Broke key in ignition barrel

DAMINK · 27th February 2018, 07:35 AM

As the title states, i broke my key in my ignition barrel. (6 months ago)
Half of the key remains there still to this day hahaha.

I have bypassed the key entirely now and use a push button start and central locking.
However i have been caught with my pants down on more than one occasion now where a flat battery has forced me to break into the car

Not easy to break into either! Got my youngest/smallest daughter to climb through the top little roof window after i removed it hahaha. She actually goes feet first through that little hole. Funny as **** to watch.

Anyhoo i have 2 questions regarding this problem.

How the bageezus would i go about getting the stuck half of the key out?
I have tried poking at it, swearing at it, drinking beer while looking at it and nothing!

If i get the key out am i likely to be able to get one cut that will work?

Thanks.

**Gordie** · 27th February 2018, 08:01 AM

never had to do it...but maybe magnetise the other half of the key and see if you can draw it out with that??

**bee utey** · 27th February 2018, 08:16 AM

Sending you a PM re a locks solution.

**damienb** · 28th February 2018, 06:20 AM

If you have central locking, you can piggyback a cheap system ($10 ebay) over the locking ecu behind the passenger kick panel.

DAMINK · 28th February 2018, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by Gordie

never had to do it...but maybe magnetise the other half of the key and see if you can draw it out with that??

I did try that already with no luck. But will give it a try again today.

Originally Posted by damienb

If you have central locking, you can piggyback a cheap system ($10 ebay) over the locking ecu behind the passenger kick panel.

Yes i already have remote central locking and push button start. The key is purely as a backup when the battery goes flat.

**remer** · 28th February 2018, 07:23 AM

Pretty straight forward for a locksmith to remove the broken half and duplicate a key from the remaining 2 pieces, drive it to your local locksmiths to save on labour too

DAMINK · 28th February 2018, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by remer

Pretty straight forward for a locksmith to remove the broken half and duplicate a key from the remaining 2 pieces, drive it to your local locksmiths to save on labour too

Yea never thought about that. I guess they would have the tools to get the remaining key part out of the barrel without the need to remove it.
I was thinking about removing the barrel and taking that to them, in situ is a far better idea for all i think.

**Tins** · 28th February 2018, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Gordie

never had to do it...but maybe magnetise the other half of the key and see if you can draw it out with that??

Most auto keys, and in fact most keys of any sort, are non ferrous.

**Gordie** · 28th February 2018, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by johntins

Most auto keys, and in fact most keys of any sort, are non ferrous.

oops, blonde moment!

**AK83** · 2nd March 2018, 06:11 AM

D1 key is strongly magnetic!(just checked)
D2 key is not .. zero, zip, nothing, nada .. zilch!

I have a vague memory of a broken key in a car many moons ago, and I used a 'pick' to prise it out.
For the metal to break, it has to first bend .. so a small lip will have developed on some part of the broken section.
That is, there is very little chance of the broken key section having a smoothed shear edge like a piece of laser cut steel!

I used a very fine sacrificial jewellers screwdriver bent the end and used the bent end on the broken edge of the key. The two interfering edges had enough bite to get the key out.

But a std D1 key certainly has very good magnetic properties, so a nice strong magnet could work.

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