Lock Picking 101 Forum
A community dedicated to the fun and ethical hobby of lock picking.
       

Lock Picking 101 Home
Login
Profile
Members
Forum Rules
Frequent Forum Questions
SEARCH
View New Posts
View Active Topics


Live Chat on Discord
LP101 Forum Chat
Keypicking Forum Chat
Reddit r/lockpicking Chat



Learn How to Pick Locks
FAQs & General Questions
Got Beginner Questions?
Pick-Fu [Intermediate Level]


Ask a Locksmith
This Old Lock
This Old Safe
What Lock Should I Buy?



Hardware
Locks
Lock Patents
Lock Picks
Lock Bumping
Lock Impressioning
Lock Pick Guns, Snappers
European Locks & Picks
The Machine Shop
The Open Source Lock
Handcuffs


Member Spotlight
Member Introductions
Member Lock Collections
Member Social Media


Off Topic
General Chatter
Other Puzzles


Locksmith Business Info
Training & Licensing
Running a Business
Keyways & Key Blanks
Key Machines
Master Keyed Systems
Closers and Crash Bars
Life Safety Compliance
Electronic Locks & Access
Locksmith Supplies
Locksmith Lounge


Buy Sell Trade
Buy - Sell - Trade
It came from Ebay!


Advanced Topics
Membership Information
Special Access Required:
High Security Locks
Vending Locks
Advanced Lock Pick Tools
Bypass Techniques
Safes & Safe Locks
Automotive Entry & Tools
Advanced Buy/Sell/Trade


Locksport Groups
Locksport Local
Chapter President's Office
Locksport Board Room
 

SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Information about locks themselves. Questions, tips and lock diagram information should be posted here.

SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby SumTingFishy » 27 Sep 2010 23:56

I have a Weiser lock that uses the SmartKey system.
The lock was installed three months ago and had been working fine. A few days ago the key stopped working. Do you think this is likely caused by the lock failing or someone trying to tamper with it?

Thanks for your help.
SumTingFishy
 
Posts: 6
Joined: 27 Sep 2010 23:52

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby Oaklandishh » 28 Sep 2010 0:42

Where is the lock installed? Is it protecting anything interesting?
Oaklandishh
 
Posts: 110
Joined: 1 Feb 2010 17:37
Location: Davis, California

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby SumTingFishy » 28 Sep 2010 1:03

It's on the front door of my house.
SumTingFishy
 
Posts: 6
Joined: 27 Sep 2010 23:52

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby Squelchtone » 28 Sep 2010 3:37

If you have a Home Depot or Lowe's near you, go there with your lock and ask them to use the red Kwikset Smartkey reset cradle on it. IF they can reset it and program it to your current key, then something just disconnected inside, if they cannot, then something is broken inside, and these things are so flimsy that unless you see some sort of physical damage to your lock, it probably broke on its own.

Squelchtone

Wanna have a hard time sleeping tonight? Then you may want to watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-9YNcnegjY
Image
User avatar
Squelchtone
Site Admin
 
Posts: 11316
Joined: 11 May 2006 0:41
Location: right behind you.

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby SumTingFishy » 28 Sep 2010 3:50

Thanks for the response.
In either situation (disconnected/broken) will a locksmith be able to unlock the door?
SumTingFishy
 
Posts: 6
Joined: 27 Sep 2010 23:52

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby Squelchtone » 28 Sep 2010 4:06

SumTingFishy wrote:Thanks for the response.
In either situation (disconnected/broken) will a locksmith be able to unlock the door?


If it's on your house, I assume you are on your computer from inside the house? Can't you walk up to the door inside and just unlock it and then remove the lock from the door with a screwdriver?

Is there more to this story? Can you fill us in before we start making too many assumptions?

Also, in case it is a double cylinder, the interior cylinder should still work, or at the least you have access from the inside to the screws holding the lock to the door, so just unscrew them and retract the deadbolt with a screwdriver. All a locksmith will do if they walk up to the door from the outside is drill the lock out and charge you $50-$150 dollars.

Squelchtone
Image
User avatar
Squelchtone
Site Admin
 
Posts: 11316
Joined: 11 May 2006 0:41
Location: right behind you.

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby SumTingFishy » 28 Sep 2010 5:08

I'm away on vacation and I have someone regularly checking up on the house. The house key worked a couple of days ago but then stopped working on the weekend. I have an in-law with a spare key that will try. Currently no one can get into the house, that is why I asked whether a locksmith can open it.

I'm just wondering what my options are and if I should be worried about someone trying to break in while I'm gone. Or is it a weird coincidence that the lock stopped working while I'm away (are they known to have issues?). There is a glass panel window next to the door so I guess if someone really wanted to get in it would probably be easier to break the glass.
SumTingFishy
 
Posts: 6
Joined: 27 Sep 2010 23:52

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby Squelchtone » 28 Sep 2010 7:57

SumTingFishy wrote:I'm away on vacation and I have someone regularly checking up on the house. The house key worked a couple of days ago but then stopped working on the weekend. I have an in-law with a spare key that will try. Currently no one can get into the house, that is why I asked whether a locksmith can open it.

I'm just wondering what my options are and if I should be worried about someone trying to break in while I'm gone. Or is it a weird coincidence that the lock stopped working while I'm away (are they known to have issues?). There is a glass panel window next to the door so I guess if someone really wanted to get in it would probably be easier to break the glass.


Someone else will have to chime in here but I believe these locks have an issue when someone not used to them is inserting and/or removing the key and the combination inside the lock can get screwed up if you remove the key while the lock is not exactly at 12 oclock. It's early and I haven't had any coffee but that's what I remember someone saying, it may not be entirely accurate, but someone else will read this and add to it or correct it.

Stay away from gimmicky locks next time, and use regular pin tumbler locks, as you can see it's not worth the trouble. The Brinks deadbolt at Walmart for $12 is at this point better than the Schlage SecureKey and the Kwikset Smartkey. find a non-Securekey edition Schlage or Baldwin and you'll be much happier.

Squelchtone
Image
User avatar
Squelchtone
Site Admin
 
Posts: 11316
Joined: 11 May 2006 0:41
Location: right behind you.

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby ToolyMcgee » 28 Sep 2010 9:54

People who insist on carrying to many Kwikset keys, or by necessity have to many, inevitably use the wrong one with a little additional effort and it has to be reset. There are many reasons they require additional service, and all of them fall under conditions of perfectly reasonable use. As much as I have tried to like the design it falls way short of the mark. I'm trying the SecureKey, and because of it's built in hitches seems to be user buggy as well. Like Squelchtone says, find a deadbolt with a regular setup.
*blank*
ToolyMcgee
 
Posts: 640
Joined: 27 May 2008 14:45
Location: Indiana

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby Tyler J. Thomas » 7 Oct 2010 21:44

FWIW, I've been called out to service these locks and found bent wafers. No real correlation. Sometimes just one, sometimes 2 or 3. No real order either. My only guess, from my cases at least, is that they get an inaccurate key (be it depth or space issue(s)) and force the cylinder to compensate for the tolerance difference, thus causing the wafer to bend.
Tyler J. Thomas
Supporter
Supporter
 
Posts: 1134
Joined: 13 Aug 2009 20:57
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby SumTingFishy » 8 Oct 2010 20:34

Confederate wrote:FWIW, I've been called out to service these locks and found bent wafers. No real correlation. Sometimes just one, sometimes 2 or 3. No real order either. My only guess, from my cases at least, is that they get an inaccurate key (be it depth or space issue(s)) and force the cylinder to compensate for the tolerance difference, thus causing the wafer to bend.


In those cases, did you have to drill through the lock to open it?
SumTingFishy
 
Posts: 6
Joined: 27 Sep 2010 23:52

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby Squelchtone » 8 Oct 2010 21:20

SumTingFishy wrote:
Confederate wrote:FWIW, I've been called out to service these locks and found bent wafers. No real correlation. Sometimes just one, sometimes 2 or 3. No real order either. My only guess, from my cases at least, is that they get an inaccurate key (be it depth or space issue(s)) and force the cylinder to compensate for the tolerance difference, thus causing the wafer to bend.


In those cases, did you have to drill through the lock to open it?



careful.. I could see this going in a grey area... no talk of destructive opening of locks, house rules. As long as the next answer is yes or no and no description, then that's fine, but let's not get into details.

Thanks
Squelchtone
Image
User avatar
Squelchtone
Site Admin
 
Posts: 11316
Joined: 11 May 2006 0:41
Location: right behind you.

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby Tyler J. Thomas » 9 Oct 2010 18:43

SumTingFishy wrote:
Confederate wrote:FWIW, I've been called out to service these locks and found bent wafers. No real correlation. Sometimes just one, sometimes 2 or 3. No real order either. My only guess, from my cases at least, is that they get an inaccurate key (be it depth or space issue(s)) and force the cylinder to compensate for the tolerance difference, thus causing the wafer to bend.


In those cases, did you have to drill through the lock to open it?


Fortunately no. The home owner had other doors going into the home and only one of the locks had malfunctioned. It was a single cylinder deadbolt so I was able to unlock the door, disassemble, identify the problem and fix the lock.
Tyler J. Thomas
Supporter
Supporter
 
Posts: 1134
Joined: 13 Aug 2009 20:57
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby Evan » 11 Oct 2010 1:00

squelchtone wrote:
SumTingFishy wrote:
Confederate wrote:FWIW, I've been called out to service these locks and found bent wafers. No real correlation. Sometimes just one, sometimes 2 or 3. No real order either. My only guess, from my cases at least, is that they get an inaccurate key (be it depth or space issue(s)) and force the cylinder to compensate for the tolerance difference, thus causing the wafer to bend.


In those cases, did you have to drill through the lock to open it?



careful.. I could see this going in a grey area... no talk of destructive opening of locks, house rules. As long as the next answer is yes or no and no description, then that's fine, but let's not get into details.

Thanks
Squelchtone


Umm... I don't see how this discussed destructive entry other than to ask if it was the last resort...

Nothing about that described how to do it...

I think that actual clarification is required on this point -- just mentioning that destructive entry methods might have to be used is not the same as giving instructions (detailed or not) on how to perform said entry techniques...

~~ Evan
Evan
 
Posts: 1489
Joined: 5 Apr 2010 17:09
Location: Rhode Island

Re: SmartKey Lock - Failed or Tampered With?

Postby Tyler J. Thomas » 11 Oct 2010 22:04

Evan wrote:Umm... I don't see how this discussed destructive entry other than to ask if it was the last resort...

Nothing about that described how to do it...

I think that actual clarification is required on this point -- just mentioning that destructive entry methods might have to be used is not the same as giving instructions (detailed or not) on how to perform said entry techniques...

~~ Evan


There was a discussion on LP101 2 months ago about and a link to Wired's coverage of MWT demonstrating a destructive entry technique on Kwikset's SmartKey locks. No one seemed to have a problem with openly discussing destructive entry then so I definitely see your point.
Tyler J. Thomas
Supporter
Supporter
 
Posts: 1134
Joined: 13 Aug 2009 20:57
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA


Return to Locks

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests