Skoda Owners Beware Your alloy wheels not safe

[giandougl]

Hello One and All,

Browsing as I do through E.Bay, I was drawn to someone selling the wheel lock key for SKODA cars. They were the ones supplied with the car when it is purchased from new, it gave a full list of Skoda models that all commonly use the same locking key, at £19.99 each. Date of this sale was still active 30/4/2009.

I thought past the fact, that would be handy to have a spare, and realised that IF someone bought one of these wheel locking keys they could help themselves to the wheels on my car !!!

Models according to sellers list were:- All Fabia Range 2000-2007

Octavia 1997-2005

Octavia (A5) 2005 Onwards

Superb (year not listed)

May also fit other VW, Seat, & Audi models.

I have now bought some McGuard wheel locking bolts for my 2005 Fabia VRS at a bargain £14.98 on 02/05/2009. You can double this price with other sellers, so do some hard searching.

I shall keep using original wheel locking bolts, with the added new locking bolt.

It makes me wonder whats the point of having a locking wheel bolt, when the key is common as muck, and readily available ?? Enclose photo of my original wheel locking key for reference.

SO BEWARE, DO-NOT TOTALLY RELY ON ORIGINAL LOCKING BOLTS.

Good-luck. Ian. 02/05/2009 :confused::thumbdwn:

Edited 2 May, 2009 by giandougl

[Babs]

Look, if someone wants your wheels they will not be bothered by the absence of presence of locking wheel bolts!

[giandougl]

Look, if someone wants your wheels they will not be bothered by the absence of presence of locking wheel bolts!

Hello,

It is not the absense of presence, more of an extra opportunity for me to resist wheels being taken, without a fight, with locking bolts being fitted.ie:- Time it takes wheel thief to become an attraction, to someone !!

Thanks for your input though.

Ian. 02/05/2009

[disco-barry]

They aren't all the same, there are several differant types based on the same design...ie;more splines, narrower splines etc.

[mannyo]

Locking wheel nuts are a waste of time, for the thief who wants your wheels. They will only stop the oppotunist type thief. A quick look around B&Qs tool section and you'll find tools that will remove ALL types of locking wheel nuts.

[Ferret101]

That looks more like a bmw locking wheel adaptor. The skoda ones I've got are square cut splines!

[Tech1e]

There are two different sets, square edges and ones like that.

But each set has around 12 different types so its hardly a matter of emergency.

[The Ors]

But each set has around 12 different types so its hardly a matter of emergency.

So are you saying that the locking nut tool supplied with my '02 vRS will not necessarily fit every other MkI vRS? i.e. there is only a 1 in 12 chance that it will fit.

[mannyo]

So are you saying that the locking nut tool supplied with my '02 vRS will not necessarily fit every other MkI vRS? i.e. there is only a 1 in 12 chance that it will fit.

Yes, thats it.

[chrisw880]

Thought there was only 10 different types (numbered 0-9) not 12

[corradoboy]

My alloys are safe'n'sound in my cellar, unless I'm due to go on track. I doubt they'll be too bothered for knicking my Golf steelies

[skinnyman]

I've always wondered how they do remove locking wheel nuts. Having seen friends lose a set of alloys or two to those rascally wheel thieves - I think that's what they called them - I have to say that they are quite skilled in what they do. Not only can they remove the wheels without waking people up, but seem to be very quick, efficient and don't damage the wheels.

How?:confused:

[devonutopia]

You can get tools from snap-on (et.al) that basically has a reversed thread inside it which you hammer on to the locking nut, then turn it in direction to loosen the nut which actuall tightens the tool on to the bolt head. Obviously this mashes up the bolt, but then if you've lost the key you're not going to be re-using it.

[giandougl]

They aren't all the same, there are several differant types based on the same design...ie;more splines, narrower splines etc.

Hello disco-barry,

So what your saying this E.Bay guy was pulling a fast one eh? and I fell for it, as I got paronoid, with all these models sharing one KEY.

I'm gonna chase up this matter with Skoda, see what they have to say, and will add to this thread for all you fella's out there.

Thanks for that valued input.

Ian. 03/05/2009

[giandougl]

So are you saying that the locking nut tool supplied with my '02 vRS will not necessarily fit every other MkI vRS? i.e. there is only a 1 in 12 chance that it will fit.

Hello The Ors,

If I can just butt in (please excuse my bad manners) you say MK1 VRS ??

I thought they only had the one model ??

I know the other Fabia range ( I have read on this site) has MK1 -MK2 etc but thats because each time a piece /addition is added on etc Cruise control, that bumps it up into the next MK ??

Could you through some light on the subject please, as I had a factory fitted sunroof when I bought the car, does that mean, I got a MK2 VRS. ??

Thanks again. Ian. 03/05/2009

[Tech1e]

He means an Octavia 1 vRS, they all have the same wheel bolts.

[giandougl]

You can get tools from snap-on (et.al) that basically has a reversed thread inside it which you hammer on to the locking nut, then turn it in direction to loosen the nut which actuall tightens the tool on to the bolt head. Obviously this mashes up the bolt, but then if you've lost the key you're not going to be re-using it.

Hello devonutopia,

Is there more than one of these said tools from Snap-on ?? as some wheel bolts are round on the outside etc. Not sure what (et.al) is, any clues please.??

Thanks. Ian. 03/05/2009

[Babs]

Halfords actually sell a locking nut removal kit, which consists of a socket you hammer over the locking nut and then loosen as normal!

[anewman]

A tilt sensor on an alarm will help prevent alloy wheel thefts

[Guest musky]

Or never clean them then no-one wants them:D

[jonnycatbiscuit]

Or never clean them then no-one wants them:D

Or don't ever take your car out of the garage...

[skudmissile]

OEM Locking wheel nuts are a waste of time!

Give me ten seconds, a m16 spline socket and a big hammer.

For macgard ones, the more expensive mcgard ones take a little longer. But i wont go into this on an open forum.

And in my book using two sets of locking nuts on the same wheel is stupid as you can never fully tighten them up properly.

if you want my advice, buy a big dog and chain it to your wheels

[sms]

athick and wide enough screw driver thats been bent will be enough to undo a OEM locking bolt, ive been tempted to try this last time i had the wheels off.

[Aspman]

Halfords actually sell a locking nut removal kit, which consists of a socket you hammer over the locking nut and then loosen as normal!

I've got McGard ultras, they have a rotating cuff on the outside of the bolt to stop this.

You'd need to drill them off.

Probably more than enough to stop anyone bothering to steal OEM Skoda alloys.

The key is a bit feckin fragile though. I've broken one and had to order a replacement from Germany.

[giandougl]

Hello One & All,

Many thanks for your valued input, and noted their content.

Skoda parts guy said there is quite a wide variety/range of different locking wheel bolts, he was vague to say how many.

He pointed out the 3 letters followed by two numbers on my wheel locking bolt gives an indication of the huge range of letter/number combinations that exist.

He then dropped a clanger, by saying that the Skoda workshop have a master key to unlock any locking wheel bolt. Just thinking what you boys have said about the big bent screwdriver, all fell into place.

Ian. 16/05/2009

Edited 2 June, 2009 by giandougl
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