this may be a stretch for mechanics forum but I'm desperate.

my onguard pitbull mini wont open. it's locked to my bike downtown. the key turns about 120 degrees but needs to go 180 to unlock. i hit it with wd40 but no luck . had been acting up for a while now but always unlocked after 10secs or so. tried different keys that came with the lock this morning with no luck. also borrowed bolt cutters but they did nothing. jiggling the key attempting to turn it while hitting lock with bolt cutters also failed

any tips or advice getting it removed/cut appreciated. thanks!

Angle grinder time!

And don't worry, no one will bother you as you destroy the lock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7zb8YXrmIA

onguard is saying they will pay a locksmith up to 100 to remove it. so that's nice but I could buy an angle grinder and do it myself for that. though they probably wouldn't reimburse me

If they'll pay a locksmith and he/she will quote you under the $100, go with the sane/legit warranty route. Cutting through hardened metal is not exactly fun times.

Make sure to bring some proof of ownership of the bike when you do this. I'd hope you do get hassled by the police.

Did the problems start when temps first started dipping below freezing?

the problem started about a month ago. it seemed to coincide with me struggling to get the lock around the frame/wheel/ and pole one day. it wasnt really cold yet and until this happened it would take 5 or ten secs sometimes to get it open, jiggling the key etc. i bought a new lock and had it with me to switch out when this happened. so I was a day late.

some local cyclist repair, pedal for the people, is going to come out with an angle grinder. only 25 bucks compared to 80 for locksmith so if onguard gives me grief on the reimbursement it will be less painful. just a minor hassle overall, nothing major