| Author | Message | ||
     Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 1303 Registered: 6-2009 |
Way back in 2000, Gil Fuqua of the RROC-US wrote an article entitled, The Key to Starting Your Rolls-Royce, documenting keys for the Pre-War cars up through the 1991 model year. The behavior of keys from at least the SY era through 1991 was the same: the valet key could not even be inserted into locks it was not intended to operate. Both the driver's key and the valet key blades were cut along the bottom in exactly the same way. It was a difference in groove width on lowest groove on the left side (if looking at the blade tip straight on) of the blade that accomplished this. This apparently changed sometime during the SZ period such that the valet key could be inserted into any lock, but would only turn in the door lock or ignition switch. I'm curious about two things: 1. When did this transition occur? 2. Are the cuts on the blades of these keys different? That's the only way I can envision this working if both keys can be inserted into all locks. Brian | ||
| Bob UK Unregistered guest |
The Key part that lifts the wards are slightly different. The master key lifts all the wards. The valet key has the same slots but on certain locks doesn't lift all the wards thus the lock barrel can't turn. I think that the valet key is bit untrustworthy. I don't keep gold watches or wads of cash in the glove box. Valet parking is very American and rare in the UK. We think the lazy driver should park his own car. A audi garage employed a meet and greet park your car guy. One day a high performance RS8 turns up. The valet stuffed the car big time. He wrote off a 6 month old 50k quid car. Whoops. (Message approved by david_gore) |
