Not all car owners will experience a situation where the car key is stuck in the ignition. Modern car technology changes over the years can be seen in the different types of car ignitions. That’s because the types of car ignitions vary from one car model to the next. Well, there are ignitions that don’t require you to stick a key in for your engine to start.
For those types of car models that don’t need a key inside the ignition, their challenges are totally different. This also depends on the type of car starter that you have installed for your car. In some occasions, a key being stuck in the ignition will not allow the engine to start. But if your car is not using a key and the car won’t start, the problem could be because of a dead key fob battery. There are a number of reasons why the key could get stuck in the ignition. But today we are looking at what to do when this happens.
Keys get stuck in ignition when there is a problem with the ignition cylinder and the key itself. Sometimes you may have to remove the ignition cylinder in order to deal with this challenge. But this is usually done when the key brakes inside the ignition.
What to do when car key is stuck in ignition.
This is not a hard problem to resolve especially when you’re trying to start a car and the key becomes stuck. If the key will not turn inside the ignition, it’s because there is a problem with the key itself or a problematic ignition cylinder.
Problematic car key stuck in ignition and won’t turn.
The challenges that you will experience with a problematic key include a situation when the key is bent. Additionally when the key is worn out it will not be able to engage the ignition cylinder pins.
- Pull out the key a little, up to the width of a coin.
- Turn the key slightly and repeat the process of pulling it outwards again.
- Do this again and again until the key engages the ignition cylinder pins.
- Ensure you wiggle the key back and forth repeatedly.
- This motion increases the chances for the key to engage the ignition cylinder pins then the engine will start.
How to fix a car key stuck in ignition.
Sometimes the key is stuck in the ignition due to a steering lock activation. Slight movement of the steering wheel when you’re turning of the car engine will prevent you from removing the key. Because this slight movement will activate the steering lock feature. Try wiggling the steering wheel gently while at the same time you’re turning the key in the ignition. This will release the steering lock and it will allow you to remove the key.
When the car comes to a stop and you turn off the engine always ensure that the gear is set to park. Otherwise, if the engine is off and the gear is still on drive, the key won’t come out of the ignition. For manual cars, the gear should be set to neutral before you can turn the engine off. Just start the engine again and let it run for a few seconds. Afterwards set the gear to the right setting then turn the engine off again and gently remove the key from the ignition.
