Key Not Working In Door Lock

See below for taking apart your door lock and getting it to work like new.

Key not working in door lock.

After a long day at work the last thing you want is to come home put your key in the lock and find that it won t turn. If you are able to lock and unlock the doors with the physical key then the locks are probably fine mechanically. If you have a key that won t work in the lock please see how to repair keyed door locks. Assuming the door lock is hard to unlock with a key because it is dirty or gunked up inside and not damaged your best bet is to use a dry graphite.

Spray the lock with lubricant to remove dirt and dust. You can rule part of this out by locking and unlocking all of the doors via the physical primary control inside the vehicle which would indicate that the electronics are fine. Slide the key in the lock and tap lightly on the key to lubricate the inside of the lock. Here we look at repairs for locksets and knobs.

However there could still be an electrical problem. Many door knob and lockset problems can be corrected before they become so serious that the lockset does not work at all. Door key does not work. Often a malfunctioning latch assembly or lock mechanism causes the problem.

A dry graphite lubricant will lubricate the inside of the lock making it easier to unlock. Flip the key and open the door. A key that doesn t turn in the lock could have several causes. Don t use a wet lubricant that gum up locks.

Dry powdered graphite will not. For other types of problems with door knobs and locks please see repairing door knobs hardware. You may be able to take care of the problem yourself or you may need to call a locksmith for help. Chances are if you own a vehicle that was manufactured before 1995 then your car keys are the more traditional kind.