Safely Extracting Your Key from the Ignition

Motorists often face challenges that they can’t predict. When your key is stuck in the ignition, this is one of those times that you couldn’t have predicted. It can be one of the most frustrating situations that a motorist will have to endure, in addition to losing your car keys or misplacing them. Dealing these types of situations, you’ll need a lot of patience to effectively deal with this type of problem. Panicking only makes the problem worse than it already is. When a person is upset, it is difficult to think rationally. Perhaps this article will make you stop and think seriously about how you will respond when your key is stuck in the ignition so that you aren’t making the problem worse than it already is. If you’re in a hurry, you certainly don’t want to contribute to your problem. You might make matters worse and more time consuming. When you over react, you also usually end up spending far more money than you anticipated. In Mount Propsect, IL we help many motorists extract their key from the ignition. However, when you want to attempt to try it on your own, here are a couple of things you can do to safely remove the key from the ignition without damaging it.

Spray a Lubricant – Spraying a silicone lubricant inside your ignition can sometimes loosen the key. You should avoid causing the key to break off in the ignition at all cost.

Check the Steering Position – You should check to make sure your car is in the parked position. It should be in the off position because when it is not, the key won’t turn. Sometimes the key may turn too far. You can tell whether or not you’ve turned the key to far if your car radio is on but your car is turned off. Place the car in park, if it is not and then try to turn to the key. Most cars will not enable you to remove your car key as long as the car is any other position other than ‘parked’.

Jiggle the Steering Column - Gently move the steering column back and forth. While you are doing this, slowly try to extract the key from inside the ignition. When you turn the key in the right position at the exact right time, this could help you to safely remove the key from inside the ignition.

Check the Battery – When you have a battery that is dead, your key will be stuck. The battery needs to be charged again or else the key will not come out.

Keys with Debris – Over time debris may build up on the keys. The built up debris can cause your key to stick inside the ignition. People use their keys to open things and over time this will build up on your key. This debris will make it difficult for you to get the key out. Once the key has been removed, clean it or use a new one.

Use Pliers – When something gets inside the ignition, no matter how small it is, it might be difficult to remove your key. We do not encourage our customers to put anything inside their ignition, however if you’re careful enough, you can avoid making the problem worse. You can use small plier’s to extract whatever is in your ignition. If you don’t know if you can reach whatever is in the ignition, this is one of the times you should call a locksmith. You can also save yourself some frustration by allowing a locksmith to safely remove whatever is inside your ignition. Sometimes when motorists try to remove something from inside the ignition, they make the situation worse. We know that when the key is stuck in the ignition, people tend to panic. When people panic, they often make the problem worse. You don’t have to try to extract whatever is in the ignition on your own when there is often a locksmith just a phone call away.

There is no reason for you to call a tow truck or an auto mechanic to get your keys out. Make use of an automotive locksmith who has the training and experience needed to remove your keys from the ignition. In most instances, they can even determine why your key became stuck so that you do not have to worry about this problem occurring again.

Most people enjoy saving money and don’t like the idea of wasting their hard earned money. Undoubtedly, they want to spend their money on something they really want. In order to save money, you might watch a video or purchase DIY video’s that will enable you to handle certain problems on your own. While we encourage you to try certain things on your own, be advised that many of the video’s that you may watch will often leave out something important. The one thing they leave out is the one thing that will enable you to resolve the problem. You can’t trust everything you read online or watch in a video. They may not always be the most reliable resource.

Utilizing the services of a locksmith to help you extract a key from your ignition will save you time and money. A professional locksmith service is familiar with this type of problem. It isn’t uncommon for people to get their keys stuck in their ignition. You don’t always have any control over this and that is why it is important to know what to do so that you can resolve the problem without making it worse. Getting your key stuck in the ignition is something that can happen to anyone. Instead of trying to figure this out on your own, you can contact a local Mount Prospect locksmith to aid you in retrieving the key from the ignition. Don’t waste another minute trying to get your key out, instead, do the smart thing and call a locksmith.