Ever had your car key stuck in the ignition? While this can be annoying and prevent you from using your car, finding the source of the issue is most of the time recommended so as to prevent it from happening in the future. But whatever you do, don’t use your strength to try and remove the key, you’ll just end up breaking it and cause further complications. Some reasons why car keys get stuck in the ignition are listed below.
Parking Gear
In order to remove the key from the ignition, your car should be set to “Park”. In an automatic transmission, if the gear is set to drive, neutral, or any other available gear, then the key won’t come out. In a manual transmission, make sure the gear is set to “Neutral” so that you can remove the key safely.
Locked Steering Wheel
If you turn off your vehicle while moving the steering wheel, the latter will lock and the key will be stuck. This is due to the ignition cylinder locking at the same time as the steering wheel lock. You may release the key by turning it along with the steering wheel.
Presence of Debris
If your key contains some type of debris or material stuck over it, then it will definitely be stuck in the ignition. Make sure your key is free from any debris before putting it into the ignition.
Dead Battery
The ignition system depends on power from the battery to function properly. If your battery happens to die, this will cause the ignition system to lock up. The best solution to this issue is to wait for a jump start or call a mechanic who can replace car batteries.
Damaged Key
Car keys rust and erode over the years. Each time you insert the key into the ignition, it wears a little. The head of the key may lose its shape and form over the years and thus may one day get stuck in the ignition system.
Ignition Cylinder
Your ignition lock cylinder can be prone to damage over the years. The pins inside are perfectly aligned to match the shape of your key. However, if the pins inside are slightly out of alignment, it can prevent you from removing the key.
Having your car key stuck in the ignition system is the worst possible thing for a driver. So make sure to check your key before inserting it in the ignition and to respect all the driving rules.
