Why your car's mechanical lock needs to be checked sometimes, even if you always use the key fob

The client's name has been changed.

Let's call the client Thomas. For several years he opened the car exclusively remotely. I almost never had to use a mechanical key. One day the car battery died, and Thomas tried to use a regular lock for the first time in a long time.

The key went in, but the mechanism hardly turned.

“How could it break if I didn’t use it at all?”

Because no use does not mean no environmental impact. The provided material notes that car locks are constantly exposed to dust, moisture and temperature changes; Corrosion is also listed among the common causes of malfunctions.

What happens to a rarely used mechanism

The lock is still located outside the car. It is affected by:

• rain;
• snow;
• salt;
• washing;
• dirt;
• freezing;
• heat.

At the same time, the owner simply does not notice the gradual deterioration of work.

Why mechanical backup is important

It is especially needed precisely when standard electronics are not available. For example:

• the key fob battery is dead;
• battery is low;
• there was a problem with the central locking.

If at this moment it turns out that mechanical access does not work, the situation becomes much more complicated.

How to understand that a problem is starting

You can check periodically:

• does the key fit in normally?
• turns without excessive force;
• is there any jamming?

There is no need to constantly use the mechanism. It is enough to know that backup access really works. ###Haven't you checked your car's mechanical key in a while?

If he has already started working hard, it is better to figure it out in advance.