Over the years there
has always been the extremely troublesome issue of finding the key stuck in the
ignition to your car, whether you are at home, outside the office or out
running errands. It is easy to simply think that the car has failed completely
and that the most expensive repair is in your future. While this is an
extremely stressful moment, we find ourselves lucky today with many keys that
are not quite as simple as what they used to be. With the digital transponder
keys that only have to be in a certain range of the ignition, allowing a button
to start the car, this is not necessarily the immediate problem. With the
transponder key, it is still something that can seem to occur, though it is
likely much more easily resolved.
So, if you are in a hurry and the problem of a
key stuck in the ignition occurs, there are plenty of options right here in
Brickell, FL that can help get you on your way. There is no reason to panic and
attempt to solve the issue yourself. An experienced professional can be there
in minutes. So, first and foremost, never walk away from your car while the key
is in the ignition, because if someone else is able to get the key to turn your
car could be gone before you return. In this age of cell phones, help can be
called from anywhere, 24/7.
If you do have some time to take a look for
yourself there are some simple steps that you can take to see if the key is
truly stuck and maybe a little more detail as to what the problem is.
First, Check the Position of the Ignition Cylinder
Remember that there are four basic
positions of the ignition cylinder, and if you can see which position the key
is rotated to, then it may be able to help. You should make sure that you have
the key in the “off” position. This is usually where the car is no longer
running but you can still hear the stereo.
One mistake that is often made is not realizing
that you have turned the key too far, back past the “off” position, back to the
“on” position that actually only turns on the car’s electrical system. You will
hear the radio still on, but the key won’t move. Additionally, you should check
that the car is in park (if you drive an automatic transmission car). Cars with
an automatic transmission require that the car is in park before the key can be
removed, even if the engine is off.
As the driver of a manual transmission automobile
I will admit that this is something I forget when driving a friend’s car, as I
have gotten into the habit of popping the car into neutral, pulling the parking
brake and quickly turning it off.
Another Option is to Gently Turn the Wheel
You can take another step by turning the steering
wheel gently over and over again a few times. At the same time try to remove
the key, though you may have to wiggle it gently as well. It is easy to get
frustrated in a time of stress, so make sure that these actions are gentle so
that neither the ignition or key are bent or damaged to the point of needed
replacement, as that would be more expensive. If you have ever noticed that the
steering wheel will automatically lock into a straightforward position when you
are turning the car off, this is part of what this trouble could be. The
position of the steering wheel could not be correct, and it could have locked
the ignition cylinder, thus locking the key into place.
