We continue our series of articles on what can get stuck on your motor vehicle. After seeing why your fuel flap or hood could get stuck, today we’ll check out why the key is stuck in your BMW i3 ignition . Particularly irritating, having a stuck ignition cylinder will prevent you from starting and therefore from using your motor vehicle. We will so do everything we can to help you resolve this problem as soon as possible. To get this done, first, we will explain to you what the ignition of your motor vehicle is used for, then in a second time, why the ignition barrel of your BMW i3 is stuck? And, to finish, how to unblock the key stuck in your BMW i3 ignition.

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What’s the purpose of my BMW i3’s ignition lock?

The ignition lock of your BMW i3 is a secureness element. Its aim is to protect your car from theft attempts. It is positioned on the steering column of your motor vehicle, invented in 1931 by Abram Neiman. Its aim is to prevent your BMW i3 from starting by blocking the steering and the steering lock if it does not recognize your motor vehicle key. It is closely connected to the starter switch which will integrate the key lock and an electric switch. There is a tendency to confuse the starter switch and the neiman, and when we talk about blocked neiman we often refer to a key that does not turn or does not turn well in the cylinder of the lock of your motor vehicle.

Why is the key stuck in your BMW i3 ignition?

Now it’s time to explain to you why the key is stuck in your BMW i3 ignition cylinder . Now that we’ve defined what the ignition is, it’s time to find out why it’s stuck. If it is the steering wheel of your BMW i3 that is blocked, do not think twice to consult our content page on this matter. A neiman is not a wearing component that you replace repeatedly but time has an influence on it and it can occur that you have to replace it because of regular wear and tear. In this article are the different explanations of a ignition that locks on BMW i3 :

  • Normal wear and tear on the ignition barrel of your BMW i3 : As we stated earlier, with time, the elements of the neiman can become seized up, or become filled with dust or small particles from the outside that will prevent it from functioning effectively. In this case, you should experience complications inserting and turning the key before it locks completely.
  • A component of the ignition of your BMW i3 that breaks down: In the same logic, an element of the neiman can fail. As we described in introduction, when we mention the neiman we tend to include, the cylinder, the lock and the starter switch, if one of these parts is defective, the neiman will not let the key turn in the cylinder of the lock
  • Someone forced too much on the ignition barrel of your BMW i3: Finally, last possibility, and it’s more or less obvious, if someone forced too much on the neiman in unlocking the steering wheel of your motor vehicle before, he may have twisted internal elements and thus damaged the neiman of it.

How do I unlock the key stuck in my BMW i3 ignition barrel?

We now move on to the solutions available to you for dealing with a key stuck in your BMW i3 ignition . According to the origin of your problem the solutions will not be the same, locate them down below:

  • Ignition barrel blocked because of a twisted key: If your key is twisted, it is logical that your neiman will not unblock. Try gently with a mallet to straighten your key, if you can’t do it, use the duplicate of your key.
  • Ignition cylinder If the neiman of your BMW i3 is clogged because of impurities : Use a WD40 type degreaser and let it work for a few minutes, it should unblock the neiman of your BMW i3.
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  • If your key is stuck in your ignition because of a defective element: If finally it is because of an internal element that your ignition lock is no longer unblocked you will regrettably have to replace the whole block (electronic switch, lock cylinder, neiman), we recommend you to go to a professional who will also have to give you a new key to begin your BMW i3.

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If you wish more tutorials on the BMW i3, go to our BMW i3 category.