problems with fuel cap

[cd1ver]

HELP
On my way home from work on my strom and stopped for fuel only to find key wouldn't turn in cap.Phoned my wife much to her annoyance and she bought my spare key along only to find that didn't work either.
Limped home on fumes and tried to remove cap to no avail.I am
stumped now as I can't fill her up.Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Jacko]

Drip some clean engine oil down the key hole, all bikes can suffer from this, wd40 can get it going but get some oil in there afterwards.

[greywolf]

I wouldn't use a heavy oil. It can attract dust and gum things up. How's the weather? I'm thinking about the possibility of ice in there.

[Jacko]

Kawasaki use lithium grease on their locks when new, doesn't come much heavier than that.

[Locky]

Hard to know the fault without seeing it . Is the key going in fully ? Any problems with unlocking it before ?

[Jacko]

This happened to a friend of mine on a tour of Europe, opened fine at the last fuel stop, solid at the next. In the end it was freed off by dripping some oil down it from the dipstick, then gently working it free, not ideal but did the job.

[skinny5216]

Sounds like a sticking wafer, use a very light oil to hopefully free the crap from the grease. Wafers are renown for sticking.

[greywolf]

Kawasaki use lithium grease on their locks when new, doesn't come much heavier than that.

Do you have a source for that information?

[Jacko]

Yes, the Kawasaki roadshow that was traveling around Britain a year or two ago with a bunch of demo bikes and race riders in tow (Chris Walker and Gary Mason). Their new demos all had traces of lithium grease around the ignition locks, I asked and they confirmed. Since then I've used it myself in the same way, and not just on my Kawasaki.

I've not had a problem with dust build up, I guess the key drags it out and deposits it in my pocket, I've never had a problem with a seized lock either, you pays your money...

[mr_diver]

never stuck or seized lock on the bike, but I have had to de-ice it when very cold before I got the bike in the garage.
Once it re-froze on the way to work and I couldn't get the key out when I got to work

all the locks on my bikes get a regular dose of GT85

[greywolf]

Yes, the Kawasaki roadshow that was traveling around Britain a year or two ago with a bunch of demo bikes and race riders in tow (Chris Walker and Gary Mason). Their new demos all had traces of lithium grease around the ignition locks, I asked and they confirmed. Since then I've used it myself in the same way, and not just on my Kawasaki.

I've not had a problem with dust build up, I guess the key drags it out and deposits it in my pocket, I've never had a problem with a seized lock either, you pays your money...

That could be around the rotating parts. I wouldn't use it in the tumbler parts. That experience does not prove Kawasaki applies lithium grease in the key lock tumblers at the factory as may be inferred by your statement.

[Jacko]

Grease would be pulled down into the lock with normal key operation. A man in a Kawasaki shirt, from a Kawasaki trailer, told me they put it on all their brand new Kawasaki demo bikes. That's good enough for me. I've never been to a Kawasaki factory so I can't comment on what they do there, I apologise if I inferred otherwise.

I will continue to apply it myself as I've never had any lock related problems that were down to corrosion or dirt.

[stibbs]

ACF50

[Fatbelly]

I have had this before - on two different bikes. A tiny squirt of WD40 into the keyhole then insert the key and gently turn it left and right and in and out and you will find it frees up quite easily. Since then I try to remember to put a little WD40 in my locks about once a year.

[skinny5216]

Good old Wobbly Dog (WD40) I used to repair and rebuild automotive locks and ignitions to the customers key or key number, when re building the lock we used to use a little grease on the core of the cylinder only; however the grease used to work its way on to the spring and the wafer tumbler, this would collect a little crap and start to stiffen up. Bit of good old wobbly Dog to sort it out  
unless its something more serious elsewhere  

[MartinW]

I fixed mine with a little spray of Wurth's Dry Chain Lube - Hasn't played up since.

[Juvecu]

The Wurth dry lube is good idea, it's a wax or some such.

[2112]

+ 1 for Wurth, used it on loads of things and they've never seized