I'll apologize in advance for this long post. Also, My dumb when it comes to cars.

Ok, so about 9 months ago, my key began getting stuck in my ignition on occasion. I took it to a shop three times (two different ones) and when I did the key came out. Both shops told me that in order to know for sure what was causing the problem, they would need the key to be stuck. On one occasion, I left the car in the shop so they could "duplicate" the issue. But they had no luck.

So, I just ignored it as it wasn't really happening that often and it's kind of a piece of junk so I was just holding out until I could buy a new car.

Fast forward to this summer My job transferred out of state. My house is still for sell in TX and I'm currently paying rent on a place when I live (yeah it sucks).

Since I moved, the key has begun getting stuck more often. Last month, I went to start my car and got nothing, no clicking or anything,(this time the lights were on, so I figured the battery was drained). So I charged it. A few days later (once again when the key was stuck) it had a lot of trouble starting. But it did start. I immediately went to AutoZone. They tested the battery, the alternator and the starter. All good. They suggested cleaning my cables.

So, I cleaned my cables and boom...I got a month without any issues. Great. Well a couple of weeks ago, the battery was dead once again (once again the key was stuck). So I jumped it and this time took it to a repair shop. They spent all day looking at it and called to tell me they couldn't find anything wrong. They tested everything they could think of. (BTW, they didn't charge us). I mentioned the key and they said they didn't think that would be they problem.

So, they ended up charging the battery up. A week later, same thing, battery was dead. I was about to take it to a Ford Dealership when one of my wife's friends suggested a mechanic who's "really good and fair."

I took it in and he looked at it and said that the battery cable was loose. He said when we were hitting a bump, it'd come loose and then it wouldn't start.

So he "fixed" it and didn't even charge us.

OK, cut to today. I go out on my lunch break and come back and the key is stuck. I wiggle it and try to get it out, but don't have any luck. So I leave it. I come out after work and start my car, and I noticed it started "slower" than usual. I went to a Halloween function at my kid's school, come out a couple of hours later and it starts even slower.

So, I drive it around for 30 minutes to hopefully charge up the battery and get home. I turn it off and they key is still stuck. I play with the steering wheel and shift it to neutral and put it back in park. I restart it (no problem at all) and then the key comes out.


So, is there any chance my key being stuck in the ignition is causing my car not to start? I'm really tight on money and don't want to get that fixed if a week later I'm going to have to pay to have something else done.

Should I just take it to a dealership and let them screw me?

Again I'm really sorry for the long post. I just felt like the more details you have the better chance of me getting an answer.

 

Yes not pulling the key out will not let the modules goto sleep, by way of the key-in sense circuit. So get the key issue fixed and the dead batt issue will be fixed too from the details you gave. Is it hard the get the key in and turn like its a cylinder issue or is it if you play with the shifter back and forth to park it then comes out? There is a key removal inhibit solenoid in the ignition switch while I have never seen one go bad I have seen the switch in the shifter cause this. Unfortunately the switch only comes with the shifter.

 

Ignition lock cylinder failure is common on these cars, if Ford replaces it - the bill will be about $300. I had a locksmith replace mine for less than $100.