1998 Nissan Altima
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in Ventura County

1998 Nissan Altima MECHANICAL-KEY Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

Got a call from a guy up in the Alta Mesa area of Santa Barbara. His 1998 Altima had been giving him trouble for a couple weeks. Key would go in, steering wheel would unlock, but the ignition wouldn't turn past accessory without a fight. He had been doing the wiggle-and-push routine, leaning the wheel hard left, pulling the key out and reinserting it three or four times.

He called the dealer first. They told him new ignition cylinder, new key, labor. He would need to tow it in because they did not want him driving with an ignition that might lock mid-turn. That spooked him, rightly.

I drove out and pulled the cylinder. The L30 Altima uses a straightforward pin tumbler ignition lock, and two of the wafers were worn flat enough to sit crooked in the housing. That is what causes the bind. The cylinder shell was fine. No cracks, no scoring on the sidebar.

I decoded the lock, swapped the bad wafers, and cut a fresh NSN11 key to the factory depths. Turned smooth on the first try. He stood there turning it back and forth a few times like he was testing whether it would change its mind.

No tow, no cylinder replacement, no parts that did not need replacing. Done in his driveway for a fraction of what the dealer quoted.

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