Volvo Key Stuck in Ignition: How to Free It and Why This Happened?

We were surprised to know how many Volvo owners have problems with ignition keys not coming out of the ignition cylinders. After we wrote articles about other brands with the same problem, some Volvo owners contacted us and asked to write more about Volvo. And we've found out that these cars are prone to this issue more than any other vehicles.

Today, we'll tell you what you should do if you have the key stuck in the ignition of your Volvo car. Also, we'll explain to you why this may happen so often. With this information, you'll be able to get the key out of the ignition cylinder without any help and just by using some of the tricks we'll list above.

Here's what we are going to talk about:

• Why may a Volvo key get stuck in the ignition?
• What should you do to free your key from the ignition cylinder?
• How can you prevent these problems from happening?
• What to do if nothing helps to free the Volvo key from the ignition?

Let's get started!

What are the primary reasons why the key gets stuck in the ignition?

Volvo cars have always been popular and praised for their comfort and quality. Some older Volvo vehicles are still on the road and they even don't cause a lot of problems for their owners. But the stuck key may be an annoying problem. Especially when you are late for work and find your key deadly stuck in the ignition. What will you do?

First of all, you should know some reasons why this may have happened. If this is the first time, it may be just about your careless movements. Maybe you just didn't turn the key to its final position in the ignition cylinder and now it's blocked. But in most cases, the reasons are different, and will need your knowledge to sort out things.

Here's what may cause a stuck key in your Volvo:

• A blocked steering wheel. You know that when the key is in zero position or there is no key in the cylinder, the steering wheel will lock once turned even a little. This is a safety feature of any vehicle on the road. So, when the steering wheel is blocked, the key is deadly stuck in the ignition cylinder.
• A failed ignition cylinder. Very often, in older cars, the ignition cylinder may malfunction. This may lead to problems like bad starting, no crank, ignition doesn't turn on, dead car, stuck key, etc.
• Gear selector problem. The key is blocked in the ignition once the stick shift comes to the Parking position (P). If it's in D or R, or any other position, the key will be stuck inside the cylinder. Also, the button on the gear selector should be released to free the key.
• Something else is in the ignition cylinder. Some thin part of metal could get into the ignition cylinder together with your key and this may cause blocking. In this case, the key may be deadly blocked or just should be pulled out with power.
• Wiring problems. When the vehicle is stopped, the wiring sends the needed information and signals to different parts including the ignition cylinder. Once some wire loses connection, the signal may be sent the wrong way or not sent at all and the key will still be stuck.

So, you should know that your Volvo blocks the key in the ignition so that you couldn't get it out when driving. The key may only be taken out of the ignition when your vehicle is stopped, the ignition is off (so the key is in the zero position) and the stick shift is in Parking (the block button should be completely out).

These are the simple things you need to know to get the key out of the ignition. But of course, the situations may be quite different. We know some cases when people checked everything, but their keys still were in the ignition. You shouldn't leave the key in your car because this way it may be stolen. When the key is in the ignition, you can't activate the security system in your vehicle.

What should you do to get your Volvo key out of the ignition?

Well, there are quite a lot of things you can do but before you read about those DIY methods, you should understand that the best way to deal with the problem is to let the professional do that for you. You can call a locksmith or just ask someone in the nearest repair shop to help you. These guys will gladly help you with the problem and won't take loads of money for that.

Here are some things you should try:

• Shake the steering wheel

When the steering wheel is blocked, the key can't be taken out of the ignition. Once the locked wheel is shaken, the key may be taken out. Just apply some power and shake the wheel to the sides. It will not move much, but even a little movement will help you free the key if the problem initially was in the steering wheel lock. But don't apply too much power because you may break something in your Volvo.

• Shake the key

If something got to the ignition cylinder together with the key, you may try to free the key just by moving it gently. Shake it to the sides, try to start your car, and then turn it off again. Again, you shouldn't apply too much power because this can lead to worse problems like ignition cylinder issues or even a broken key.

• Play with the shift lock button

All older Volvo transmission types have this lock button on the selector. This button locks the selector in a chosen position so that you couldn't move it unintentionally when you drive. So, to move the selector to a different position, you will have to press this button. As a result, the button is pressed dozens of times every day. Of course, after some years it may start failing.

The most popular type of fail for this button is to get stuck. It may even go out a little, but the contact still gets stuck. So, what you need to do is to play with this button and move the selector in different positions. Just press the button a couple of times and make sure it comes back to its normal position without any delays. Then try to free the key.

• Check the wiring

The worst thing that may hold your key in the ignition cylinder is the wiring issues. Well, they are common among older cars, 10 years of age and above that. But still, the problem may be spontaneous. There are no DIY methods that will help you deal with this problem. All you need to do is to go to a professional who will help you diagnose the vehicle and solve the problem.

What shouldn't you do in this case?

We've given you some tips on how to free the key when it's trapped in the ignition cylinder. But you are going to worry and maybe you will be in a hurry, so we want to give you some advice on what not to do in this case.

Here are some things that may be excessive when you try to get the Volvo key out of the ignition:

• don't apply a lot of power - this may help you break something in your car and then spend money to repair it;
• avoid any lubricants and WD-40 - people often start putting graphite paste or WD-40 all over the place but it won't help in this case at all;
• avoid DIY repairs of wiring - Volvo wiring is pretty hard to repair or diagnose, so let professionals do that;
• one more important thing - don't leave the vehicle with the ley in the ignition, this may lead to your Volvo being stolen.

What to do if nothing helps?

So, given you've tried everything but nothing helps, the only possible choice is to let professionals deal with the problem. You may call a Volvo dealer or just a repair shop or you may call a locksmith. Dealing with a locksmith is much easier because they are usually very mobile and can come to you wherever you are. This will help you solve the issue in no time and avoid damaging your car.

Of course, you may also drive to the nearest repair shop and ask them to deal with the key. In some cases, repair shops will be cheaper for you because locksmiths are not cheap guys. Try to learn about the different options you have and choose the one that will cost you less money.

Of course, the situation is not pleasant at all, but now you at least know what to do when you have this problem. Also, you are not going to panic once it happens with your Volvo.