Car Key Won’t Turn in Ignition?

It can be very frustrating when you put your car key in the ignition and it just doesn’t turn. If you are running late for an appointment or worse if you are parked in a lonely or poorly lit area at night, this can be a nightmare situation for most people. What do you do when you car key won’t turn in ignition?

The first and most common reaction of people is to try and force the key. However, you should know that doing so can actually damage or even break the key in the ignition. The second reaction is to panic. If you find yourself in such a situation, take a deep breath and think through. Here are some recommendations that could help pull you out your predicament, when you key won’t turn in ignition.

Look for Dirt or Obstructions

A common reason why the key won’t turn in the ignition could be due to some debris or dirt which is obstructing the movement of the key. Try the following steps;

• Try clearing it with hand or try and blow the cylinder clean.
• If you have a can of compressed air (such as those used for cleaning surfaces of computers or laptops), try and use that to clear the obstruction.
• If the dirt is on the key, clean it and try using it again.

Inspect the Key for Damage

A key that is bent or worn out or displays some other structural damage might not work. Do the following;

• Check your key for any such damage.
• The best option would be to use a spare key and replace the damaged key as soon as possible.
• If you don’t have the spare key on your person, here is a trick which could work – slightly pull the key out and turn it in the ignition. The idea is to engage the lock pins and hopefully the car will start.

Damaged Ignition Cylinder

There are times when the best option is seeking professional help. If you find that the ignition cylinder is damaged or worn out, then you need to have it professionally replaced. This can however, be a DIY project for someone who has substantial understanding of cars and with experience in car repair work.

Simple Overlooked Causes of Key not turning in the Ignition

There are two very common situations when the key won’t turn in the ignition;

• The first is when either the transmission gear is not in park or neutral.
• The second and more common reason is when the car battery is dead.

In the case of a dead battery, replacing the battery is the only option. However, if your car has automatic transmission, then first putt it in park mode or neutral and then try and enable the key in the ignition.

There is a third possible reason why a key won’t turn in the ignition – if the steering lock has clicked into place when you turned off the car. When this happens, the ignition fails. The simple work around to this problem is to simply but gently move the steering while turning the key in the ignition.

When you should Seek Professional Help

If you have exhausted all of the above recommendations and none of them worked, and or if you continue to face ignition/car starting trouble frequently then it is best to have your car looked over by a professional. There could be other underlying causes behind any ignition trouble you might be facing.