Sticky ignition key on car - Fiat Bravo/Brava

[Ian Stirling]

Interestingly, the last small yale padlock I had recommended WD40.

[david lang]

I was always told FIAT stood for Fix It Again Tomorrow :-)

Dave

[Conor]

Another muppet.

[pyruse]

It comes in plastic 'puffer' bottles - you squeeze the bottle and a puff of graphite comes out.

[Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics)]

Without any context, your comment raises eyebrows.

[P.R.Brady]

Before you set light to the car with WD40, it's not the steering lock is it? Does the key release if you ease the steering wheel one way or the other?

I think all my cars have locked the ignition key occasionally and it is easily reproducable like this:

1. Stop the car with the front wheels slightly turned.

1. Remove the key. In this position the wheel will still turn as the steering lock has not engaged, but it will engage if the wheel is turned far enough.

2. Turn the wheel so the steering clicks and locks. This will often happen if the wheel is in an unfortunate position as I get in or out of the car. In that position the wheel will have a little play on the steering lock if you turn it one way but be absolutely solid if you try to turn it the other. In this state the key will not turn as it needs to release the steering lock which is under tension.

1. The solution is simple: just ease a gentle pressure on the wheel to provide a little slack and the lock turns easily.

I hope it's that simple. Good luck!

Phil

[Conor]

How exactly is he going to do that?

Pillock.

[Hellraiser]

Don't knock Fiat bodywork - my 7 year old Bravo is fully galvanised and has no rust at all, what's more impressive is my wife's 16 year old Tipo is currently sitting on the drive looking immaculate - it needed a small bit of floorpan in the boot replacing for MOT last year (stone chip to the underbody protection, causing water to get in and rust) but aside from that it's rock solid. Saw a Ford Ka the other day, 1999, bloody great load of rust near the filler cap and a manky sill end, so I think Fiat's have now lost their reputation of rustbuckets and passed the baton onto Ford :)

Must admit, having spent the day polishing and waxing the Tipo, I looked at the other cars nearby and they all looked s**te by comparison - bright white is a great colour if looked after and clean :)

Hellraiser.............>

[Andy Dingley]

For pinned or wafer locks ("Yale" and car ignitions) then I'd agree.

For lever locks, the right light grease is entirely appropriate.

[Andy Dingley]

It's like Hammerite - great product in its own terms, but it's mis-sold as a wonderful panacea for _all_ problems. Lots of people think that WD-40 is Plus-gas. Then when it completely fails at something it was never intended for, the product gets a poor name.

[John Smith]

Thanks all, the graphite from a pencil idea seems to work. Also, it could well be steering lock related so thanks for the advice on that. Interested to see several other Brava owners with occasional similar problems.

John.

[Guy King]

The message from "John Smith" contains these words:

Be a little careful using pencil graphite in locks - hard pencils have the graphite mixed with clay, which ain't good at all. Use as soft a pencil as possile, or preferably proper locksmith's graphite.

[Frank Erskine]

Better still, use PTFE spray lubricant.