So I just bought an 88' Jeep Cherokee and I don't know a whole lot about it. It's the 4.0 5spd manual. The guy I bought it from doesnt have a key for it. It's not stolen or anything just no key. What's the smartest way to go about setting it up so I can get a key for my ignition and doors? Any help is beyond appreciated.

i locked my car keys in my trunk once so i called a local locksmith. they came out and made me a new key on the spot, theyhave this weird tool that they stick in the ignition and it adjusts to match the tumblers in the lock and copy the original key, costme about $35 but it was cheaper and easier than tearin out the ignition and buyin a a new one

Do you know if the ignition key and door key are the same on an 88 jeep Cherokee?

The doors also? Yea probably a locksmith. You might find the ign is not so picky. I might try a number of keys and see if you get lucky. Mine just falls out sometimes and doesn't even need it anyway, it just turns. I might just ask the dealer? Worth the cost of a phone call to see if they can just do it with the VIN or some numbers. Btw, 87-90 are "Renix" Geeps. Before OBD I & II. No check engine light. Your ECU stores no codes. There is a supper rare "live time" scanner. You pretty much need a digital volt meter, (DVM), to do much with it. Check out the info in my signature, good luck!

Yea, they are different.

They are not the same.

They can be I have seen this only on police jeeps or municipal jeeps... I guess they didn't trust them with 2 keys???

I remember that on the Plymouths. Don't remember about the Jeeps.

You can go to your local parts store and get a new lock cylinder, it will come with two keys. Also ask for the door lock set, they will have keys too.

Good luck on the lock set for the doors, had to do mine last year and couldn't get them. Wound up going to pull a part, and had them re-keyed by a locksmith. Some GMs' Buick, Olds',and Pontiac used the same ones' but you gotta hunt through the years.

So would it be easier to just go to a locksmith?

I work at an auto parts store, I have them on the shelf, the locks for doors and ignition are for GM.

So I would have to swap all the door locks and the ignition lock cylinder? Sorry for all the questions, I'm pretty young and by no means a pro mechanic.. haha

I know the lock cylinder is and the door locks, but couldn't find the door locks here they were a different style than the GM ones. Was told the dealer and the dealer said they were obsolete and no longer produced, JY it was.
In digging heard that Buick used that model cylinder but quit after 90.

No, the ignition and doors are separate keys, if you don't have a key for the doors you can go to a locksmith or go to a local parts store and have them look it up, standard motor products part number for the door is DL22.

Did you look on rock auto?