Locking lugnut key lost. Now what?

The 2002 Jetta is on the lift for new tires and no lug key!
My daughter has no ideas where it went.
Maybe the transmission shop lost it a year ago?
Any ideas?
TIA

Dealer?

Weld a nut on each?

I'd have thought a tire store would have some magic tool.

There are universal kits available. I mean, they aren't even remotely uncommon.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Easy-Off-Locking-Lug-Nut-Removal-Set/41087414

I assume this is why a lot of new cars don't come with them anymore. Since anybody can buy the tool at WalMart, what's the point?

First thing I do is take the stupid things off and go get four more "regular" lug bolts to prevent that (and other) issues. Or at least, put all of them on the same wheel to reduce the chance of emergency inconvienence.
No one is going to steel old VW wheels.
Most tire shops have socket tools to remove/destroy these type lugs.

Mike_04GolfTDI said:

There are universal kits available. I mean, they aren't even remotely uncommon.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Easy-Off-Locking-Lug-Nut-Removal-Set/41087414

I assume this is why a lot of new cars don't come with them anymore. Since anybody can buy the tool at WalMart, what's the point?

Click to expand...

I'm not so sure those external easy outs would fit between the rim and the security bolt.

I've had good luck with simply drilling the bolt head out with a 1/2" drill bit and then giving the remaining material a good whack with a cold chisel.

Another option would be to take something that just barely fits in the head, hammer it in, and hope it grabs well enough to extract the bolt. Something like a Torx socket.

Like this, but it would have to be a fairly large one:



Or maybe even a hex-head (Allen head) tool, that just barely fit in the bolt, with a hammer...

You can buy one from the dealer. Waste of money, though. Ask in the regional forum, I bet a forum user lives near you with the same locking lug bolt.

My local VW dealer would not sell just the lug bolt key. Something about the key comes with the security lug bolts as a set. My guess, is that they broke apart too many sets for other customers, looking for a matching key, or ordered what they thought was a matching key, only to end up with a number of keys that sat on their shelf.
They did offer, for $8 a lug bolt, to run the car through the shop, and have the security lug bolts removed and replaced with standard lug bolts, which I agreed to, since my plan was to replace the security bolts with standard. I agree with others, the security bolts are a waste, no one wants VW rims, just like no one wants a VW radio (that requires the security code).

I have a master set, but I remove the miserable useless things on all my own cars as soon as I buy them.

A 3/4 inch 12 point socket and an impact gun. Hammer the 12 point socket over the llug nut and zip it off.

Thanks for all the replies.
My mechanic got them off but it took him a while!
That's going to add to the labor! Good thing we're friends.
Standard bolts going back on!

I made it a condition of sale on my new 2015 Beetle as well as my old 2013 Passat.

Wish I'd thought of that!

My new '15 GSW didn't have them-only those black plastic caps.

I pulled them off and checked to make sure they weren't hiding under there.

tactdi said:

I agree with others, the security bolts are a waste, no one wants VW rims, just like no one wants a VW radio (that requires the security code).

Click to expand...

The security bolts are fine until you need to take a tire off on the side of the road at 1 am in December in Iowa and the lugbolts are salted onto your rotors and the security key is slipping and destroying the lugbolt face.

Yeah, **** those things.

Glad your mech was able to unicorn them out.

you can buy replacement wheel keys on ebay

Thanks, Richard.
It was on the lift so we needed to get 'em off fast.