Cars play a vital role in our daily lives from getting us to work to taking us on the trip of a lifetime. When something goes wrong with our car ignitions, it can have a huge impact on our whole day or week! Fortunately, there are usually signs before something goes wrong with your car. How do you know that something is wrong with your ignition cylinder? How do you repair it? Calling a vehicle locksmith San Jose is the easiest and quickest way to get the answers and services you need. However, if you want to be able to tell if something is wrong with your ignition, familiarize yourself with the signs before they occur and get your ignition fixed to prevent getting stranded on the roadside.
Reasons for Ignition Repair
One of the leading causes of ignition damage is natural wear and tear. Because ignitions see a lot of action every day, this can wear them down. Additionally, your ignition can become damaged due to intentional or unintentional accidents like car accidents or break-ins.
Signs You Need Ignition Repair
Before you start replacing your parts you’ll want to confirm that the ignition is the problem and that it isn’t something else giving you trouble. It’s more likely that you need a new car key than a new ignition, but the two issues often take on a similar appearance.
Key Won’t Turn
Usually, when a car key won’t turn in the ignition, it’s because there is a problem with the key itself. You can determine whether the issue is with the key by testing out a second key in the ignition. If both car keys refuse to turn, the issue is clearly with the ignition.
Why isn’t the key turning in the ignition? It’s possible that a worn or blocked wafer is not being lifted to the appropriate height when the key is inserted. In addition to the wafer problem, some other internal blockage may be preventing the ignition cylinder from turning.
Car Won’t Start
If your car isn’t starting, it can be difficult to determine the cause. Your car might not start due to battery issues or a faulty starter solenoid. However, a clear indication that you’re having ignition switch issues is when you have no prior signs of trouble. To determine if the problem is with your ignition switch, you can try starting your car through other means such as by pressing the start button on your car remote. If your car starts, it’s likely that the issue is with your ignition switch.
Car Key Is Stuck
Is your car key stuck in the ignition? Sometimes this can occur if the key is worn or damaged and has become lodged in the ignition switch. But more often than not, stuck car keys are caused by ignition issues. The ignition may bind to the key, making it impossible to remove by yourself. Yanking or trying to pull out the key will only make it harder to remove the key. Call a vehicle locksmith San Jose to remove the key and repair your ignition.
When Do You Need Ignition Replacement?
Usually, ignition repair is a cheaper service than ignition replacement. When getting an ignition replacement, you’ll need to pay for the replacement service, as well as for additional services you are likely to need. For example, after getting your ignition replaced, you should rekey your ignition so you don’t need to use a separate key for your car door locks. Although car ignition repair is a preferred and less expensive service, there are some cases where the ignition is so damaged that you have no other choice.
Destructive Removal
If an ignition cylinder is too damaged to be manipulated, the lock will need to be drilled. A reliable vehicle locksmith San Jose will always try other methods before drilling a lock, but if nothing works, they’ll have to resort to drilling. Drilling an ignition lock will damage it beyond repair and it will need to be replaced.
Critical Damage
Aside from destructive removal, there are other factors that cause an ignition to break beyond repair. Wear and tear or a car break-in can result in a severely damaged ignition. Even if ignition repair is possible, it may be more expensive than ignition replacement because the damage is too severe or there are too many components to replace.
Getting Help With Your Ignition Problems
When a car ignition is broken, it’s impossible to get the car started. Luckily, mobile locksmiths can come to your location. Automotive locksmiths have a lot of experience repairing and replacing ignitions. A reliable vehicle locksmith San Jose can determine if the ignition is the issue and take the best course of action. Save time and money and give Real Time Locksmith a call!
