so they are
unable to try them all even if they DID have one of each at the local
dealer. A local garage has looked at the idea of welding a blob onto the
lock and then turning that to release it but for reasons unkown has failed
at that too.
The car is now at Vauxhalls while they consider what to do - at 47 per hour
plus VAT. Surely someone losing the key cant be *that* rare? What the hell
happens? Any suggestions anyone?
TIA



Tried a centre punch and a hammer? and knocked the stud around.

I would suggest the first thing you do is get the car away from the Vauxhall
main dealers.
Its quite likely that a good tyre fitter will have a key. There actually
arent that many adapters and Omegas are dead common and the wheel is also
used on Calibras and Vectras too I suspect.
Failing that then make a cast of the key profile with plasticene from the
top of the nut and fine a local engineering shop to make you one up. Fifty
quid tops. There are at least two in walking distance of my house in west
london...

Jonners

"Jon Tilson" wrote in message
...
I would suggest the first thing you do is get the car away from the
Vauxhall
main dealers.
Its quite likely that a good tyre fitter will have a key. There actually
arent that many adapters and Omegas are dead common and the wheel is also
used on Calibras and Vectras too I suspect.
Failing that then make a cast of the key profile with plasticene from the
top of the nut and fine a local engineering shop to make you one up. Fifty
quid tops. There are at least two in walking distance of my house in west
london...

What a cracking idea! thanks for that - will try it today and update here

Subject: NOT classic related but rather urgent
From: "pork'n'stuffing"
Date: 01/08/03 09:01 GMT Daylight Time
Message-id:

My wifes Vauxhall Omega needs a tyre replacing and now shes discovered that
shes lost the locking wheelnut key to the alloys. The alloys are the five
spoke style (Omega Sport 'Touring' estate) with extremely deep wheelnut
holes so there is no way you can get close up to the lock to attack it. The
'face' portion of the lock has three circular holes which the key fits in -
the diameter of the lock is *very* close to the internal diameter of the
wheel hole so no room to get much in, and is also perfectly circular (so
nothing to get purchase on if you slam an old socket onto it). Vauxhall do
not have a record of which particular key is supplied to which particular
vehicle, and say there are several hundred key permutations so they are
unable to try them all even if they DID have one of each at the local
dealer. A local garage has looked at the idea of welding a blob onto the
lock and then turning that to release it but for reasons unkown has failed
at that too.
The car is now at Vauxhalls while they consider what to do - at 47 per hour
plus VAT. Surely someone losing the key cant be *that* rare? What the hell
happens? Any suggestions anyone?
TIA

Happened to me too once so I made a rough cast with plasticene and machined up
a tool in the workshop. However most people don't have my sort of machinery.
Tyre fitters and general garages usually have boxes of those sorts of key
knocking around and usually something fits even if it needs a bit of hammering
on. I bet a main dealer could actually do it pretty fast but they'll tell you
it's a huge problem and charge an arm and a leg.


Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines (www.pumaracing.co.uk)
"How's life Norm?"
"Not for the squeamish, Coach" (Cheers, 1982)

On Fri, 1 Aug 2003 09:01:02 +0100, "pork'n'stuffing"
wrote:

My wifes Vauxhall Omega needs a tyre replacing and now shes discovered that
shes lost the locking wheelnut key to the alloys.

Make one. Ten minutes work for any small shop with a lathe. Use
plasticine to impression it and standard taper pins to make the "keys"

OTOH, if you do air-wrench these nuts tight, then even the real key
won't remove them without itself breaking. Best way to get them off
is to drill carefully down on two opposite sides parallel to the stud,
then use a chisel to split the nut. If they weren't down a tunnel in
the wheel, then just a hydraulic splitter from the side is easier.