Ignition repair and replacement in Raleigh

My key will not turn. What can I try first?

• Turn the steering wheel firmly left and right while turning the key. If the wheel was turned after shutoff, the steering lock is under load and this releases it.
• Make sure the shifter is fully in Park. Try Neutral with your foot on the brake.
• Try your spare key. A spare that works means the everyday key is worn out, and a fresh key cut to factory code will solve it.
• Do not force it. A key that snaps in the cylinder makes a small repair into a larger one.

Repair or replace the ignition?

The cylinder holds a row of small brass wafers that the key lifts into line. After years of use, and heavy keychains speed this up, they wear or bend. When only a few are damaged, we can take the cylinder apart, replace them and put it back, and your existing key keeps working.

If the cylinder is worn throughout or has been forced, replacing it is the reliable fix. We key the new cylinder to match your current key where the design allows, so one key still works the doors and the ignition.

A key broke off in the ignition

Leave the broken piece alone and do not try to start the car with the stub. Pushing the fragment deeper makes extraction harder. We remove the piece with extraction tools, then cut a new key from the two halves or by code. Bring both pieces if you have them.

Is it the ignition or something else?

If the key turns normally but the engine does not crank, the problem is more likely the battery, the starter or the immobilizer than the lock cylinder. A flashing key or padlock light on the dash points to the car not recognizing the chip, which is a programming issue. Describe what you see and hear when you call and we will tell you whether it sounds like our kind of job or a mechanic's.