| | | quote | Originally posted by sniper168:
I searched the forums and found a similar topic to key codes discussed earlier, but not quite what I am looking for. Fiero Keys have a 1 digit letter code stamped on them; i.e. A, E, J, etc. I would like to know if anyone out there has a way to figure out which letter codes belong to what year cars. That is of course if they go by different years. For all I know the A code could be for all GT models, or only GT models from '86 - '87.
The point is, I am wondering what the system for coding the keys is: A = 1985, E = 1986, etc.
I doubt it's that straight forward, but there almost HAS to be some sort of method to GM's madness.
Does anyone know???
Thanks in advance. |
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There IS a method to this madness you describe.
As a key collector from a young age, let me just put my 2 cents in about these keys.
General Motors vehicles from had Briggs and Stratton (or later Strattec) locks as the keying systems.
The Octagonal headed Briggs (used from the 1930's to 1966's) "Primary" key was coded "B10" by most key companies and the "spade-head" "Secondary" key was "B11"
Then GM started using a new keying system still with Briggs, using a square head and a round head key design. They started using the "A" and "B" blanks in 1967, then for the 1968 year, they used the "C" and "D" blanks, 69 - "E" and "H", 70 - "J" and "K" Then for the 1971 year, they started the chain again with the "A" and "B" blanks. Then continuing the rotation of the blanks until 1982 was the last year that they used the rotation, and the last year that they used the "J" and "K" blanks. 1983's production line began again with the "A" and "B" blanks and these blanks were used for the 1983-1986 production years, the "C" and "D" from 1987-1990, and the "E" and "H" was used from 1991-2003, and I don't know why they used this one for so long. These years are approximate, and some blanks were used briefly in other years.
GM/Briggs keys usually used a consecutive alphabetical code (A-B, C-D, E-H, J-K), using the alphabetically first (square head) blank as the primary (ignition) key and the second alphabetically (round head) blank as the secondary (doors, trunk, glovebox) key.
The "A" blank is known as "B48" or sometimes "B48A" meaning Briggs Style Number 48 also known as "A" for GM cars.
The "B" blank was usually paired with the "A" blank and was coded "B49" or "B49B" used from the years as the "A" Blank.
"C" blanks are coded "B50" or B50C
"D" Blanks are coded "B51" or "B51D"
"E" blanks were coded "B44" or "B44E" originally, but there are also some others out there, as they used a different styled head of the key in certain models of vehicles, but the blanks can be cut for a "B44" on these alternate heads.
"H" blanks were coded "B45" or "B45H", originally but like they "E" there are alternate heads with different codes.
"J" - "B46" or "B46J"
"K" - "B47" or "B47K"
The "A"/"B" and "C"/"D" are the only locks and keys that would be on a Fiero if they were never replaced with others.
I am not an expert on this, these are mostly just observations, though they codes of the keys and the years the blanks were used should be correct.
[This message has been edited by EGSalms (edited 05-26-2010).]
