Kwikset Smart Key Deadbolt Won't Unlock
Kwikset Smart Key locks are complete junk. I am a locksmith and I am constantly going from house to house replacing these "dumb key" locks with original kwikset pin tumbler locks. What happens is either your key or the wafers inside the lock wear slightly, slightly enough to cause your keys to not turn, and since these locks cannot be picked due to a side bar system, they must be drilled off and thrown away when this happens Unless you have another access point to get in the house. If you do remove lock from the inside, throw it in the trash, buy original kwikset and replace.
I am trying to remove a deadbolt with no visible screws. Every site I have been to says to locate the small pin-hole on the shaft. Use a paperclip or an awl with a fine point to press the pin-hole to
The absolutely best tool for this is a picture-hanging wire called something like a Gorilla Hook (or other primate.) Straighten it out, and sharpen to a point on a grindstone (or a concrete sidewalk) turning the wire constantly until it is thin enough to go into the hole. Other strong wires and tools will also work, but that's the best. Let's call it a pin.
1. Find the retainer. Use the pin to probe inside the hole for a piece of metal called the retainer with a spring behind it. The retainer is in a slot cut into the inside of the handle. If the metal you find does not move, it is either not the retainer or it is jammed. I'm not familiar with that model, but some locks have something behind the retainer in the normal position of the handle and they require that you turn the handle or key while pushing the retainer in. Some locks have 2 holes and the retainer is only behind one of them. If someone has already tried to pull the handle off, there can be so much pressure on the retainer that it won't move until you push the handle IN to relieve the pressure and depress the retainer. One new model has a rubber ring that always keeps pressure on the retainer and you have to lean on the handle with all your weight while pushing the wire into the hole. (That's why I use the strong Gorilla Hook wire!)
You know you have the retainer (and not some fixed part of the lock that happens to be behind a hole) when the retainer pushes the pin back out if you stop pressing the pin in as hard.
2. Push the retainer in (it only moves about 2 mm or 1/16",) and keep holding it in while you pull the knob or handle out about 2 or 3 mm or 3/32".
3. Once it has moved about 2 or 3 mm or 3/32", the retainer is out of the slot, but your pin is in the hole and holding the knob in, so remove the pin and pull the handle off the rest of the way.
I hope that helps you.
The bolt on deadbolt doesn't go all the way in
if it is new the lock could be installed wrong, most latches have a 60mm and 70mm option and when lock install wholes are not right, it trys to self adjust to half way between, measure from centre of big whole to edge of door, also take complete lock off and test with door open, turn lock with screw driver, hope this helps
Damaged spindel
lock has been forced and will need to be opened and replaced
How to set Samsonite combination lock
Step 1:
Locate the reset button, usually placed to the side of the combination dials.
Step 2:
Press the reset button and hold it while rotating the number dials to the desired combination.
Step 3:
Release the reset button after you set the numbers to the new combination.
Try that :)
Key doesn't work
Did it used to? Try a squirt of WD-40. You don't need much. Spray as long as it takes to say the word "sit." If you have not lubricated your lock in the last year or 2, this might be the answer you need.
Do other copies of the key work? Break the bad one in half, or twist it, with 2 pliers so it can't accidentally be used again and use the other copies.
Is it a factory original key or a copy? Many places that copy keys have machines that are out of adjustment, and a copy of a copy will be even worse.
Is the key bent? Straighten it or try another copy.
Does the key look worn? It might be time to replace the lock if you've used the keys so much that the metal wore off.
Does the key go into the lock all the way? There might be dirt in the keyhole, or sand, or some prankster or kid might have put something in it. You may need a bent pin or straightened-out fish hook to get the crud out. If it's food or glue or something else that hardens when dry, take the lock off the door and try boiling it in water, then dig out the crud, and use lots of WD-40 to lubricate it, and rags you can safely dispose of to sop up the excess oil. (Wet the rags before you throw them away to prevent spontaneous combustion.)
Are you having problems with the owner of the lock? She may have changed the keys to lock you out!
For anything else, take the lock off the door (2 screws on the inside, sometimes 2 more screws on a plate under that. Take photos if you are not good at remembering how things go back together.) Take the lock to a locksmith and say, "My key doesn't work anymore." Most locks that can be brought in take about 5 to 20 minutes to fix if they can be fixed at all, and often a locksmith can tell at a glance whether it is worth the trouble.
Interior door lock won't lock with twist
If the bolt extends fully when the door is open, the problem is with the strike hole in the door frame. (If the bolt doesn't extend when the door is open, it's either a bad installation or a bad lock. Read the instructions again and reinstall it or get a new lock.)
If it used to work, open the door and tighten all the hinge screws before you do anything else. They could be loose even if they are covered with paint. This solves about half the problems with doors and locks.
The easiest way to figure out where the strike hole should be is to use the "lipstick trick." Extend the bolt with the door open, and scrap a tiny ridge of lipstick on the top, bottom, and both sides of the bolt so the lipstick will hit the doorframe before the metal of the bolt does. Retract the bolt, close the door, and try to extend the bolt a few times so the lipstick leaves a mark on the edge of the hole or somewhere inside the hole. Retract the bolt all the way before opening the door so you don't smear any marks on the frame. Now you can see where the problem is and what needs to be moved, or filed, or cut deeper.
Every woman who wears makeup has lipstick she bought and cannot return to the store. She will be glad to give you a tube and get some use from that awful color.
Need instructions
Instrutions are available on the Kwikset website. I don't want to give a link that might change the next time they update their site. Click on Customer Support and look for installation support.
I can get the door to lock but I can't get it to
If it's a new lock, it might not be installed right and you should read the instructions. Try installing it with the tailpiece the other way. If the tailpiece is not perpendicular to the face of the door, enlarge the hole so it goes in straight.
If it's an old lock and it used to work well, then something broke and you should replace the lock.
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