Corgitoy

So here's what happened next:
When the CAA (AAA) tow truck guy arrived he tried the key.
After playing with it for about 20 seconds lo and behold he got it started. He achieved this by giving the top of the key a few hits/bangs downward directly toward the key hole.
Fearing that we wouldn't be able to turn the key on again if we turned it off, we left the engine running. Luckily I had CAA (AAA) so the tow to the Lexus dealership was free.

At the Lexus dealership the mechanic said the key now turned without a problem.
They lubricated the key mechanism anyway and it has been working fine since then. Seems to benot quite as stiff when turning because of the lubricant I guess.
Had they gone ahead and changed the key mechanism, lock transmitter, etc. it would have been complicated and expensive. Estimated cost was roughly $1000. Maybe this figure would have been cheaper if it wasn't a Lexus dealership. Bottom line it ended up costing me $45 for the check and lubricant. Hopefully it won't happen again.

And yes, I think my GX sat around quite a bit before I bought it. It only has 45,000 km and the dealer had it sitting idle on the lot for at least 90 days. That said, I love how this vehicle drives. Nicest I've ever owned.... knock on wood!!

Hope this info is helpful to others. Thanks for the feedback.

stiles_s

Any idea what the dealer used as lube? Any residual on the key?

Corgitoy

There is black residual on the key from the graphite I sprayed into the key hole.

Sorry, I don't know exactly what lubricant the dealer used.
I suspect it was nothing out of the ordinary. No residual from whatever they used.
If I find out the type of lubricant the dealer used I'll post here.
Whatever it was, the key works fine for now.

Corgitoy

Yikes !!!
The key got stuck in the ignition of my 2007 Lexus GX again and wouldn't turn at all. Just like before.

I hope the info below helps other Lexus owners who run into the same problem.

I was 100 miles from home and it was late on a cold Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago when the ignition key wouldn't turn. I thought I was screwed.
Fortunately I was was near a hardware store where I bought a small rubber mallet.
After 4 or 5 hard taps downward toward the ignition hole and on the top part of the head of the key, it finally turned - Just like the last time. Thank God!

As I mentioned in a previous post, the Lexus dealership estimate to the replace ignition key mechanism and get new key transponder etc. was close 1000 bucks. No way I was paying that unless I had no other options.

Soooo... I called a local locksmith who specializes in auto locks.
He just happened to have the correct Lexus key cylinder in stock. He came to my house, installed the new key cylinder mechanism and switched the transponder from my old key to the new key.
$300 plus tax. He also threw in an extra set of manual only keys.

He showed me exactly why I was having problems:
The ignition key cylinder tumblers work using a tiny spring action. These springs were starting to lose their spring if that makes sense. One of the tumblers wasn't popping back up or down when the ignition key was turned. Hence the stuck key. The locksmith explained that the temporary fix of hitting the top of the key with a hammer only worked because the vibration from the hit caused the tumbler to pop up or down.

So it's the springs for the tumblers inside the cylinder that get weak over time.
A good auto locksmith could also fix the problem by replacing the tumblers as opposed to buying the whole new cylinder mechanism. It would have been slightly cheaper repairing the tumblers, but I opted for replacing the whole mechanism. I'm now very confident I won't get stranded again because of a stuck key.

I also learned from the locksmith that you should definitely not use graphite for a stuck key. It hardens and makes things worse. Penetrating oil like w40 CAN be used however.
But if you want it fixed right the first time, replace the key ignition cylinder and don't go to the Lexus dealer to get it done unless you like throwing big bucks away. Do go directly to an auto locksmith repair guy who knows what he's doing.

The locksmith also mentioned that my stuck key problem is an issue with some Lexus models in particular. The day before he had fixed a Ford Expedition with the same key problem.

I hope this is helpful to others. Nothing worse than getting stranded because of a stuck key.

Happy Lexus motoring!

dandg

"He showed me exactly why I was having problems:
The ignition key cylinder tumblers work using a tiny spring action. These springs were starting to lose their spring if that makes sense. One of the tumblers wasn't popping back up or down when the ignition key was turned. Hence the stuck key. The locksmith explained that the temporary fix of hitting the top of the key with a hammer only worked because the vibration from the hit caused the tumbler to pop up or down.

So it's the springs for the tumblers inside the cylinder that get weak over time.
A good auto locksmith could also fix the problem by replacing the tumblers as opposed to buying the whole new cylinder mechanism. It would have been slightly cheaper repairing the tumblers, but I opted for replacing the whole mechanism. I'm now very confident I won't get stranded again because of a stuck key."

Excellent post and thank you for the update Corgitoy !

Perhaps the springs might well be losing their return energy and getting "set" by lack of use?My 08 only had 25K miles on it when I bought it,thankfully it only happened twice in the beginning and has,so far never happen again. If it does WD 40 and off for new tumblers it will be.If they just replace the tumblers/springs, I wonder if that would require new keys (I have 3 now)?

RickC5

Guys,
NEVER use WD40 as a penetrating oil or lubricant!

Why? Because WD40 is NOT a lubricant! Never has been. The "WD" in the name stands for "Water Displacement (Formula), #40". It was developed by the US military to protect bare steel on cross-ocean voyages, and for long-term storage.

There's a thin "carrier" liquid that allows WD40 to penetrate into tight spaces, but when that carrier evaporates, the remaining stuff will get very thick and gummy--it gets much worse over time and with repeated sprayings.

My father once decided that spraying his semi-auto pistol with WD40 was all he needed to do for cleaning. Bad mistake. After a year or so, the pistol was so gummed up that it would not function, and was actually difficult to disassemble.

I assure you, if sprayed into a lock cylinder, it may free things up for a short time, but then you will regret having done it for sure.

I use WD40 to clean things--it's quite good at that, thanks to that carrier I mentioned--but I always follow up by using another lubricant after I wipe off all the WD40 first.

Corgitoy

I'm 99 per cent sure the auto locksmith said I could still use the same set of keys if he replaced the tumblers only, as opposed to installing a whole new cylinder. As I recall, that was a major incentive for going with the replacing of the tumblers only route.... (i.e. You can use the same key as before.)
However, I personally liked the idea of having a whole new key cylinder even though it was slightly more expensive and the transponder from the old key would need to be transferred to the new key for the new cylinder.

I just remembered something else the locksmith said:
The Lexus GX key cylinders were changed slightly from a certain year onward. The change had more to do with security as I recall. Sorry, I can't remember which year he said the change came. The info I've provided is for the 2007 model. Best to double check if your model year is different.

Also, just to clarify re lubing the cylinder:
The locksmith recommended lubing only as a temporary fix or last resort if you were stuck.
He wasn't advocating lubricant unless absolutely necessary. Like I said, he strongly advised to never use graphite of any kind.

A previous post in this thread strongly states that Wd40 shouldn't be used.
On the other hand, the auto locksmith I used recommended Wd-40 only if you were stuck. To fix it properly though, replace/repair the key cylinder. I guess the moral of the story is to be wary if you're forced to use any form of lubricant and do so only if you're in a jam.

This lock smith had 20 plus years experience working mainly on auto key systems - for what it's worth.

Good luck.

Rick U

I know this thread is a few moths old but I'll chime in to help people searching this problem. Our 2007 GX470 has had 3 cylinders replaced at the dealership. The vehicle has about 90,000 miles. Yesterday it stranded my wife and kids again. The last cylinder was replaced less than a year ago and less than 10,000 miles. Each time the bill was just under $900. I initiated a case with Lexus headquarters and was eventually refunded $800 for the last one but they claim no responsibility or defective part or design. The dealership initially claimed they've never seen this before then later said they see it all the time while laughing. Lexus headquarters was not pleasant to deal with and I probably won't call them again because I really had to fight for the refund and it just isn't worth it. The cylinder's design is defective. I'm now considering buying a cylinder, keying it, and keeping it in the glove box. I remember reading the removal of the old cylinder is easy. We love the vehicle and it's our 5th Lexus but it will probably be our last. The service department is dishonest and so is Lexus. They couldn't care less about leaving people stranded. The person at the headquarters told me they have no intention of redesigning the cylinder because there is nothing wrong with it. Our loyalty to the Lexus brand has been damaged.

dandg

wow ! 3 times and they still are lying about a problem with the switch.

so far mine has not done it again,its been used more then the former owner did but thats not the issue if yours is doing it that much.

I agree service first move is always avoid giving anything away no matter how wrong they are.

Rick U

I just picked it up and they installed another new cylinder this time under warranty. Their records show a new one in Jan 2012, Oct 2012 and yesterday 4/5/13. The vehicle has only 75,000 miles. So disappointed they refuse to acknowledge this safety issue. If it happens intermittently and they can't reproduce it, they will turn you away till you are stuck somewhere. This is not the same Lexus I grew loyal to.

SteveMoon

I tried all the suggested fixes; WD 40, pound on key, rock wheel back and forth, push vehicle back and forth, try multiple keys etc. The thing that worked was to take a screw driver and a small hammer and tap on the metal around the key hole. This apparently loosened a tumbler and the key worked. I am now going to a dealer to replace the ignition assembly.

stiles_s

Please keep us posted! I've freed mine up a few times using lock lube w/graphite (I know..., no-no), but I have a feeling I'm going to be unable to keep doing this. I'm @ 90k miles on an '07.

ALAN553

Also, remember you don't have to hold the key to crank the truck..it's electronic, just a quick turn and let go, the truck will continue to crank until the truck starts.

Lexus1975

I had my cylinder replaced 16 months ago on my 2007 Lexus gx470 and today was plagued with the same problem.
I called the dealer and they told me it was out of warranty.
The key would not turn at all.
I had the key in the ignition and tapped it with a hammer.
That solved the problem for now .
New ignition or not seems to be a major issue .

Yotayota

Same thing just happened to me but the steering wheel is not locked.Someone told me to ge some pd blaster and it might take up to twenty or more tries anything without grass light dont use dw40