A car key stuck in the ignition sounds like the beginning of a really bad day. The key won’t come off, and you just can’t leave it there with doors unlocked when you go to work, the mall, your home, or wherever else you intend to go. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, don’t panic. There are several ways to remove a stuck key from the ignition, and we’ll be discussing them below.
Your Chevy Cobalt key can get stuck in the ignition due to a problem with the ignition cylinder, a dead battery, steering wheel lock, failure to set parking gear, or debris on the key.
Successfully removing a stuck key from the ignition requires the driver or car owner to understand why the key may get stuck and apply the right fixes. Ultimately, you’ll need to get a locksmith to remove the key if all attempt to do so fails. Below, we’ll discuss in detail the reason why your key may get stuck in the ignition and how to remove it.
Reasons Why Your Chevy Cobalt Key Is Stuck In The Ignition
Car keys getting stuck in the ignition is not unique to Chevy Cobalt. It can also occur in other car make and models, although it may be more frequent in a particular brand. But if you drive a Chevy Cobalt, you don’t have to worry much about the keys getting stuck in the ignition since it doesn’t happen very often. Many people won’t even experience it all.
Below are the reasons why your key may get stuck in the ignition.
Not Setting Parking Gear
Did you know that your car key could get stuck in the ignition if you don’t set the parking gear? The gear must be set to “park” before the key can come out of the ignition. Since you engage the park gear when parking a car, many people won’t have a problem with this. So, whenever your key is stuck in the ignition, quickly check to see if you’ve set the parking gear.
If you drive a manual transmission car, then you’ll need to set the gear to neutral for the key to coming out. It’s easy to set the gear to ‘park’ in many automatic transmission vehicles.
Steering Wheel Lock
Your key could get stuck in the ignition simply because you turned the steering wheel too far to the left or right when parking. So, it’s important you don’t move the steering wheel after getting into your preferred or proper parking position. If not, the ignition cylinder and steering wheel will lock at the same time, trapping the key in the ignition.
To remove the key, try wiggling the key while moving the steering wheel to the left or right. The key will come out soon enough, and you can go ahead with your activities.
Debris on The Key
Isn’t it a tad bit funny that debris could make your key stuck in the ignition? For many people, a car key is a jack of all trades, effective in tearing box tape and other uses they can find for it. Even food debris can get attached to the surface of car keys and make it difficult to remove them from the ignition.
Dead Battery
A dead battery can be responsible for a key stuck in the ignition system. The ignition system relies on power from the battery to operate properly. A dead battery is unable to provide the power the ignition needs, and this may lead to the key getting stuck in the ignition.
If a dead battery is the cause of a key stuck in the ignition, you’ll need to jump-start the battery or recharge it for the key to come out. Luckily, there are portable car battery chargers available in the market. So, you can easily charge a dead battery and remove the key from the ignition.
Damaged Key
Car keys can also wear out depending on how you keep them. Keeping your car keys in your pocket can also wear the keys gradually over time, especially if you keep them with other keys. Your car keys may also wear out if you constantly toss them over a hard surface.
When the key starts wearing out, it’ll be more difficult to remove it from the ignition. When this starts happening, you should start thinking about replacing the key.
Damaged Ignition Cylinder
The ignition lock cylinder is another reason why your car key may be stuck in the cylinder. If the ignition lock cylinder is failing or not functioning as intended, the key might get trapped in the ignition as the rows of spring-loaded pins in the lock cylinder won’t align with the shape of the key.
Getting a Stuck Key Out Of The Ignition
Getting a stuck key out of the ignition is dependent on understanding the various reasons why the key may get stuck. From what we discussed above, you should first try to set the gear to park (for an automatic transmission car) or neutral (for manual transmission). If this doesn’t work, try to jiggle the steering wheel while trying to gently remove the key.
Don’t use brute force to try to remove the key, as you may end up breaking it. If this happens, don’t try to reinsert the broken half. All this will accomplish is to further push the other half deep into the ignition and make it more difficult to retrieve it.
Depending on how experienced you are, you can attempt to use a key extractor to remove the broken key. You’ll see videos online on how to use a key extractor. Another option is to use a jigsaw blade or tweezers. If all these fail, you’ll have no option but to call a locksmith to remove the broken key.
If the key isn’t damaged or broken and you are still struggling to remove it, you can apply a little bit of WD-40. Chances are you are familiar with WD-40, as the product has many industrial and household uses. It’s important you apply a very thin layer of WD-40, preferably with a thin straw that can fit into the space between the key and the ignition lock.
You can also use rubbing alcohol in place of WD-40. If the key still doesn’t come off after lubricating it, you’ll need to call a locksmith.
