More often than you’d like to believe, keys get stuck inside their locks, and of course, your key may get stuck in the ignition, and here are a few suggestions on what to do when your key is stuck in the ignition:
Car Keys stuck in the ignition:
A few main reasons why a key may get stuck in the ignition are might be, problems with certain components of the vehicle, issues with the key itself, or issues with the ignition lock cylinder.
Dead or bad battery:
With no power running through the ignition system in the vehicle, it may fail to turn and thus releasing the key.
A quick way to check if the battery is at fault is by opening the car door, if the lights don’t turn on, that’s a sign of an electric issue, and might mean the battery is at fault here.
Gear is not set to park:
Automatic gear transmission is designed to prevent the removal of the key unless the gear is set to the parked position. If your key is stuck in the ignition, a common issue is that the gear isn’t shifted all the way into the parked position when the car was turned off. In these cases, it’s a very simple solution, simply turn the car back on, shift the gear into the parked position, turn the car off, and remove the key!
If neither of the following seems to be the case, the issue might be with the key itself.
As time passes, keys tend to get dirty, bent, and worn down through our day to day use. Using a key for purposes other than just starting and operating a car can bend it as well.
Attempt to lightly move the key upside down and sideways, as that might free the key, just remember not to apply too much force as that can break the key altogether, and put you in an even worse position than you were before. If you feel as if the key might be getting compromised or fear it’s about to break, call Unlock-It and one of our automotive locksmiths will extract the key for you
Issues with the cars lock cylinder:
Just as the normal use of your key can make it dirty, the same can happen to the inside parts of your ignition mechanism. Small debris lodged inside the lock cylinder may prevent the key from releasing.
Attempting to release the key by wiggling it might cause it to be lodged, even more, making the issue worse than before, so it is best to call an automotive locksmith to assist you.
When it comes to residential or even commercial locks, the reasons why keys might get stuck inside the lock are very similar to vehicle ignitions.
A dirty key, lock, or even the lack of maintenance on the lock, might cause the keys to get stuck inside the locking mechanism.
Bent or misshapen keys, are some of the most common reasons keys get stuck in the door locks.
Debris and dirt inside the lock cylinder can prevent the pins from aligning properly against the key, which can cause it to fail to unlock the door, and occasionally also prevent you from removing the key from the lock altogether.
These can get worse by lack of lubrication and maintenance of the lock.
Grab a can of WD-40 and spray into the lock cylinder while moving your key around might release it, but if it doesn’t seem to work, don’t resort to damaging your property, and just call a residential/commercial locksmith to extract the key for you.
There are many reasons why your key can get stuck in your ignition, or door lock, which is why at Unlock-It, we have highly experienced technicians to assist you with key extractions, no matter the lock or the situation you find yourself in.
