Lock Barrel
My car is a Ford Mondeo MKII estate, DOR 21/01/2000. Someone has damaged the driver’s door lock key barrel. I have obtained a Ford barrel kit, but my Haynes manual only gives instructions on how to remove/replace the lock assembly, not how to remove and replace the barrel. Please can you assist? Eddie Mandeville Most manufacturers allow you to order a barrel and key by chassis number to match your vehicle but, as far as I am aware, Ford simply supplies you with a bag of bits to assemble your own lock. Having done quite a few of these, I can confirm the job requires a clean sheet of paper, a good eye and patience.
The first thing you need is the key number on which to build the barrel. I know of a few good Ford parts specialists who can read the number simply by looking at a key, but I have to dismantle the old lock! Once the top nylon ring is removed, insert the key into the old barrel – if this is not possible, use a small screwdriver or large pin. What you need to do is feed the old tumbler plates onto the key/screwdriver and maintain the order they are in. You can then remove each one in turn and read off the number stamped on the tumbler. In between each tumbler is a washer.
Using the same number combination, the tumblers and washer formation can be fitted into the new barrel. I usually slide the tumblers into place along a small screwdriver as otherwise they tend to flip over as they travel down into the barrel. Once the new tumblers and washers are in place, the side pin can be fitted, before sliding the whole unit into the new outer barrel. Check the operation before fitting it back in the vehicle, remembering that the correct key is not needed to lock the vehicle, only to unlock it.
Although the website refers to the Ford Scorpio, it has very good instructions on the process of building the Ford lock assembly.