Hyundai i30 key won’t go in the ignition swich

[Razvan]

Hello!
I have a Hyundai i30 (similar to an Elantra), hatchback, 1.4 litre petrol engine, made in 2009 and bought in Romania, new from the dealer.

For some time, it has started to “refuse” to accept one of the two keys that came with it.
I try to put the key in the ignition, but it just won’t go in all the way – only about half the way. If I pull the key out and try again, it eventually accepts the key – sometimes after 2-3 tries, sometimes after 20 tries!

Let me expand a bit on the story: for the first few years, I only used one of the keys. After that, my wife started to use the car too, so we each used one of the two keys of the car. After a while, the car started to NOT accept my key (which was visibly more used that my wife’s) so we stared to only use the newer (less used) key.
But after a while, a year or so, it didn’t accept her key, so we tried mine (the older one) and it worked better.
Since then, every year or so, it gets the same problem and we have to change the key we use with it (and the the time it changes preferences is REALLY frustrating, as it tends to not like either of them, and for a few days we just keep trying one and the other until the car finally settles on one.
I have no clue if the problem’s mechanical or if it has something to do with the chip in the keys.

Now, I’ve recently had a major problem with my door-lock on the driver’s side (which controls all the other door when locking the car), it jammed somewhere between the vertical neutral point and the point where it locks the doors, and couldn’t get it to move again even after taking in out – so I swapped the left and right door locks to have my central-locking back. I don’t have a remote to open my card doors and it was a real pain to open the passenger door and then lean in the car to push the button for the central-lock-button to open my driver’s side.
But now the door-lock I swapped from the passenger’s side is acting up, I can not put the key in it to open it (kind of like with the ignition). But here I’m pretty sure the problem is mechanical, as my more-used key has some surfaces very worn out, making the lateral profile different from the less-used one. With the more-used one I can try for 10 times before I can wiggle the key into place (after which it moves without any problem) , with the less-used key I can usually get it to work in 2-3 tries. And since my ignition-lock is for the moment in the period it only accepts the more-used key, I have to carry both with me, open the door with one (after a few tries) and start the card with the other.

So, if you’re still with me and the long story, now to my questions:
1. I’ve been advised to spray some (A LOT!) of WD-40 in the ignition-lock, to clear what some locksmith told me is accumulated dirt that is causing the problem with the ignition-lock. But I think if that were the case, the the car wouldn’t change the key it prefers, it would simply stop accepting any key. What do you suppose is the problem with the ignition-lock?

2. I’ve fond someone who is selling online a set of keys, ignition lock and door locks, from a scraped car. The price would be about 90$ (a brand new set costs about 190$!), and I’m pretty sure I’d have no problem changing the door locks, and have a mechanic change the ignition-lock. But will this be a problem for my immobiliser? Will the car refuse to start with a new ignition-lock, with a new set of keys? I am asking because the dealership for Hyundai in my town is part of the MOST expensive auto-chain in the country – they’re the reason I started doing work on my own car! So if I’d have to go to them for a reprogramming of the car-computer, I’d pay much more than for the parts.

3. One recommendation I got was to install a remote-control central-lock – it should by-pass the problem of the faulty door-lock, leaving me to use whatever key the car likes in the ignition at that moment. It wouldn’t be expensive – probably 25-30$. But I’m afraid that if the ignition-lock has a major problem that is causing it’s symptoms, I’m just delaying the major repair.

4. Another recommendation was to make one or two copies of the keys. But a copy of a chip-key (with the chip) is pretty expensive (55$), and for what? If the problem with the ignition-lock is that it stops recognizing one or the other key, then the copy I’d have would only be ok for half the time. And If I make just a “dumb” copy, just for the door, I’m not sure that will stop the door-lock going bad for good…

What do you think my best option would be?

Topic

[Charles]

If your dealer will (for a reasonable price) cut you a dumb key by vin number “VALET KEY” then you can try to see if the ignition will respond well to a newly cut key. I have had one cut before and as I remember the price was reasonable. I locked myself out of a rental car with all the keys in the boot.

[college man]

Liquid graphite spray is what would use to lube any cylinder locks. wd-40
will get gummy and cause more sticking.I’m thinking that the problem started
out with worn keys which may have caused the ignition cylinder to wear wrong.
Here is my suggestion. You could spray the cylinder with a little brake clean and
then follow it with the liquid graphite. Do the same for the door. I’m thinking its a
key problem due to the door won’t open right either which does not get that much
use. If you try the lube and the old key still is a problem. If you did get a non chipped
key made to see if the door would work I would be afraid that the new key made from
the old key would produce a failure key.

[Author]

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