7

A few days ago I could not get my keys out of my 2005 Town and Country. Soon after, the battery ran out of juice. If I jump the battery, I can start the car and drive it. But when I park the vehicle I can not remove the keys. After a little while, the battery will die. I do not think any electrical gadgetry is on: no lights, ect. I now hear a clicking sound coming from the fuse & relay box until the car runs out of power, too.

What are possible causes of this problem?

Thank you for your help.

I tried Lynn Crumbling's solutions, but no luck.

Improve this question
2
  • Can the key rotate freely to the acc and lock positions?
    – rpmerf
    Commented Jan 27, 2016 at 17:16
  • Yes, the key can rotate to all positions that it should be able to rotate to. It just won't come out of the ignition.
    – Sam
    Commented Jan 28, 2016 at 2:02

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
7

It sounds like your shifter may not be seating into park correctly. You may want to try moving it back and forth from gear into park (occasionally, with a slight amount of force; you don't want to break anything). Verify that the key is not in the accessory position, and each time you switch to park, try to remove the key. I've also seen the key release mechanism tied to the brake pedal. When shifting to park, try pushing the brake pedal in at the same time.

Also, as DucatiKiller pointed out, turning the steering wheel at the same time might be beneficial. Finally, Jonathan Musso mentioned that he's "heard that sometimes anti-theft can be the culprit --- when the battery dies".

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    Steering wheel as well.
    – DucatiKiller
    Commented Jan 27, 2016 at 3:32
  • Thanks for the suggestions. I tried this stuff, no luck unfortunately. I think the battery may have been dying because I was leaving it in the accessory position. The problem persists even if the car has just been driven (possible if you jump it).
    – Sam
    Commented Jan 28, 2016 at 2:05
2

I posted this on Reddit, too and someone suggested just pulling the key out with pliers. I did and now the key goes in and out just fine! Who would've thought?

Improve this answer
0

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .