Can too many keys cause car troubles?

Posted 8 October, 2019 Lauren Ferrone

Car keys are designed to start your engine, but did you know the opposite can happen if there’s too much metal hanging from your keyring?   These days, there’s a key for just about everything – front door, back door, office, gym locker and letterbox. But did you know that adding one too many to your keyring could damage your ignition?   According to RAA motoring expert Andrew Clark, excessive weight can tug on the delicate tumblers inside your ignition. “Your car’s ignition is made up of sensitive little parts and, when those internal parts start wearing down, your engine may start experiencing intermittent starting problems,” Mr Clark says.  

The weight acts as a pendulum and the ignition key wiggles up, down and all around while you’re driving, causing the ignition to wear out much faster than usual.”

So what does that mean for your pride and joy? Nothing good. Your key could get stuck or your car could fail to start entirely. In extreme cases, you may need to fork out hundreds for a new ignition.   The extent of the damage depends on your vehicle, the size of the keyring, the number of keys you have hanging from it and how you drive. Nowadays, however, many vehicles don’t require a physical key to be inserted into the ignition in order to start. Instead, a small device known as a key fob transmits a code to a computer when it’s within a certain range. This is commonly known as a keyless ignition.   If you’re not in the market for a new car with a snazzy keyless ignition, there’s an easy way to solve the keyring problem. Take a load off. Keep a maximum of 3 keys on your keyring. If you need to carry around more, attach a removable keyring that can be taken off whenever you star your car.