Luxurexus

I have a 1991 Ls400 first gen.I am unable to unlock my car from my drivers or passenger door. When inserting the key it will not turn left or right to Lock/Unlock the vehicle. Broke into the car only to find that it is stuck in Safety or "theft deterrent" mode and will not unlock unless the kill switch disengages properly. I was told if I take off my door panel and manually turn the lock it will disengage the kill switch. Has anyone else had this issue? I would appreciate any information on the issue as well as diagrams or tips on removing the door panel. Cheers

RA40

iTrader: (6)

This is the '91 in your profile?
Call your local dealer for the unlock procedure.

Doesn't sound right though, of the Toyota's I've had when the security system has been activated, inserting a key into the driver door cylinder has disarmed the system. Have not heard of it locking the cylinder before. Makes me think somebody is playing a mean joke by squeezing in some sort of glue or thread locking agent to freeze the cylinder up. Does your trunk cylinder turn?

Luxurexus

I have been having trouble unlocking and locking my vehicle the past few weeks but did not think the cylinder would actually lock up like this.I actually work at a Lexus dealership and spoke to one of the more experienced techs and he said that if I could move it manually it would disengage the kill switch. He also said that I would need a new key to match the cylinder if I replace it and quoted me $350 for the cylinder,key set, and handle. A little rich for my blood so I am searching online for a better deal now but I need my car to drive in the mean time.

cobalt91

Got a quote from lexus on a full set of locks for mine at 635.00. not including labor. And I would lose the remote locking. Still tryin to decide what t do with my situation.

cobalt91

Kill switch same as immobiliser?

RA40

iTrader: (6)

I know the wallet hurt with the key cylinders. Sounds worn out but the passenger side seems odd unless you open that side with frequency. Have you tried a lubricant to see if that frees it up?

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

no immobilizer in the early cars. there was a starter kill through the alarm though, i think.

Luxurexus

When I first purchased the vehicle the passenger side was already seized but the drivers side just decided to do it recently. I did try to use wd40 to lubricate the cylinder but to no avail. Honestly I think I can remove and reinstall another handle and cylinder but I am afraid to remove my door handle without a proper guide or diagram, I wouldnt want to break anymore parts in the process.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Re-reading your prior reply, why would you lose remote locking? I hear of enough key cylinder failures and actuators but actuator replacement is easier to handle. When my driver door key cylinder died, the tech advised to use the remotes to lock-unlock the doors...less wear issues.

As far as the 97 cylinder, it is a cheap nylon/plastic part that causes the actuator to short and lock-unlock repeatedly. Unfortunately one cannot buy that electronic interface and replace, it is the whole key cylinder with re-key charge added in.

With age I suspect we'll see more of this happening so a DIY with pics would be

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

if its just the electronics that die then theoretically you should be able to take your old and new cylinders to a clever locksmith and get him to re=pin your new lock for your old keys...

Luxurexus

I dont have remote locking, or atleast I am not aware of it if I do. I also do not have a key fob or anything of that nature to do a remote lock/unlock. I have been doing it manually since ive owned the car. I dont believe its an actuator problem but I was told in order to fix the problem it would need a new key and cylinder, I unfortunately cannot afford a new one from Lexus so I plan to get one from a junk car at a scrap yard and just have a set of keys for the doors and a set for the ignition (if that is possible). If I can figure out how to get the door panel off without breaking anything I will probably be able to solve my problem. Does anyone have any information on how to remove the door panel?

Luxurexus

I dont believe its an electrical issue, I believe the cylinder just got old and seized up. It was starting to give me trouble before it locked up completely so I believe I just need to replace the cylinder. If I can get my door panel off that is. I am terrified to attempt removing it without a diagram as I do not want to cause more problems for myself. Maybe I will practice on a few junk yard cars while im looking for a new cylinder.

Luxurexus

Replaced the cylinder with one from the junkyard (got lucky enough to find a key with it) and it worked like a charm. As always there was step by step instructions on lexls.com. Thanks everyone for your input I hope this helps someone in the future.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Glad the replaced cylinder worked.