Motoring Discussion > Locking wheel nut Miscellaneous
Thread Author: SteelSpark Replies: 7
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New Tue 16 Mar 10 22:23 
 Locking wheel nut - SteelSpark
I went to get a puncture fixed at my local KwikFit and what I told would be a wait of a few minutes turned it a wait of about an hour and a half.

I eventually learnt that it was because the woman whose car was parked in the tyre repair area, had not brought the key for the locking wheel nut. The guy behind the desk kept saying to her that it had taken a long time to "get it authorised" and then gave her what appeared to be a locking wheel nut key and told her to keep it in the glove compartment.

I won't go into the question of why they couldn't have done mine while they were waiting (only actually took about 20 minutes to do the puncture), but it did make me wonder what the guy meant about the authorisation.

I guessed that they were able to "cut" her a new key, but had to get authorisation to do that (in the same way that a locksmith might do for certain types of security key).

Is that likely what happened here?
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New Wed 17 Mar 10 06:56 
 Locking wheel nut - L'escargot
I'd be very surprised if KwikFit had the necessary resources to "cut"/manufacture a locking wheel nut key.
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New Wed 17 Mar 10 08:31 
 Locking wheel nut - Bill Payer
Authorisation usually means it's a company car (probably leased) and they have to go to the lease company maintenance controller to get tyres and any other work authorised.

I read varying stories about locking wheelnuts - apparently BMW are suffering an epidemic of wheel thefts and the perps can remove the locking nuts/bolts as quickly and noiselessly as if they were standard bolts. Yet you hear other stories of wheels having to be cut off after people lose the keys.

They may have removed the old locking nut and given her a new one, perhaps.
Last edited by: Bill Payer on Wed 17 Mar 10 at 08:32
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New Wed 17 Mar 10 09:30 
 Locking wheel nut - bhoywonder
Had a golf once as a company car and the previous user had lost the locking wheel nut. Took it to kwik fit and after it was authorized with HQ. The guys got to work on removing the nuts and it took them over 2 hours to remove the four nuts.
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New Wed 17 Mar 10 13:45 
 Locking wheel nut - SteelSpark
Yes, what you and Bill Payer are saying seems to make the most sense; that they needed to get authorisation from HQ to remove the locking nut (using whatever technique they use) and then gave her a new locking nut and key.

Make a lot more sense than my idea that they might have cut her a new key! :)
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New Wed 17 Mar 10 13:55 
 Locking wheel nut - Dieselfitter
>>then gave her a new locking nut and key

Presumably, that's 4 new locking wheel nuts and a new key! I wonder what this costs if a lease company is not picking up the bill? Remind me to look after my key.
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New Wed 17 Mar 10 14:02 
 Locking wheel nut - L'escargot
>> Remind me to look
>> after my key.
>>

One of the first things I do when I get a new car is to order a spare wheelnut key. I was quite happy to pay £20 for one for my Focus to give me peace of mind.
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New Wed 17 Mar 10 14:10 
 Locking wheel nut - Bellboy
took 25 minutes to remove 4 lockers off a fiesta last week,it took longer to get the locker out of the tool in the vice than it did to remove them off the car
www.tyrebaydirect.com/product.php?xProd=89766
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