Author Topic: Key stuck  (Read 7725 times)

Offline BrianK

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Key stuck
« on: January 15, 2019, 06:08:14 PM »
So I did a forum search and apparently there's a spring that weakens over time or was even weak from the get-go did I come up with the proper assessment from my search?
Anyhow the reason for this thread is I didn't really find any tried and true solution..... maybe I'm lacking in the search function literacy department but are there any surefire
solutions? I've spent a decent 40min trying with no luck and would hate to run into this in the middle of nowhere..   

Offline gPink

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2019, 07:25:12 PM »
You might reach out to long time member B D F. He has a very nice work around.   http://www.incontrolne.com/

Or you can try the K-rock method.

Offline okrider

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2019, 08:15:01 PM »
Are you talking about key being hard to turn in the gas cap?

Because the proposed solution is to disassemble it and clean the corrosion with sandpaper followed by spraying white lithium grease in the lock bits. However, in the same thread, you'll find that the problem returns sooner and is worse with every cleanup.

I did the disassemble&clean once and realized you can spray white lithium grease into the lock without disassembling so that's what I'm going to be doing from now on. My theory is that sandpaper removes the coating that prevents (not really well obviously) corrosion.

So if your gas cap lock isn't turning, try this: Open the gas cap, looking at it from the sides, you'll see that two bits retract when you rotate the key. Spray white lithium grease into the gaps around those bits and that should make the assembly work much more easily.

If this wasn't about the gas cap, sorry for the long unrelated post
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Offline maxtog

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2019, 08:24:46 PM »
There is no real solution.  Most of us consider it a design flaw and Kawasaki never redesigned it to fix the flaw- they only created a stronger spring to help avoid/prevent the issue.   Rarely would you ever get stranded because you will typically have plenty of notice the condition is starting.  Some people will never have the issue.  Some will have occasional signs.  Others will have big issues.  It depends on lots of factors- how the bike is stored and protected, weathering, how often the ignition is used, how often the key knob is removed, if anything was ever sprayed into the mechanism, etc. 

I am not terribly worried, I have only seen a touch of it twice in 8 years and thousands of uses- and both times it snapped out of it easily by pressing down hard and releasing it quickly by sliding my thumb off the knob.  If that started happening often, then the writing is on the wall.  I have had a zillion times more problems with the gas cap corrosion issue- and that almost left me stranded more than once.  Other people seem to pick up tire nails every year and get stranded :)

But if you are worried, follow gPink's link, above to BDF's emergency work-around cable.

UPDATE:  Turns out this is not what he is talking about at all :)
« Last Edit: January 16, 2019, 03:47:53 PM by maxtog »
Shoodaben (was Guhl) Mountain Runner ECU flash, Canyon Cages front/rear, Helibars risers, Phil's wedges, Grip Puppies, Sargent World seat-low & heated & pod, Muzzy lowering links, Soupy's stand, Nautilus air horn, Admore lightbar, Ronnie's highway pegs, front running lights, all LED, helmet locks, RAM Xgrip, Sena SMH10, Throttle Tamer, MRA X-Creen, BearingUp Shifter, PR4-GT, Scorpion EXO-T1200,etc

Offline Rubber_Snake

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2019, 10:31:18 PM »
So I did a forum search and apparently there's a spring that weakens over time or was even weak from the get-go did I come up with the proper assessment from my search?
Anyhow the reason for this thread is I didn't really find any tried and true solution..... maybe I'm lacking in the search function literacy department but are there any surefire
solutions? I've spent a decent 40min trying with no luck and would hate to run into this in the middle of nowhere..

There’s this guy, Tree, that had an interesting workaround...
2009 GTR 1400 ABS, 48k miles, AMSOIL synthetic 10W-40 (since new), AMSOIL synthetic 75W-90 final drive (since new). Helibar Horizons, Oxford heated grips, V-Stream windscreen, Mountain Runner Flash, Brian’s low fuel eliminator farkle, ST2 smart brake module and smart turn system, Two Brothers Black Series M5 w/P1X decibel killer.

Offline VirginiaJim

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2019, 04:00:00 AM »
Where is the key 'stuck'?
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Offline just gone

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2019, 07:25:42 AM »
So I did a forum search and apparently there's a spring that weakens over time or was even weak from the get-go did I come up with the proper assessment from my search?
Anyhow the reason for this thread is I didn't really find any tried and true solution..... maybe I'm lacking in the search function literacy department but are there any surefire
solutions? I've spent a decent 40min trying with no luck and would hate to run into this in the middle of nowhere..   

Yeah, we kind of need to know exactly what you are referring to.  "Key Stuck" in the title doesn't really mean much unless that is exactly and literally what you mean, that is you can't remove the key (it {stove knob} only comes out in the FSS position) ...in which case I've never heard of it. If my key was stuck the only thing I could think of would be penetrating oil soak followed by brute force extraction. If on the other hand you mean there is no LCD response when you push down on the stove knob (and either you know the FOB battery is good and/or you are using the passive chip) then there are work arounds (including big rock) that can be found in a search and of course as mentioned the device that Brian (B.D.F.) sells.
Good Luck.

Offline BrianK

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2019, 07:41:07 AM »
The ignition is stuck in the FSS position. The key itself will pull out no problem sorry I didn't explain that properly

Offline BrianK

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2019, 07:58:39 AM »
The worst part of this situation is I just changed out brake lines to ss, rebuilt calipers, added EBC rotors, new clutch, two new tires, EBC pads,  flushed and replaced coolant, new air filter, and changed oil.  I was attempting to start so I could burp the coolant.  Needless to say I was pretty eager to test out all new bits...
« Last Edit: January 16, 2019, 12:40:20 PM by BrianK »

Offline MrPepsi

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2019, 10:29:31 AM »
K-Rock!
Brent Johnson 
2009 C-14 "Razzi"

Offline maxtog

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2019, 03:49:09 PM »
The ignition is stuck in the FSS position. The key itself will pull out no problem sorry I didn't explain that properly

OK, wow, I totally misunderstood what you were saying, then.   So you are saying if you press down on the key, it does wake up the bike, but you can't turn the key to the start position?  Is the steering lock also engaged right now, with the handlebars turned to one extreme?

What year bike and how many miles would also be useful...
Shoodaben (was Guhl) Mountain Runner ECU flash, Canyon Cages front/rear, Helibars risers, Phil's wedges, Grip Puppies, Sargent World seat-low & heated & pod, Muzzy lowering links, Soupy's stand, Nautilus air horn, Admore lightbar, Ronnie's highway pegs, front running lights, all LED, helmet locks, RAM Xgrip, Sena SMH10, Throttle Tamer, MRA X-Creen, BearingUp Shifter, PR4-GT, Scorpion EXO-T1200,etc

Offline MAN OF BLUES

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #11 on: January 16, 2019, 04:55:28 PM »
OK, wow, I totally misunderstood what you were saying, then.   So you are saying if you press down on the key, it does wake up the bike, but you can't turn the key to the start position?  Is the steering lock also engaged right now, with the handlebars turned to one extreme?

What year bike and how many miles would also be useful...

the locks never changed,
and with exception to the erroneous nomenclature, the book shows the positions....
Lock... full ccw
Off... turn CW
PRESS Down ... actuate, then turn CW to ON....

and fully CW finally to the FSS position, where the key may be removed.

truthfully, having only removed my key twice since 2007... I can't recall if I actually had to "press down" to actuate, before turning it back CCW thru "ON" and to "OFF", but I do know I didn't need to "press down" to turn it to "LOCK"...

46 YEARS OF KAW.....  47 years of DEVO..

Offline MAN OF BLUES

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #12 on: January 16, 2019, 05:21:38 PM »
owners manual splains the progressions...

46 YEARS OF KAW.....  47 years of DEVO..

Offline lather

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #13 on: January 16, 2019, 05:23:14 PM »
of all the kipass failure threads I  have read since 2007 I can't recall one being stuck in FSS
Nothing worse than having your balls go missing.

Offline MAN OF BLUES

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #14 on: January 16, 2019, 05:34:33 PM »
well.... we are are open to learn new stuff....
next question is.... and I am just asking... as real bikers don't read owners manuals....even if we have them... (giving the o/p a break, as he may have bought used, without one...)
Was the battery removed during the time it was in FSS... and if so, were all the connections, and grounding points, along with the battery terminals themselves, all Abrasively cleaned (actually scrubbed) and reattached prior to the key movement attempts...?  Just asking, even tho I know it "shouldn't matter" as the bike's electronics are "turned off" in the FSS position... but...
asking just the same.

next step is to mallet whack the key, a couple times, after spritzing WD40 in the slot, and reinserting it, then turning it CCW from FSS thru "on to OFF" and what transpires...whack-a-mole...

46 YEARS OF KAW.....  47 years of DEVO..

Offline BrianK

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #15 on: January 16, 2019, 05:37:52 PM »
2009 13k miles and yes stuck in FSS position. The only thing that happened when I first tried to turn key was the red blinking light came on so if you consider that waking up then yes bike woke up. Key comes right out but will not turn one iota

Offline BrianK

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #16 on: January 16, 2019, 05:42:33 PM »
While I was doing the work the battery was never disconnected and remained on my Motobatt trickle charger

Offline BrianK

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #17 on: January 16, 2019, 05:44:33 PM »
I found a couple used ignition switch assemblies but none come with their fob is it easy for me to program my fobs to a new switch?

Offline MAN OF BLUES

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #18 on: January 16, 2019, 05:49:36 PM »
I found a couple used ignition switch assemblies but none come with their fob is it easy for me to program my fobs to a new switch?

before deciding on buying stuff... slow down, and work thru this... OK???????

when was the last time you started the bike, immediately prior to this occurrence.?
and.... what were you working on during this time?

46 YEARS OF KAW.....  47 years of DEVO..

Offline BrianK

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Re: Key stuck
« Reply #19 on: January 16, 2019, 05:50:07 PM »
Also my switch has gotten stuck before like 2 or 3 times but each time it was only for a minute or so of jiggling it so I thought maybe it was just a user error type of thing not realizing this is an issue so I guess you could say my bike has a history of this wish I knew I would of addressed this already