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Question:

I have a gray market Cat excavator with a broken key, what can I do?

My kids broke the key on my Cat 380c excavator, but since it is a gray market machine im not sure if its fixable. Is the starting cylinder interchangeable? will the key be the same type? and my last question is since it was imported from Japan it doesn't have a us title so i dont have any proof of ownership so will the dealership still try to get the proper key or will think think its stolen?

Answer:

my experience with cat tractors is the they all use the same key. i was fleet mechanic at a place with a variety of cat tractors, even had cat padlocks. same key worked on everything. i ordered spare keys once, didnt need to prove any ownership, but it was a company account it got billed to from the dealership we bought the tractors from.
You will not need any type of proof of ownership to get a new key. They do not individually key cat machines or most any construction or ag equipment. Just call or go to a dealer and get a key they can look it up by application. It may be helpful to write down the serial number of the machine and take it with you in case there is a serial number code break.
try a locksmith. they can make a duplicate key from the ignition.

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