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Keys Won’t Turn in the Ignition

Your Keys Won’t Turn in the Ignition?
Here’s What You Should Do.

Those times when the keys to your vehicle seem like they just won’t turn in the ignition cylinder are very inconvenient. During these particular moments, it can be very confusing for individuals on what they should actually do in order to get past their problem and back on the road.
Of course, the absolute and fastest way to fix this problem is to call Cobra Locksmith NYC so that we can send you a professional technician at your location to quickly and efficiently solve your problem.

However, we all have those moments of desperation. Whether it is that you do not have access to call a locksmith expert, or you simply want to do things on your own, listed here are some tips for you to do in order to get the job done yourself.

Please do note that it is always best to seek a skilled technician because problems may arise due to mishandling of the situation. Further damage may occur on the key or ignition cylinder of your car. You’re free to try these methods out, but always proceed with caution.

Lubricating the Keyway/Lock

Through the wear and tear of the years that you’ve spent driving the key in and out of the ignition cylinder may have caused some form of degradation on either the key itself or cylinder. The friction caused by the contact of key and cylinder may be too great of a factor that it’ll cause jamming or will prevent it from turning.

One fairly simple solution you can do to solve this problem would be to lubricate the keyway with any lubricant you have available. However, it is ideal that you use silicon or graphite lubricant as these prove to be the most effective. If there aren’t any lubricants of that type available, you can simply use whatever you can find on hand.

With the lubricant in hand, go ahead and spray just the right amount in the keyway of the lock ignition, making sure not to spray too much. You should then find a spare cloth to use to remove any extra lubricant spray around the ignition lock cylinder. Then, simply insert the key and with a bit of luck, try wiggling it until it successfully turns and starts the vehicle.
Feel free to try this method a number of times until you succeed and get back on the road.

Rapping/Tapping the Key

There are times when the lock springs found in the ignition cylinder malfunction or get stuck in place. This problem may be solved by rapping or tapping the lock springs out of place. Try to find any device or object that you can use to vibrate the key and ignition cylinder of your vehicle in order to get the springs back in place.

With your key in the ignition cylinder, use a tool like a hammer or generally solid object that you can use for a similar purpose, and simply tap the key as you turn it in the ignition. This will hopefully unlock the springs and make them move to where they need to be in order for the key to properly turn in the ignition cylinder. If this does not work, however, use the hammer or object used for tapping/rapping on the cylinder instead of the key to check if that method will work.

Turning the Steering Wheel

Sometimes the key won’t turn in the ignition cylinder because the steering wheel was moved around after the key was removed from the keyway after turning off the engine of the vehicle. The mechanical interaction between the movement of the steering wheel and the keyway lock might have caused it to lock up and prevent they key from turning.

To easily remedy this problem, try to simply turn the steering wheel in both directions while taking a look at to which direction the wheel can be turned and what direction it can’t. Turn the wheel into the position that it does turn to and keep it at that stagnant position. Next, insert the key and try turning it while holding the steering wheel in place.

The combination of wedging and jiggling the key in the ignition cylinder while also rocking the steering wheel may help in solving to get your key turning.

Checking your Keys

Since you probably use your keys on a daily basis, it isn’t surprising if the problem lies within the key itself. Inspect the grooves and key biting of the key to check for any damage such as missing teeth, bends or twists. If you have a spare, unused key, you can try to compare the two to see any differences and from there, make a conclusion if the key is really the problem.
That’s why, it would be best to contact Cobra Locksmith NYC professional licensed locksmiths to handle the job by repairing the key, or cut a new key to replace the old one.

Replacing/Fixing your Ignition Cylinder

If all the above methods mentioned have failed, or you haven’t found success with them, then maybe the issue lies within your vehicle’s ignition cylinder. The good news is that you most likely do not have to replace the entire cylinder, but simply have it rekeyed as the grooves or mechanisms within the chamber may have gotten worn out.

This kind of task is no problem for our top-notch, high quality and professional automotive locksmith technicians here at Cobra Locksmith NYC.

It’s always nice to fix your own problems, through sheer wits, slight automotive and mechanical knowledge and a little bit of elbow grease. However, some problems are just too big to handle, and you may even end up doing more damage than fixing the problem. These listed methods are just some easy ways for any individual to turn their keys in their vehicle’s ignition cylinder if it is somehow stuck. Although a little bit of patience and trial and error can solve this specific problem, nothing beats the timely and effective service an automotive locksmith expert can provide.

Call now for a locksmith Brooklyn NY

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