Automotive
Key stuck or not turning in the ignition? We repair it at the car
When the key binds, sticks or will not turn, we work on the ignition lock itself, at the car.
Where
South-eastern Pennsylvania
What we cover
Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Lancaster County and Philadelphia
How we work
We are a mobile locksmith. We come to you.
What this covers
Ignition repair is for a key that sticks, binds or refuses to turn once it is in the ignition, and for a key that turns but feels rough or catches partway. The trouble sits either in the ignition lock itself, the part the key goes into, or in the key that has worn against it for years. We work on that lock at the car, so the car can stay where it is parked.
How we approach it
We start with the key, because a worn key can make a healthy ignition feel broken. If a fresh key turns smoothly, the answer is a new key rather than a repair. If the lock itself is binding, we repair it and test it with every key you use, checking that each one turns through every position and starts the engine.
Where it stops
Ignition repair covers the ignition lock and the keys that work it. If the car does not start because of the starter, the battery, the wiring or its security electronics, the lock is not the cause, and that work belongs with a mechanic. When an ignition lock is past repair, the next step is replacing it, which is a separate service.
What ignition repair covers
Repair the ignition lock cylinder, free a key that sticks or will not turn in the ignition.
Worth knowing
When a key will not turn, the natural reaction is more force, and that is how keys snap inside an ignition. Before you push harder, turn the steering wheel gently left and right while you turn the key: a locked steering column can hold the ignition in place. Check that the car is in park, too. If it still will not move, stop and leave the key as it is.
A key that only works when it is jiggled is giving an early warning. The ridges on the key and the parts inside the lock wear against each other, and the play grows until the key will not turn at all. Dealing with it at the jiggling stage keeps a simple repair from turning into a key broken in the ignition.
Heavy key rings are hard on an ignition. The weight hangs from the key every time you drive, and over the years it pulls on the lock and wears it unevenly. Keep the car key on a light ring of its own, with the house keys, the fobs and the charms kept separate. It is a small change that takes strain off the ignition every day.
Ignition Repair: questions before you call
My key goes into the ignition, but it stops halfway through the turn. What decides whether that is repair or something else?
What decides it is where the problem shows up and what the key still does. If the key enters the ignition but binds at one point in the turn, we look at the ignition lock cylinder itself. If the dash lights come on but nothing happens after that, tell us that too, because a no-crank problem can be outside the lock cylinder.
What should I tell you on the phone if my key is stuck in the ignition and will not come out?
Tell us whether the shifter is fully in Park, whether the steering wheel is pressed hard to one side, and whether the key moves at all. Those details change the first checks. One concrete detail that helps is whether the key is trapped at ACC, ON, or the LOCK position in the ignition.
My spare key turns this ignition a little better than the one I use every day. What should I have ready?
Have both keys ready for us to compare, and keep them separate so they do not get mixed up. Also be ready to say whether either key works the door, even if the problem is at the ignition. A useful detail is whether the everyday key has a bent blade or a cracked plastic head near the metal.
Does it matter that my vehicle uses a chip key if the ignition cylinder is the part acting up?
Yes, it matters because the mechanical turning part and the theft system are different parts of the job. We repair the ignition lock cylinder when the key sticks or will not turn. If the engine starts and then dies with a security light staying on, tell us that, because that points to an immobilizer issue instead of the cylinder itself.
How can I tell if I need ignition repair instead of just a new key when my key works the door but not the ignition?
The difference is where the trouble follows. If one key opens the vehicle but catches, jams, or stops in the ignition while another key turns farther, that points one way. If every key you have binds at the same point in the ignition, that points another way. A clear detail is whether the key must be jiggled up and down to start to turn.
