We continue our series of articles on what can get stuck on your car. After seeing why your fuel flap or hood could get stuck, today we’ll check out why the key is stuck in your Citroen C3 ignition . Particularly frustrating, having a stuck ignition cylinder will prevent you from starting and consequently from employing your car. We will consequently do everything we can to help you fix this problem as soon as possible. To achieve this, first, we will show you to you what the ignition of your car is used for, then in a second time, why the ignition barrel of your Citroen C3 is stuck? And, finally, how to unblock the key stuck in your Citroen C3 ignition.
What’s the intent of my Citroen C3’s ignition lock?
The ignition lock of your Citroen C3 is a security feature. Its purpose is to secure your car from theft tries. It is positioned on the steering column of your car, invented in 1931 by Abram Neiman. Its purpose is to prevent your Citroen C3 from starting by blocking the steering and the steering lock if it does not recognize your car 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 speak about blocked neiman we generally refer to a key that does not turn or does not turn well in the cylinder of the lock of your car.
Why is the key stuck in your Citroen C3 ignition?
Now it’s time to show you to you why the key is stuck in your Citroen C3 ignition cylinder . Now that we’ve described what the ignition is, it’s time to identify why it’s stuck. If it is the steering wheel of your Citroen C3 that is blocked, do not hesitate to browse our content on this subject. A neiman is not a wearing part that you change frequently but time has an influence on it and it can happen that you have to change it due to normal wear and tear. In this article are the different reasons of a ignition that locks on Citroen C3 :
- Regular wear and tear on the ignition barrel of your Citroen C3 : As we explained above, over time, the elements of the neiman can become seized up, or become loaded with dust or small particles from the outside that will prevent it from working correctly. In this case, you should feel issue inserting and turning the key before it locks totally.
- A component of the ignition of your Citroen C3 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 often include, the cylinder, the lock and the starter switch, if one of these parts is faulty, the neiman will not let the key turn in the cylinder of the lock
- Someone forced too much on the ignition barrel of your Citroen C3: Finally, last opportunity, and it’s more or less rational, if someone forced too much on the neiman in unlocking the steering wheel of your car before, he may have twisted internal elements and thus damaged the neiman of it.
How do I unlock the key stuck in my Citroen C3 ignition barrel?
We now move on to the solutions available to you for fixing a key stuck in your Citroen C3 ignition . According to the origin of your problem the solutions will not be the same, discover them down below:
- Ignition barrel blocked due to a twisted key: If your key is twisted, it is obvious 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 Citroen C3 is clogged due to impurities : Use a WD40 type degreaser and let it work for a few moments, it should unblock the neiman of your Citroen C3.
- If your key is stuck in your ignition due to a faulty element: If finally it is due to an internal element that your ignition lock is no longer unblocked you will unfortunately have to change the whole block (electronic switch, lock cylinder, neiman), we advise you to go to a professional who will as well have to give you a new key to start your Citroen C3.
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If you want more tutorials on the Citroen C3, go to our Citroen C3 category.
