Replacement Locking Wheel Nut Key (Passat)
Discussion
We bought a 13 Plate Passat from Car Giant a couple of months ago and I've just realised the locking wheel nut key is not with the rest of the tool kit. I thought you would be able to get a replacement from the dealer but they are saying this is no longer an option. My local indy it going to tackle removing the current locking wheel nuts in the next few days but I just wanted to make sure there was no other way of getting a replacement key?
The key would look something like this:
Any thoughts much appreciated.
The key would look something like this:
Any thoughts much appreciated.
cuprabob said:
Blimey - £35 for a Honda one. Bought one from the dealer the other day for £8 for daughter's car. Then she found the original. 
OP - have you tried another dealer? Seems odd that VW would cease doing them. Also I did read that sometimes the tool kit is in a bag and locking nut is in a pocket at the end. Although on both of our VWs it's just stuck into the polystyrene spare wheel surround.
Sheepshanks said:
cuprabob said:
Blimey - £35 for a Honda one. Bought one from the dealer the other day for £8 for daughter's car. Then she found the original. OP - have you tried another dealer? Seems odd that VW would cease doing them. Also I did read that sometimes the tool kit is in a bag and locking nut is in a pocket at the end. Although on both of our VWs it's just stuck into the polystyrene spare wheel surround.
I did see that site before but I was getting 404 errors all over the place, which kind of put me off using that site.
I've spoken to a couple of dealers and both say they stopped supplying replacement keys around 2013.
Our Passat has the tool kit in the polystyrene spare wheel surround rather than in a bag, and everything else is there except the key. Looked in every cubby hole I can find but no joy.
I'm sure it will turn up just after I've paid out for a replacement set
In the rare cases where I've lost a key, I get the locking nuts off and then just replace with normal bolts. I've never had wheels stolen yet. But I might change my mind if I was ever inclined to adorn my car with optional or aftermarket wheels that were expensive.... who is going to nick bog standard alloy wheels?
That particular type of locking nut with the rotating collar are not that easy to remove, I did a set just 2 days ago on a Volvo. First off you need to chip a piece out of the main nut to expose the edge of the collar, you then hammer a centre punch into the side of the collar to split it and push it in, I then hammered a 23mm socket onto the nut and removed it but I needed 4 sockets as it burst the socket on each nut and a 24mm was to big. If you can get one of the toothed sockets for removing worn nuts and bolts that would work without wrecking the socket but the biggest size I could find locally was 22mm which was slightly to small.
cuprabob said:
A quick update (because I hate finding these threads without a conclusion!). My mechanic was slightly reluctant to force the nuts off (long story - we've had a lot of bad luck sending business his way recently and with a baby coming we couldn't risk being without the car for any length of time if something went wrong).
So I used the website cuprabob suggested and I have to say - what great service! Ordered a replacement key on Friday at about 1pm, paying a few quid for "5-7 day delivery". Around midday the next day the postman handed me my replacement key which works like a charm!
Thanks for the recommendation cb - £35 well spent.
DSGbangs said:
My mk6 golf didn't come with the locking wheel nut key, although vw can't replace the key you need, they can supply and fit a new set and get the old ones off with there master key.
£35 for me from breeze volkswagen, poole.
I asked about getting another key while wife's Tiguan was in for service yesterday - it has a winter wheel & tyre set so the key gets a bit of use. £35 for me from breeze volkswagen, poole.
They said the firm making them has gone bust but they'd look at whether the one I need was still available. I also suggested just replacing the locking bolts with standard ones.
When I picked the car up the only option they offered was to replace with new locking bolts - £70!! I asked how much plain bolts would be and he said £7-8...each!!! FFS.
Years ago I changed the rear brake pads on my Wife's Galaxy.
During the job I lost the locking wheel nut key (suspect I left it in one of the wheelnuts and then went for a test drive). New locking nuts were a silly price so I bought 4 standard nuts and a £10 wheel nut removal tool from Halfords - it was that simple to remove them so hardly going to stop crims from nicking your rims.
Last week I had to unblock a drain in the driveway which involved digging up a hidden manhole cover and I found the rusted wheel nut key in the gravel on the drive!
Also some years back my Audi A3 went for a service at the local Audi garage, they managed to lose the locking wheel nut key. When I realised it was missing I called them and they sent someone over with a box full of 'keys' plus a new set of locking wheelnuts (in case none of the keys fit).
We found a 'key' in the box that fit plus he left the new set with me. Car is long gone but I've still got the new, boxed VW/Audi locking wheelnut + key set in the garage if anyone's after one?
During the job I lost the locking wheel nut key (suspect I left it in one of the wheelnuts and then went for a test drive). New locking nuts were a silly price so I bought 4 standard nuts and a £10 wheel nut removal tool from Halfords - it was that simple to remove them so hardly going to stop crims from nicking your rims.
Last week I had to unblock a drain in the driveway which involved digging up a hidden manhole cover and I found the rusted wheel nut key in the gravel on the drive!
Also some years back my Audi A3 went for a service at the local Audi garage, they managed to lose the locking wheel nut key. When I realised it was missing I called them and they sent someone over with a box full of 'keys' plus a new set of locking wheelnuts (in case none of the keys fit).
We found a 'key' in the box that fit plus he left the new set with me. Car is long gone but I've still got the new, boxed VW/Audi locking wheelnut + key set in the garage if anyone's after one?
Sheepshanks said:
DSGbangs said:
My mk6 golf didn't come with the locking wheel nut key, although vw can't replace the key you need, they can supply and fit a new set and get the old ones off with there master key.
£35 for me from breeze volkswagen, poole.
I asked about getting another key while wife's Tiguan was in for service yesterday - it has a winter wheel & tyre set so the key gets a bit of use. £35 for me from breeze volkswagen, poole.
They said the firm making them has gone bust but they'd look at whether the one I need was still available. I also suggested just replacing the locking bolts with standard ones.
When I picked the car up the only option they offered was to replace with new locking bolts - £70!! I asked how much plain bolts would be and he said £7-8...each!!! FFS.
king knobheads bds!!wiggy001 said:
cuprabob said:
A quick update (because I hate finding these threads without a conclusion!). My mechanic was slightly reluctant to force the nuts off (long story - we've had a lot of bad luck sending business his way recently and with a baby coming we couldn't risk being without the car for any length of time if something went wrong).
So I used the website cuprabob suggested and I have to say - what great service! Ordered a replacement key on Friday at about 1pm, paying a few quid for "5-7 day delivery". Around midday the next day the postman handed me my replacement key which works like a charm!
Thanks for the recommendation cb - £35 well spent.
Sheepshanks said:
DSGbangs said:
fking knobheads bds!!
If they can't get the keys anymore am I being ridiculous thinking VW ought to replace them pro-actively when the car comes in for service? Many people are going to have issues caused by non-availability of spare keys as they get lost or broken.king knobheads bds!!I was googling and found this thread, I have just had to order one too so thanks for the link.
£40 with delivery, slightly more expensive than £15 that the garage told me but had to be done, VW only sell the sets now and thats removing the old bolts.
Had car 5 months, no one taking responsibility for the missing key so had to come out of my pocket
£40 with delivery, slightly more expensive than £15 that the garage told me but had to be done, VW only sell the sets now and thats removing the old bolts.
Had car 5 months, no one taking responsibility for the missing key so had to come out of my pocket
They do regularly come up on eBay - indeed there are some sellers offering every variation and there aren't that many so it's quite easy to figure out which one you need from the pics.
I asked the dealer about it when wife's Tiguan went in for service and their only solution was to fit the latest set at £70. As you can't see the locking bolts on VWs I reckon you might as well just fit plain bolts.
I did email VW UK, and they insisted spare keys had never been available - usual VW UK nonsense.
I asked the dealer about it when wife's Tiguan went in for service and their only solution was to fit the latest set at £70. As you can't see the locking bolts on VWs I reckon you might as well just fit plain bolts.
I did email VW UK, and they insisted spare keys had never been available - usual VW UK nonsense.
Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff