Lubricating ignition lock cylinder

Is it okay to inject graphite powder into an ignition lock cylinder? Just wondering if the electrical conductivity of the graphite could cause a short circuit in the lock.

The ignition switch and the ignition lock are two separate things. The lock moves a lever that moves the switch. I don’t think that what you spray into the lock will make its way into the switch.

I would not do this in a modern car. Seurity systems will often respond in an undesired manner to variations in resistance between the key and the cylinder, and graphite coating can change the resistance.

I suspect also that you’re confusing graphite lubricant with carbon. Carbon is used to create resistive connections, but graphite is, I think, completely nonconductive. A powder dusting may still allow some current flow, but the graphite itself is an insulator.

That’s interesting. I thought graphite was conductive. I believe that pencil lead is made of graphite, and I used to use a piece of pencil lead touching a razor blade (pseudo cat-whisker) as a detector to pick up AM radio stations (now I’m really showing my age!).

I perhaps should have done some research before posting.

It turns out that I was wrong. Graphite is highly conductive. Live and learn.

Yup, pencil lead is actually graphite. But hey, you’re not old…I still listen to AM! 1370AM out of Manchester, NH to be exact.

Yea graphite is conductive, but most and maybe all ignition locks would not be hurt by it.

It certainly would be much better than WD40 or any other oil based substance.

I just thought I’d add that graphite lubricant spreads like the H1N1 virus. It’ll spread from the lock to the key, to the inside of your pocket, that’ll get on your hands, on your wallet, and eventually everywhere.