What to Do If Your Ignition Key Gets Stuck? Should you call for assistance or try to handle the problem on your own? Find out how now!
After a long drive, you’ll park your car and depart. And now the issue begins. You can’t remove the key because it’s jammed. You can’t get the key out of your automobile or leave your car with the key inside, either. So, in this scenario, what are you able to do and what are you not capable of
We believe you should first discover the reasons for this situation before attempting to fix it. After that, you should be able to solve the problem on your own.
Do you think you’re up to the task? Let’s look for an answer in this post.
Table of Contents
Why Does the Key Get Stuck? Here are four possible reasons.
Please remember that you can only solve the problem if you know where it comes from. Many drivers have to face the stuck ignition key at least one time in their lives. Some of them try to press hard on the key to take it out, and some of them try to find the real problem. And damages that the second group has to face is less. So, here are some reasons why your car key gets stuck.
Please remember that you can only solve the problem if you know where it comes from. Many drivers have to face the stuck ignition key at least one time in their lives. Some of them try to press hard on the key to take it out, and some of them try to find the real problem.
And damages that the second group has to face is less. So, here are some reasons why your car key gets stuck.
You Forgot to Set the Parking Gear
Have you selected the parking gear? Did you switch off the ignition in the correct manner? You must always ask yourself if a key is stuck in an electric lock when you have one. To remove a car key from its ignition, your transmission gear must be set to “Park” mode.
You can’t remove the key from an automatic car’s ignition if the gear is neutral, in drive, or has other equipment engaged. You can only remove the key from a manual vehicle’s ignition when it’s in “neutral.”
However, vehicles that start up using keyless buttons generally do not encounter this issue.
The Steering Wheel Is Locked
There’s also the fact that if you can’t remove your car key, the ignition switch isn’t the only problem. You may have to focus on other things in order to discover out whether or not they are what is preventing your key from coming out. And its steering wheel is one of them.
The steering wheel is usually locked in cars to guarantee that the car will not start if there is no key in the ignition. As a result, it would be ideal if you unlocked the steering wheel to remove the key.
The locked steering wheel is a major contributing factor to the stuck ignition key.
Ignition Switch Problem
It’s difficult to determine whether your ignition switch is broken or not because if your key gets caught, you must first decide if it is caused by the key or the ignition switch. Fortunately, if you examine the key before using it, you may discover where it originates from.
Many individuals like to unwrap the tape with their ignition key, for example. It is quite handy, but if the tape is still on the key, it will be more difficult to engage the ignition cylinder pins. So please only use your car key in the vehicle for its only purpose.
Of course, your key will eventually wear down after a long period of usage. As a result, it will wear out every time you turn the ignition and break more whenever you toss your key on a rock desk.
Other Reasons
A dead battery is one of the most common causes of an ignition key being stuck. If your vehicle’s battery dies, the ignition system will be disabled. It might also be a broken ignition cylinder, but it’s difficult to see with your naked eyes because it’s hidden inside the car.
What Should You Do If Your Ignition Key Gets Stuck? Try your best first
Trying your hardest is the first response to the question of what to do when your ignition key becomes jammed. However, don’t force it and try to get out the key; you should consider the following things:
- Make sure the parking mode is on or off. If you forget, turn it to “Parking Gear” and try again. Re-check that the LED shows “P” or “Neutral.”
- If you can’t remove the key, jiggle your steering wheel back and forth before gently pulling it while keeping your hands on the wheel.
Find Some Tools
If you turn on the Parking gear and jiggle your steering wheel and there is still no result, get some WD-40 and spray it into the ignition switch. TheWD-40 is a helpful lubricant that allows you to remove your key by wiggling it.
If you discover tapes or grime on your key, clean it with alcohol and try again.
When taking the key out, double-check it to be sure there is no issue with it. It’s also a good idea to have your vehicle inspected by a professional.
What Should You Do With a Broken Key?
We want you to avoid this difficulty. But if you find yourself in this situation now, be hopeful because you are not alone. as previously said, when your ignition key gets jammed, do not try to put the broken part in since it will draw the other pass deeper. As a consequence, removing the key will become more difficult.
Call for Help
After reading the entire procedure above, if you still can’t remove the key, don’t make matters worse by doing it yourself. The expert locksmith frequently uses crucial extraction tools to get a stuck key out- which you won’t be able to.
Conclusion
If you’re driving yourself, make sure you have the information needed to overcome some typical difficulties on your own.
We hope that the information in this post will assist you in most situations. Please keep in mind that, if your ignition key becomes locked, you should contact a mechanic as soon as possible, regardless of whether or not you can remove it.
