

Select the size of specialty tool from the kit best fit for your problem lock, and slide the slim implement along the recessed groove of the key as far as it will go.If you don’t have enough metal extending from the keyway to grip, run to the store to pick up an under-$10 tool made just for the job-a broken key extractor kit.First, simply slick the keyway with a squirt of spray graphite or lubricant, then attempt to grab any visible end of the key using a pair of needle-nose pliers.Should this happen, you do have a couple of DIY options still available to you before calling in professional assistance.

Photo: Method 3: Retrieve a broken key stuck in lock.Įxcessive twisting and prying at a stuck key could take a situation from bad to worse: You might end up breaking the key in half inside the lock. RELATED: Remove a Stuck Key From Your Ignition With This DIY Fix The light pressure applied in Step 3 prevents the plug from shifting as you try to remove the key. With your other hand, use the tip of your finger to push firmly on the face of the plug next to the key.Turn the key so that the keyway slot is in the exact position it was in when you inserted the key this is the correct position for the pin tumblers to align in the cylinder.

Now, if this plug is loose, it can move slightly within the cylinder and prevent the pin tumblers from aligning, which makes it difficult to unlock the door or remove the key. What’s visible to you, the face of the plug, is the small circle surrounding the keyway-and your stuck key. The keyhole plug in a pin tumbler lock (found in deadbolts and key-in-knob locks) is just one part of a larger locking cylinder. It may take a bit, but it will open with perseverance. Your third number actually allows you to eliminate possible first and second numbers, believe it or not. You're now down to just 100 possible combinations - that's 15 minutes' work.
