Why Is My Car Key Not Working? The Ultimate Guide

Why Is My Car Key Not Working? The Ultimate Guide

A mom from North Texas reported that her daughter were locked inside a car during one of the hottest days this in 2016. The car had a keyless remote as a safety measure—and hence, wasn’t supposed to lock until and unless the button was manually pressed on the key fob.

Moreover, keyless remote cars are also not supposed to lock if the key is still inside the car. But in this case, it did.

Experts have scratched their heads about what could have happened—the only advice they could come up with was to be careful while handling keyless remote cars.

While the automotive industry has come a long way in making sure that your car is safe, secure, and properly locked up, it doesn’t hurt to be careful.

If you have a car lock that doesn’t work properly, the following might be some of the reasons:

Damaged or Broken Locks

Broken locks are the most common reasons for a car not being accessible to its owner. Your car lock might be broken or damaged because of an excessive amount of torque being applied to the key every time you try to open the car door. When not handled carefully—or when you’re in a hurry—the lock and key are at risk of snapping and breaking.

The keyhole might also have accumulated debris and dirt over time. To avoid your lock or key from snapping, it’s a great idea to use lubricants to keep any pollutants away.

Using a Duplicate Key

Are you using a duplicate key for your car? Was your duplicate key made using another duplicate as a template?

This might be the reason why your car key or lock isn’t working. It’s advised to get duplicate car keys made from a trusted dealer by using the original one. Duplicates often end up with several problems and flaws when copied manually.

Worn Out Batteries

The batteries in the key fob or the keyless entry remote tend to lose power over time. The simplest way to diagnose this issue is to notice if your vehicle stops responding to your key’s instructions. The simple solution is to replace the batteries, after which, the key should start working just fine.

Faulty Ignition Cylinder

Your key is associated with your car door locks, in conjunction with the engine.  They are not meant to exist in a vacuum or independent of each other. Vehicles have a lot of mechanical components which are bound to wear and tear over time.

If you notice that your car key is facing issues and you have checked the lock and the key to be having no issues, the problem might be with your ignition cylinder. After getting your car key and lock checked from a trusted dealer, it’s a great idea to go ahead and get your ignition cylinder checked as well.