CAR KEY STUCK IN THE IGNITION? HERE’S WHAT TO DO!
If you’ve experienced a stuck key, you know how aggravating it can be! This is probably even more annoying when that key is your ignition key! It always seems to happen at the worst possible time, too. You might be leaving to take your son to soccer practice or maybe you are about to leave for a much anticipated dinner date. You insert the ignition key and it not only won’t turn, it won’t come out, either!
What on earth do you do now? Do you apply force and if so, how much? Do you call for help to a local Queen Creek, AZ repair shop? What about the time and expense involved? Suddenly, you start to panic – how can you lock the car if the key won’t even come out? A stuck ignition key can truly be a problem and a baffling one at that!
What to do
Here at Queen Creek Locksmith LLC we get anxious calls on a regular basis about ignition keys becoming stuck or broken off. We offer some smart tips on how to deal with this issue on your own. Try these ideas first and then if you still need a professional to come to your aid, you always have that option.
Start by applying your parking brake. If you are going to test a few items on your car, you don’t want to be rolling forward or backward while momentarily distracted. Believe it or not, people are injured and even killed every year by this very thing. Don’t risk hurting someone or causing property damage – use your parking brake to prevent any unwanted car movement. Next, take some deep breaths and steady yourself.
Getting panicked does you no good. Sure, you have things to do, and places to go, but they can wait until you get past this stuck ignition key issue. A calm demeanor will lend itself to clearer thinking and less emotional reaction. Take those breaths now.
Do this…
Try moving your ignition key back and forth; gently. Don’t apply a lot of force! A broken off key can lead to additional expense and wasted time. Bear in mind that your ignition key is not just a car key; unless your car is pre-1995, it’s most likely a transponder chip key. These are costly to duplicate and program. Usually it involves towing, car dealership fees and long waits.
An experienced automotive locksmith can make one for you at a lesser cost but if you can avoid breakage altogether, why not? Avoid new key cost, key extraction fees and more stress by not breaking your key if possible. Jiggle it back and forth and see if it comes back out.
No luck…
If gently moving your ignition key back and forth didn’t work, try checking your gear. You need to be in PARK and no other gear! Make sure that you are not almost in gear, but actually in PARK! Your car has a built in safety mechanism that prevents your key from coming out unless you in the right gear. This includes DRIVE, NEUTRAL and REVERSE. Can you imagine the havoc it would cause if ignition keys could get bumped accidentally while driving and simply come out?
Steering wheel
No go? Try moving your steering wheel back and forth. It may not move easily, so apply a little pressure as some steering wheels lock up if leaned upon too much. This is easy to do, especially when trying to exit the vehicle. When the wheel locks in place, it will firmly hold onto the ignition key and prevent it from turning or being removed. AAA roadside assistance is often called because the frantic driver was convinced that his or her steering wheel and ignition lock were suddenly damaged and acting faulty. In reality, a little pressure is all that is needed to release both.
Drained battery
Is your car’s battery drained? If so, there might not be enough power to allow for your ignition key to work. This key is also known as a transponder key. A transponder is a transmitter and your key does just that. It transmits a signal to your car’s computer telling it that it recognizes the key and that’s okay to start the engine. If your drained battery can’t do that, your car won’t start and the key itself might not be released. Test by seeing if your windshield wipers or car radio work. You can also see if your dashboard lights or power windows are operable.
Wrong key was inserted
Yes, this sometimes happens! We lead busy lives and often there are several members of a household that are drivers. If they have transponder keys, which often look similar, it is easy to mistake one key for another. Just because the key goes into the ignition lock doesn’t mean that it will come back out easily.
Many have had success removing a wrong transponder key by tapping it gently so that it loosens the key a bit. The problem with this is that you also run the risk of driving it in further. If that happens you will most likely need professional extraction to remove it.
Spray it loose!
If you are home and you happen to have electrical contact cleaner handy, spray some on the stuck key. Follow this action with some silicon lock lubricant. Just spray lightly; enough to gently coat the key blade. This action will do two tasks. It will clean the inside of the lock and also lubricate the key blade. Often, this will be enough to allow the stuck key to be pulled out.
Still stuck?
If none of these attempts were successful, you should go ahead and call the pros. By pros we mean a mobile automotive locksmith. If you are in town, feel free to give our shop a call. If not, or if you like working with your own lock professionals, you can follow up with a skilled technician of your choice. Either way, it’s always smart to keep the phone number to your locksmith expert in your mobile device for quick and handy access whenever needed.