I’ve got the end of a car key broken off in the passenger’s side lock. It’s not flush with the ‘door surface’ - the near end of the bit of key is maybe 1/4 inch in.
Does anybody know how to get it out?
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- A locksmith would use a “broken key remover”, which is a tiny steel hooked thing that is very, very complicated to use.
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Seriously, I have never run across any other tool that was similar to a broken key remover. So what you do is either go to a locksmith (it should be cheap, considering you can take the car to them), or find somewhere that sells locksmith tools.
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- A locksmith would use a “broken key remover”, which is a tiny steel hooked thing that is very, very complicated to use.
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I don’t know if this would work, but I know that I would try:
- A strong magnet
- A straightened out paper clip
I have had good luck with a pick like this, but the one I have has an even shorter hook on the end. In any event, it’s got to be very strong and very skinny. I don’t think you’ll find something that can do this just lying around the house.
Maybe I’ll swipe something from my dentist at my next cleaning.
Thanks for the ideas.
freeze the bit somehow, it will shrink and come right out using a tool.
How 'bout a tiny drop of superglue on the end of a straightened paper-clip? You’d have to be careful to not touch the sides of the lock with it, of course.
If you do glue-up your lock, you should be able to unglue it with acetone, available as fingernail polish remover (careful, there’s non-acetone kind too, now).
$.02
-B
Hijack:
Wow, Attrayant, I have one of those and I use it all the time when nothing else will do (not on my own teefs, IANADDS). Most recently, I used it to re-seat a very fragile fibre gasket that had worked its way out of a gap. Everyone should have one. I came into this thread to suggest that selfsame trusty dental tool.
Re the OP:
Could you flush it out with a blast of WD-40, perhaps?
If not, I’m guessing a locksmith will fish it out in no time for a scant fee. Heck, you need to have another key made anyway, if you go to a smith to buy one and then CASUALLY MENTION that the tip of the broken one is still in the door handle and you don’t know what to do, he/she might just walk out and clear your lock as a favor to an (already paying) customer. Let us know how you finally resolve this situation.
it depends on how much key is left. First off Take it to a locksmith.
Superglue is a very bad idea. why? because it takes a great deal of effort to get the crap out. with all the little wafers and springs any residue super glue will screw things up.
Using a magnet is not going to work if it is a reasonably modern car… why? they (the keys) are made from brass or a brass nickle finish.
a paper clip with a small hook on the end might be able to slide ofer the key and with the hook end over the remaining portion of the key pull it right out. I did this on a Ford Contour today with an extractor (a glorified spiral serrated paper clip) If the key is broken behind a wafer or two it gets a bit tricky because you have to keep the weather door out of the way, get something to grasp the key and manage to get the wafers out of the way to allow the key to slide out.
Depending on the type of lock trying to get it out yourself might cause more harm than good, some keys align when the tip of the key rests agasint the back of the lock housing, some (Nissians) do not and the broken piece can get lodged further back.
A locksmith can help you and he should have all the tools to get it out with with little fuss.
Maybe Dancingwithcats will drop in (another locksmith here on the boards) and add any additional insight.
Maybe some tiny tweezers from the drug store? Our Longs drug stores has dental picks in the toothbrush dept if you want to try to make a pick like the above.
Or, you could just leave it in and use the broken key to open the door. 
Not the most secure, but that’s what I’ve been doing with my ignition since, oh, 1997 or so (I know it was when I lived in Nashville, so sometime between May 1997 and October 1998).