Situations, when the car key is broken in the ignition or door lock, are not uncommon. After all, there are many reasons for such non-standard cases: water frozen in the door lock, the careless turning of the key, malfunctions of ignition and door locks.
And it would be easy to use the spare keys in these situations, if not for one serious obstacle – the remains of broken keys left in the casing.
What to do to get out of the situation without compromising the integrity of serviceable locks?
First, it is necessary to quietly examine the situation and carefully examine the lock.
If the debris of the key is clearly visible from the outside and the metal fragments are enough to catch them with tweezers or other improvised means, consider yourself lucky.
After all, in this situation, you will get off with minimal cost, without resorting to the help of specialists.
When trying to extract the broken key yourself, it is important to understand that the steel rod is tightly “seated” in the casing. Therefore, attempts to get it out with your fingers will fail in 99% of cases.
In the worst case, you will push the broken key even deeper.
Hand tool: the first aid in rescuing a broken wrench
The best “rescue” option, in this case, is a “multitool”. But if there is no such available, will do:
- Pliers;
- Tweezers;
- Mechanical spider;
- Pliers (long-nose pliers);
- Side cutters;
- Wire cutters.
If your trunk does not have a suitable hand tool for gripping parts with a thin spout, you can build it from improvised means.
For example, you can take two sturdy metal products and clamp them to the fragments of the key on both sides. After that, gently pull the rod sticking out of the lock in the direction of the “exit”.
After the successful extraction of the “prisoner” does not throw away the remains of the key. In fact, the auto locksmith in Delta will help you to make an exact duplicate of the key.
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Glue Compositions and Alternative Methods of “Salvation” of Car Keys
If you have glue on hand (at home, a neighbor’s, a nearby store), you can use an alternative option to extract the visible debris.
To do this, you need to apply the glue to the tips of any strong object: screwdriver, wrench, etc., and then precisely bring it to the keyhole.
It is important that the glue hits exactly “in the target” – on the metal fragments, not on the elements of the locking mechanism. Having pressed the metal chip with the glue for a couple of seconds-minutes, you can gently pull it out of the lock.
Another “tricky” method will suit car owners who have a thin metal wire. It is important that it easily enters the keyhole between the casing and the debris.
Having made an improvised loop from it, you should try to slip it between the base and the grooves of the broken key. After making sure that the metal rod is fixed tightly, pull the wire toward you.
The Hard Case: Broken Key Inside the Lock
If after a visual inspection of the ignition lock or door, you see only millimeter “hooks” of debris or no debris at all, only the locksmith in Fishers Indiana will help to solve the unpleasant situation.
After all, in this case, it is necessary to disassemble the lock. Already after that, it will be clear whether a complete replacement of the unit is necessary or it can be used in the future (if all internal mechanisms are intact).
