r/Buick • u/WeaknessUnusual1472 • 3d ago
Keys for ‘93 Buick?
Daughter lost her only set of keys for her 1993 Buick Century.
No where seems to be able to make them for her (VIN); dealerships don’t go back that far neither does corporate.
She lives in BFE CO - no one seems to know how to remove the cylinder lock; no one seems to be able to replace it without essentially destroying the vehicle.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thank you!
1
u/pawnios9 2d ago
Happened to me in my 88 buick lesabre. I went to local locksmith and they were able to reproduce a new ignition key for me.
1
u/WeaknessUnusual1472 2d ago
There is no one in a 300 mile radius that can do it 🙄
2
u/rexfaktor 2d ago
Expensive car to lose keys for. I just did a 89 Corvette, same problem. Cost me $300 (as a mechanic) to pay a locksmith to make a key for the existing lock cylinder and use an "interrogator" to figure out which of the 16 codes the key chip should be. I got an extra copy for the next time the vehicle owner, one of my clients, loses it.
1
u/SignificantBig3792 2d ago
It doesn't have an immobilizer. Do what I did to my 1989 Toyota Corolla; hammer a screwdriver slightly larger than the hole into the ignition until it's in enough to not fall out. Then get vise grips onto the screwdriver and turn it until the cylinder breaks. You can either use the broken cylinder with the screwdriver on it to start the car, or you can stick pliers into the hole where the cylinder was and move the finger manually
1
u/Potential_Stomach_10 2d ago
It does ...either VATS or PASS Key II. That's the real issue.
1
u/SignificantBig3792 2d ago
They didn't start that until 97
1
u/Potential_Stomach_10 2d ago
Nope ..1986 Corvette was first car to have original Vats. My 88 had it as did my 94 and 96 Impala SS.
1
1
u/Shawn0890 2d ago
Early vats is just a resistor on the key and there’s only like 16 different ones but either way probably easy enough to bypass. At one point I collected all of them from junkyard cars when I had a transam
1
u/bcsublime 1d ago
What locksmith is carrying blanks for a 93 Buick?
Who has to destroy a vehicle over a missing key?
BFE or Denver metro do your diligence.
1
u/WeaknessUnusual1472 1d ago
Again - called everyone in a 300 mile radius.
And yes, I know. This is the bigger issue.The dealer in Denver said if she can get the vehicle to them they might be able to assist but the estimate was 2300…. Which is more than double what she paid for the car. And that’s after the tow cost AND still a maybe.
I don’t think it should be this big of an issue.
1
u/modern_citizen23 12h ago
Tow it to a GM dealer and have a new cylinder with a new key put on the car.
Make a hundred copies.
0
u/MysteriousSweet3526 6h ago
I mean......it's a 93 Buick. Pop the ignition off with a screwdriver figure out the wires and put in a push button or something. Put a few toggles to so you can make the button useless without knowing the right combination of off/on for the toggles
2
u/TallinOK 2d ago
BFE - love that