If your keys seem to stick in the ignition, you need to give a little extra effort into starting your vehicle each time with a little wiggle, or if you find yourself needing a ‘special’ way of inserting your key, there’s a good chance your ignition has some damage. But how? One of the biggest reasons for ignition damage is simply too much weight on your keys.

From keys for cars, boats, homes, multiple properties, and heavy equipment, to fun accessories like that keychain your five year old gave you for Christmas, our keys can sometimes include a variety of items. While they might not seem like much weight while you carry them around day-to-day, they might be causing unseen damage.

While the weight can cause issues while the car is at a stand still, some of the biggest problems can occur when your car is actually in movement. As the weight of your dangling keys swings and shifts as your drive, the movement can significantly exacerbated the wear on the tumblers inside. This issue can eventually cause ignition failure, since the now worn tumblers are unable to properly engage.

Some experts have said that 9 keys or less won’t cause damage, while others claim that the ignition can withstand a few pounds. Regardless, it’s best to remove some of the weight if the keys simply feel heavy while in the ignition.

So what do you do? There are a few easy steps to make sure that you’re not stressing out your ignition.

Firstly, go though your keychain and take out anything that isn’t needed. You might be surprised what’s been hanging around that’s no longer necessary. Next, add in some removable keychains. These handy contraptions allow you to remove sections of your keychain and easily re-attach as needed. Another suggestion is to simply drive with the ignition key with nothing else. While this might not be the most practical, it also minimizes any damage.