For the past six years (though, not for the past two weeks; unemployed *again*), I've been a locksmith.

My '97 never got driven much since I bought it (800 miles in the past 15 months) because I drove a company vehicle or my partner's car; we only used the Aero when we needed a truck (new water heater) or to move the dog + relatives visiting from out-of-town. So, the list of maintenance grew & grew.

Now that I have some time and need to drive it again (ahem), I'm whittling down the list (plugs & wires, O2 sensors, 5R55e valve body gasket & EPC valve, sliding door bearings, disconnect the shifter/brake lock, etc. etc.). One of the items is the ignition lock, which has the infamous Ford spinning ears problem: the "ears" around the keyhole are no longer attached to the lock plug. This is very common, and can lead to a broken key, or if the ears misalign just right, the key can't be removed (or inserted).

Opening up my '97 ignition lock yesterday, I ran into something that I hadn't seen before: a guard over the poke hole.

Typically, to remove an ignition lock that can be turned to ON, on '84-96 Fords you can turn the key to ON, and push a spring-loaded pin located in a "poke hole" on the underside the column, to release the lock cylinder from the column. Several online guides for the Aerostar (notably, the Autozone guide) say that that procedure works for all years of the Aero.

However, I ran into a bolted-on guard on mine, that covers the poke hole. With break-away bolts holding it on.

I didn't have the forethought to take a picture before I took it apart; I'll try to do that when I reassemble it.

Meanwhile, here's a pic of the guard off the column.

(click on any image for larger)


A pic of the remains of one of the two break-away bolts. I'm guessing it's 6mm, and I do usually Dremel a slot into these a bit neater than this!



Purely for my own future reference, some replacement lock cylinder information for most of 1996 & all of 1997 Aerostar ignition locks.



The '86-92 Aerostar Ignition is 10-cut, uses ASP C-42-117 (uncoded), C-42-110 (coded)
The '93-11/95 Aerostar Ignition is 10-cut, uses ASP C-42-157 (uncoded), C-42-150 (coded)
The '11/95-97 Aerostar Ignition is 8-cut, uses ASP C-42-185 (uncoded),C-42-184 (coded), or Borg-Warner CS448L

Pics of the Borg-Warner CS448L:
(no larger versions of these pics)

 

Thanks for posting this information. I'm having some wear problems on my ignition lock as well. The key can be pulled out of the lock when it's in the "on" position. I'm worried that some day it will get accidentally pulled out while I'm driving. Is this a problem with the tumblers, or the spinning ears?

 

That's almost always a worn key issue.

In order for the key to be removed, the tumblers have to move out of the way

In the LOCKED position, springs press the tumbers against the key, but they can move back into a groove when the key is pulled out.

In any other position, there's no groove for them to move into when a high part of the key has to move a low tumbler, so as long as any part of the key toward the tip is higher than any part of the key toward the bow (head), the tumbers will not clear the key, and it won't come out.

However, if you have a key pattern where it generally slopes down toward the tip, and some wear occurs, there's enough slop that the key can be withdrawn in a non-LOCKED position.

You should have an original key (re)created -- not a duplicate -- and I can almost guarantee that it won't come out of the lock in any position except LOCKED. If you have the keycode (for old Fords, generally something like "nnnnX", where n=a digit, and X=a letter), you can generally have a new key cut for $12-35 at a competent locksmith.

(Which is getting very hard to find, if you don't already know one; the industry is being taken over by the mob, and no I am not joking; if you're in a town with a population of more than about 20k, try Googling for a locksmith and 9/10 will be fakes, even down to fake local addresses and a local phone area code. The phone will actually be redirected to a non-local dispatch center, often on the east coast. A non-licensed person will show up in a car and will ruin whatever you let him touch. I was just at our regional locksmith association meeting last night, and several businesses have had their business name and address used in this scam. This is in the Seattle area, but it's not a local problem, it's nationwide.

Handwritten receipts, no graphics on the vehicle, no uniform, no licensing . . . it's gotten really bad.)

If you don't have a keycode but can drive the vehicle to a competent locksmith, a key can be recreated new by reading -- by eye or other means -- the eight cuts depths of what's left of your working key and turning it back into the eight digits representing the cuts (these eight digits are not a keycode, but what a keycode gets translated into to cut a key). Then we cut those depths onto a new blank, and try it. Generally, a couple of the cuts will be off, and we can tell which fairly easily and re-cut those cuts only. Takes 1-6 tries, usually. That's me, others have better "guessing" skills. Fords are generally pretty easy to read the worn keys, because they start with a relatively thick blank.

Imports (Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi) are the hardest, because the keys start thin and wear fast. And the cars last so long, too They can be quite difficult to read by eye.

Recreating a new key that way might cost more. One shop I worked for, we'd get closer to $40-50 to read a key and cut it; the last shop, we just charged the same as if we cut it by code (which, IMO, was crazy, but I don't work there anymore). Due the increased labor & skill required, a higher price to read a key and cut a new one is justified.

HTH

 

That's very funny, I think? I have always been able to remove my ignition key while running is in "on". I thought it was bit odd at first, but it turned out to be a convenience for opening the underground parking garage gate.

 

I had a defective ignition lock cylinder on my 1997 Aerostar. I knew that when I bought it, and was prepared for it . . . or, so I thought!

From the 1997 Aerostar Workshop Manual, Section 11-04B:
Well, that has worked for most Fords for a long time. Some, you have to remove the lower steering column shroud, but all of my newer Aeros have had the hole in the plastic pre-drilled, like thus:

(click on any image for larger)



With the lower shroud off, it should look similar to this (though other parts have been removed in this pic):


However, although my '97 has the poke hole in the lower shroud, there's a "Made in Bulgaria" armor plate around the lock cylinder housing.




This shroud is bolted on, and its purpose is to make it more difficult to attack the column and overpower the lock cylinder if a key is not available (ie harder to steal the vehicle). Not only that, even with the thing unbolted, you still can't do much with the lock even if you have a working key, because:

• You can't remove the cylinder from the housing without poking the pin in the poke hole;
• The poke hole is covered by the armor plate; and
• The armor plate, even unbolted, cannot be removed with the intact cylinder in place.

IOW, once you installed a cylinder with this armor plate in place, you can't ever remove it, even if you have a key that works without prying off the plastic "ears", removing the plastic upper column shroud, and slipping the unbolted armor plate off, so you can access the poke hole. Once you pry off the black plastic "ears", they don't go back on; you have to replace the cylinder with a new one.

Devilish.
I've been doing this a long time, and, "I've never seen that before."

Here's what I was faced with, only this is on reassembly, where I've modified the armor plate to render it useless: I've drilled a hole in it to access the poke hole, so that in the future the lock can be serviced without destroying it.



Why not just leave the armor plate off? It appears that it also acts as a spacer; the upper column shroud fits slightly better with the armor plate installed than without.

 

That sure seems like a lot of effort to protect the car, as if the Aerostar was such a hot target of theft. Who knew?

 

slick fix Al.

maybe there is a use for my old Aero so she doesn't end up in the Jaws of the Death Crusher.
Bait Van for the local police?

my wife's Hondas all should have falling out jammed key cylinders by now. the poor suckers have to carry 10 lbs of keys, mace spray, brass jingles and LED flashlights

she put her Dodge Ram key on her key glob, had to tell her NO, that wad will bend the steering wheel to the floor.

went to look at a new VW wagon to haul the dogs around in. asked the salesman what he'd give me for trade-in on the Aero. He had that deer in the headlights frozen look. didn't even want to test drive it.

 

I finally replaced my failing 8-cut 97 Aerostar ignition lock cylinder, as well as all the doors locks.

It was surprisingly easier than I thought to install em. The ignition lock pops out with a push hole.

The front door locks are removed by pulling out the flat spring clamp located on the door lumbar.

You don't need to remove the door panel on the front doors to install the new door lock cylinders.

The sliding door lock required removing the handle and the handle plate to access the flat spring.

The rear door lock, as in my case with two barn doors, required the removal of the interior panel.

The entire job in a few hours at an expense of $33 for the ignition lock and $21 for the door locks.

Bought them on eBay from wolfsecurityhardware. I dislike eBay, but I highly recommend this seller.

 

There is some great info in here, but I wonder if anyone can provide me the following details:

I need to replace just one door lock cylinder. I bought a new one already. I went to a locksmith to get it rekeyed, and he said that he can't do it for pre-assembled Ford cylinders. I have to get a cylinder kit from the dealer that is not assembled, and after putting in the pins he would close it up.

Does anyone have a part number for that?

 

Maybe you or they can transfer the tiny tiny tiny super tiny pins from your old door lock to your new door lock.

 

TTBOMK, that's not a good answer from your locksmith.

If he has the scalp cap (the exterior trim piece: chrome or black) in his parts stock, he should be able to rekey the Aero lock, whether old or new. The old scalp cap must be destoyed to take it apart, and a new scalp cap is installed upon reassembly.

Perhaps he does not have a Ford scalp cap assortment kit.

Strattec doesn't seem to list a part number for the scalp cap, but ASP's number for the '96.5-97 8-cut locks' scalp cap is P-42-266.



I could be wrong . . . I have not done any significant automotive lock work in three years, and I do forget things, but I used to rekey a lot of Ford locks (even the difficult ones like late Crown Vics and Ford Focus stuff) and I've been able to rekey them all, AFICT.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks, you are absolutely correct. I found another locksmith that did it. All he did was pry of the front plate, rearrange the wafers, and replaced the front plate with one that has bendable ears which he pressed down with a screwdriver. For 10 minutes of work and a simple part, he charged me a mere $35!!!

But he knew the secret and I didn't....

 

I know that he made it look easy, but having done more than a few over the years, it does not always go that well, and you do have to (generally) have a repair kit for each type of lock, each kit costs quite a lot (think like Heli-Coil sets, only that cost three times as much).

However, the Ford locks are a well-trod path to rekey, and that's why I was perplexed that your first guy couldn't do it.

A lot of locksmiths in recent years have dropped automotive locksmithing altogether, as the product changes so fast and require constant updates to equipment and software for reprogrammers.

And, the locksmithing industry is (in America, now) rocked with a LOT of scammers. Not those of us who are nationally accredited -- I am a national member of ALOA, and a regional member of the NWLA -- but people working out of their cars with no licensing. If you Google "locksmith (your town)", you will get 30-50 hits that all sound like they live next door to you, and I can guarantee that 98% of them are out-of-town dispatch centers. Many actual Yellow Pages ads on real paper are that way too, with fake addresses listed and local-looking phone numbers, but they exist only virtually. If they don't show up in a prominently marked service vehicle or don't wear a uniform, chances are they're going to damage your lock & overcharge you.

We've been working on local (to me) legislation to combat the problem, but it's very difficult. Hard to regulate nationwide advertising by local legislation.

I'm glad you found a locksmith that has the scalp caps for your lock. $35 is on the high end of this area, but not out of line -- you weren't ripped off at that price, but yes -- if you buy the Ford "kit" instead of a keyed lock, it's cheaper, because it comes in a baggie with all parts loose, and the scalp cap off, so he doesn't have to charge you for taking it apart nor the cap. Those stupid little stainless steel scalp caps are like $5 my cost! Some of them, anyway.

 

great thread and right up Al
you're a real attribute to the few of us old holdon diehard Aero fans.

 

I forgot to address this earlier.

The front door locks are retained by that easy-to-remove slide lock plate only on the later Fords. I want to say, '97-on (?) but it may have been '96-on where Ford made it easy to remove the door locks via that plate, without removing the inside door panel.

This pic is from the '93 FSM, but I just checked the '97 FSM and both the directions and the illustration are the same: they are talking about removing the inside door panel and weather shield, and showing this same retainer, so unfortunately this is a mistake in the 1997 FSM:



On the '97 (and, perhaps, the '96?) that retainer comes to the outside of the door edge. You can pry it out (use a large screwdriver with a rag wrapped around the tip, to prevent scratching the paint). I comes out about an inch, IIRC. Then the lock can be pulled out the outside of the door, and the rod detached from the lock's cam. Don't let the rod slip back inside the door, or it can fall inside (rotate) and you'll have to either fish it out with a magnet-on-a-stick or remove the inside door panel. I usually use a bit of duct tape to tape it so it can't fall inside.



If you have an earlier Aero ('96 or '95 and earlier), your locks use the retainer shown in the FSM above, and the inside door panel must be removed to service the door lock.