Oh my, your vehicle key just broke in the door? To say the least, that’s inconvenient!
Our best advice is to contact an auto locksmith immediately, since the lubrication and extraction equipment employed by specialists pose little danger of harming your car door lock.
If you’re determined to get the broken key fragment out of your vehicle door on your own, here’s a list of techniques that employ ordinary household objects to get the broken key out of your car door.
LINE UP THE CYLINDERS.
If your key broke during twisting the lock, removing the piece from this midway position will be difficult. The simplest solution is to reach inside the cylinder with needle tip pliers and slowly turn it to the locked or unlocked position.
Avoid jamming the key deeper into the lock or twisting the key itself, as this may cause it to shatter even more. If you can obtain a strong grip on the broken key’s end with your pliers once they’re aligned, you may attempt pushing it out of the slot at a straight angle.
APPLY OIL
Spraying an oil-based lubricant like WD-40 into the keyhole before removing the damaged key from your automobile door lock might make it simpler. Professionals prefer a dry lubricant since it won’t become dirty in the keyhole over time, but if you’re in a hurry, an oil-based lubricant will suffice. Before starting to work, wipe away any extra lubricant around the lock after spraying it into the keyhole.
Note: If you’re going to use glue or sticky putty first, leave the lubricant off the lock for now.
TWEEZERS ARE RECOMMENDED.
If you don’t have needle nose pliers, tweezers are another common household tool that may be used to open automobile doors. Consider the thickness of the tweezers and the depth of the key fragment within the lock. Ensure that your tweezers open wide enough to travel all around the key but not so far that they cannot fit along its sides; else, you risk pushing the key in even deeper.
APPLY THE “PROBE AND PULL” METHOD.
You can probe the keyway with two thin pieces of metal and carefully take out the key fragment. Line these pieces of metal up on both flat sides of the key and just push it in far enough for your tools to gain a solid hold on the end. Slowly bring the broken key closer to you. With these distinct parts, you’ll most likely lose hold on the key, so just continue the operation till the key is completely out. Use components that aren’t valuable to you because they’ll likely bend during the procedure. The following are some examples of objects that may be utilized for this:
- Hair clip made of metal
- A Bobby pin
- Use a paper clip
- safety pin
- A Button pin
- A pocket knife
- Screwdriver with a little flathead
PAPERCLIP EXTRACTION
Bend the paperclip into a straight line and place it just above the broken key fragment in the keyhole. Twist the paperclip downward to grip the rear of the key after you’ve gotten far enough into the lock. Pull straight outwards after it’s trapped on the key to release it.
STICKY PUTTY IS RECOMMENDED.
If you have any, try removing the key fragment using an extremely sticky or tacky putty. Pull the putty out of the key slot after allowing it to rest for a few minutes. The fractured tip may also come out if you’re lucky.
If you don’t have access to any of these materials or if these mild approaches don’t work, we recommend contacting a professional auto locksmith straight away. Inflicting damage on your lock with harsh procedures or adhesives such as super glue is not worth it, and you will end up spending more money, in the long run, to have it repaired.
