So you just got to your destination and you parked your car. You go to remove your key from the ignition and it is stuck. I am sure you are wondering why my key is getting stuck in the ignition? This can be a very stressful situation if you are in a rush and are running late to your next work meeting. There are many different reasons as to why your key might be stuck in the ignition.
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Some of the reasons range from an issue in the ignition cylinder to a small oversight. Sometimes drivers will panic when this happens. You should never pull on your key when it is still in the ignition. This could ruin the keyhole and your key could break and get stuck in the keyway. It is important that you call a trusted locksmith or mechanic to help you fix this issue. They know what to do when this happens. They will look to ensure certain things are in place and then they will know exactly where to look to locate an issue.
Is Your Car In Park Or Neutral?
Don’t panic if your key is stuck in the ignition. Stay calm and collected because you will get this issue resolved. It is important to know that vehicles with automatic transmissions come with a safety feature. This feature involves the car’s ignition mechanism locking the car in place. This is to protect the car and the individuals in the car. You might be wondering when does this happen? The car will lock if the driver did not put their car in park or neutral. It locks up to remind the driver that their car is still in drive and it cannot be turned off yet.
This is a great safety mechanism because if this didn’t exist the car would drive off on its own. would be a disaster for everyone. You could severely injure individuals walking on the streets and your car would get completely damaged. If your car locks up, you need to check to see if it is still in drive. Once you have put your car in park, it will allow you to take your key out. So, if your key gets stuck in the ignition, always check to see what gear you are in first. This could be a very simple fix for you. This is good to be aware of this so you know what to check first when this issue occurs.
How Did You Turn Off Your Car Correctly?
This might seem like an obvious answer, but it is important that you turned your car off correctly or it will lock your key in the ignition. So if this happens, look at your car’s ignition and you will find several sections that have labels on them. When you look at these, you will notice there is not an off selection becase this lock function replaces the off button. As you know, whenver you turn off your engine you must turn the key all the way towards the bottom. This will signal the lock section. If you don’t singal the lock section, it will think your car is still in a different position that will allow it to move. This will allow your car to to lock up and it won’t allow you to remove your key.
If this happens to you, you will probably be confused and wonder why your key is stuck. You might also think this is not a valid reason for your key to get stuck. This is a safety feature. This is to ensure you stay safe and your car does not get damaged. You would be surpised that this does happen at times. Drivers often get their keys stuck because they don’t rotate their key all the way to the lock position. If your key gets stuck in the ignition, don’t panic, always check to see if it is in the lock position. If it's not, put it in the correct position and try to pull it out.
Is there Obstruction In The Keyway?
If your key is stuck in the ignition you might start to wonder if there is obstruction in the keyway. This could be an issue causing your key to stay stuck. Unfortunatley, the keyway can get a lot of stuff stuck in it. There are particles such as dust, dirt, and smaller particles that can add up in the keyway and get stuck in there. If too much dirt accumaltes in the keyway it can obstruct keys from getting in. However, there might not be a problem when you insert your key into the keyway. The issue could come about when you try to take your key out. This will be an issue because th edebris in the keyway gets stuck in the entire ignition mechanism. It is always a good idea to clean out the keyway if you can. Dirt accumaltes very frequently and can cause issues.
Now your key is stuck in the ignition, you need to figure out how to get your key out. To get your key unstuck, you need to gently turn it back and forth several times. This will help break up some of the dirt and debris that is blocking the keyway. Don’t aggressivly move your key or else it could break and become a bigger issue. If this does not work for you, you hosuld try to spray some DW40 on the keyway. This will help loosen up the key and try to break up the dirt that is blocking the hold. The last option you should look into if you can fix this problem is to call a locksmith. This will cost you more money and take longer to fix so it is not the most ideal option. But, if nothing else is working then this is your best option. A locksmith will be able to help you get your key out of the ignition.
Do You Have A Locked Steering Wheel?
Is your steering wheel locked? You might have accidently engaged the steering wheel lock which will cause this to happen. You might be wondering why this happens? This is a safety mechanism that prevents vehicle motion. This is put into place so your car does not move if you are not inside. Additonally, this system is put into place so your car won’t be able to operate if you insert the wrong key into the ignition. The car will let you insert the key, but you won’t be able to unlock the steering wheel because it is the wrong key.
There is something you will want to keep in mind about keys getting stuck in the ignition. It is always possible for your key to get stuck in the ignition. This will cause your steering wheel to lock up. If this system locks up, you will not be able to remove the key from the ignition. Now you might be wondering how can you eventually get your key out? To do this, you need to slowly rotate the steering wheel left and right. While you are doing this, start to apply some pressure on the key and slightly turn it. If this works successfully, you should be able to unlock the steering wheel and remove your key. It is important to do this slowly so you don’t jam the key too far into the keyway.
Check If Your Key Is Broken
Let’s say you still haven’t figured out why you can’t get your key out of your ignition. There are some very unfortunate cases where you might have broken your car key in your ignition. This would be one of the worst cases. This is more common fo rindividuals who use duplicate keys instead of the original key. The duplicates are never as good as the orignial key that the manufactuer gives you. Sometimes the materials used in duplication are not as strong as the original keys. It is difficult to duplicate the exact same key with the same materials. This means that the dupicate keys are much easier to break or get damaged. Over time they could also get deformed and lose their integrity.
This could cause a key to get stuck in your ignition. If you notice that your key is already damaged, you should refrian from using it. Additionally, if you continue to use it this could be the reason that it is stuck in your ignition. If the key is not as strong and already damaged, it could break inside the ignition. This could cause you to not be able to get it out of the ignition. This is a much more difficult issue to fix. You should try to use a broken key extractor tool to get it out. If you can’t remove it with this speical tool, you will need to contact a locksmith. They will be able to help you remove the broken piece of your key. This will obviously be more expensive for you to fix.
Moving forward, it is a good idea to refian from making duplicates on your own. You could see if the original manufactuer will duplicate your key so you know it is made from strong and reliable materials. If you don’t have duplicates from the manufacturer, you should stick to using your original key. This will help you prevent weak keys from getting stuck in your ignition.
The Battery Is Dead. What Do I Need To Do Now?
If your key is still stuck and you can’t figure out why, check to see if your battery is still working. If your battery is dead, this will cause your key to get stuck in the ignition. There are tools you can use to see if your battery is still working. You can also turn on your headlights and if they dont turn on, then you know your battery is dead. If this happens to you, you should wait for someone to help you jump your car and then you will need to replace your battery. When your battery starts working, you should be able to get your key out of the keyway if the issue was related to your dead battery.
Conclusion
Is your key stuck in the ignition? Don’t panic because you have options. As listed above, you can try certian home remedies to get your key out of the keyway. If that does jnot work then you can always call a locksmith who will be able to remove the key for you. They are trained professionals and know what to do in these situations. The best thing to do in this situation is to stay calm.
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