Help - key stuck in ignition (NA8)

lucmor444 · Postby **lucmor444** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 10:15 pm

Went to start car today and after inserting key in the ignition it is stuck in the 'lock' position. It will not turn and cannot be removed. Wheel was not locked at the time and jiggling wheel didn't release any tension to fee up key like you normally expect. Now wheel is locked and still jiggling it does nothing.

Never had any problem with the key previously.

Suggestions?

And if I can't resolve myself should I try a locksmith?

A real bugger as car was ready to get back on the road after redoing the interior over the last 2 months.

ralt · Postby **ralt** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 10:43 pm

Hi.
You could try tapping lightly with a hammer the key while holding in the unlock position.

lucmor444 · Postby **lucmor444** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 10:54 pm

Thx Ralt

The key is in the 'lock' position and will not move into any other position.

ralt · Postby **ralt** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:32 am

Hi again.
Try tapping it in the position it is in.

manga_blue · Postby **manga_blue** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 7:30 am

It has happened in other cars of mine but not the NA8. It usually means that one of the pins in the barrel is sticking. Whatever you do don't force it. Trust me it's much harder to deal with a stuck key in a lock than a broken key in a lock. You can try a quick squirt of Inox or WD40 and let it soak in for a while.

lucmor444 · Postby **lucmor444** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 8:52 am

Sprayed it with WD40 last night - hopefully a good rest will do the trick(!) and I'll try it tonight. A real bugger though.

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 10:31 am

lucmor444 wrote:Never had any problem with the key previously.

Doesn't sound like it, but if you have a spare key, is there a chance you used it as opposed to the usual key on this occasion? Keys & locks can wear to each other, eventually making the use of an unused spare key very tight.

lucmor444 · Postby **lucmor444** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:32 pm

Good pick up - it’s not my normal key (which is a nice pole position one) but the original Mazda spare.

But I had been using this spare for the last few weeks just as a matter of convenience. So it could be the culprit even though it had worked perfectly previously (my experience with worn keys or locks is that the problems starts to appear intermittently but without a complete fail and you use that early warning sign to fix the problem by usually getting a new key cut).

My neighbour is a locksmith so will chat to him tonight.

I’m just a bit bummed as my car has been off the road for the last couple of months while I updated it’s interior and with that now finished I was keen to drive it last night/this week. Hopefully I can get it sorted out without too much hassle.

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:48 pm

Wiggling and very light taps r probably the go. Gotta move those pins.

lucmor444 · Postby **lucmor444** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 9:57 pm

Ended up using a feeler gauge that I slid up beside the key to lift the pin/s.

Red_Bullet · Postby **Red_Bullet** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:58 pm

Thanks for the update, Ill try to memorise the solution!

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:38 am

I thought the pins were on the edge of the key (not the flat section)?
Unless it just nudged everything.

lucmor444 · Postby **lucmor444** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:45 am

bruce wrote:I thought the pins were on the edge of the key (not the flat section)?
Unless it just nudged everything.

Agree - as I had to jiggle the feeler gauge a bit once it was in I expect it must have nudged the pins somehow. I was just relieved it worked (hadn't spoken to the locksmith yet for other options).