Ignition Key Cylinder Won’t Turn.

Hello guys I was wondering if some one could help me out.
Last year I started using the spare (valet?) key because the battery on the “main” key died. I forgot I was using the spare key and just kept using it until yesterday.

I tried to lock the glove box with the spare key but I didn’t work, I remembered I wasn’t using the main key so I went for it and I was able to lock the glovebox compartment.


The problem came when I tried to start the truck, the main key simply won’t turn inside the key cylinder no matter how much I try. I decided to back to the spare key but now I have trouble turning it, I have to give it a shake when before I didn’t have an issue.


Has anyone run into a similar situation? What are some possible solutions? I was thinking of taking the key cylinder out and clean it but I couldn’t find any videos of someone doing this on a 3rd gen.

115k miles so it’s way out of warranty

 

Often the problem is the ignition was shut off with the steering wheel turned, there will be tension on the lock mechanism.
Try turning the wheel slightly when trying to turn the key, see if that is the issue.

If not, try gently using a small wire brush on the key, sometimes they get burred up.
Next you might try a short spritz of silicone spray in the key slot, don't go crazy with it.

If that doesn't work you might have to stop by the dealer and have them punch out a new key for you.
They don't use a duplicator like a hardware store uses - this just makes a new worn key, they use the VIN number and a key cutting machine to make a new factory original cut key.

 

thanks for the reply, it’s definitely not something to do with the steering. The steering wheel is not locked and Im still able to turn on the truck with the spare it just requires a small shake to turn in the cylinder. I’m just afraid that it will suddenly stop working
I’ll follow your advice and see if it helps, I try to avoid dealership at all cost but I guess it’s something that only they can fix/replace.

 

Try a little bit of graphite spray lube on the key and in the cylinder, letting it dry for a few minutes then giving it a try. Graphite is recommend because it's a dry lube so it wouldn't attract dirt. If you're in a pinch you can rub a pencil on your key to get a layer of graphite on it to see if that makes and difference. Or a tumbler could also be stuck, another option is to quickly insert and remove the key maybe 20 times to try to bump the tumblers around and free them up if they're stuck. I had this issue when my truck was new and found a bit of graphite to be my solution.

 

If you happen to have the little aluminum key code tag that comes with new vehicles, you can have any good locksmith cut you a key by code as well.