Ignition Cylinder Problems & What to Do About Them

North Atlanta, Georgia is a beautiful area, but that doesn’t mean you want to be stranded outside in any given situation. Yet this can happen if there is a critical failure with your vehicle’s ignition cylinder, leaving you unable to operate your vehicle. You may think that you need to call a car dealership or an auto body shop to assist you, but your best bet if you believe the problem is the ignition cylinder is to call in a local locksmith. Automotive locksmiths are fully capable of working on or fully replacing car ignition cylinders. Problems can come from wear and tear in older vehicles that have seen a lot of use, as well as occasionally due to manufacturer’s defect.

What is an Ignition Cylinder?

An ignition cylinder consists of a cylindrical part mounted inside the ignition switch itself. You insert the key into the lock on the cylinder to operate the vehicle. When the key is no longer in the lock, your engine becomes electronically locked and can only start again when the correct key with the right digital message is inserted in the lock. Problems with your ignition cylinder can make it impossible to operate your vehicle.

The following things can potentially go wrong with your ignition cylinder. If you require ignition cylinder repair or replacement, the best professional for the job is a quality locksmith, such as North Atlanta Locksmith. Along with a new ignition lock cylinder, a quality locksmith can give you the necessary replacement keys and locks that fit the doors and trunk that also fit the new ignition.

1. Your Key Gets Stuck in the Ignition Lock

This issue can occur when your key is worn down or damaged from many years of use. Because of the key’s now defective shape, when the key is inserted into the lock it can get stuck or damage the pins inside the lock. A damaged key can be replaced by a locksmith but a new key will have to be crafted to fit the lock instead of copying the worn or damaged key, because the wear or damage will mess up the copy.

2. Your Key Won’t Rotate

In this situation, your key will go into the lock fine and doesn’t get stuck, but it won’t turn. You try to twist it into the other gears, but it refuses to budge. If your key fits into the lock but you can’t get the cylinder to turn, this might be a sign of the key being bent or of the tumblers inside of the lock being damaged or worn out. If this is the case with your ignition lock switch, it will need to be replaced.

3. Your Car Won’t Start

This troublesome situation can occur if the ignition switch has encountered some fundamental problem. This is a sign of a more serious issue with the communication between the ignition switch and the computer inside that’s supposed to send a signal to the engine. If the vehicle appears to not be getting any power even when your switch is turned to the “on” or “start” position, that can also be a sign of a bad ignition switch. If you’ve had your vehicle inspected and nothing wrong has been discovered with the starter or other engine components, or if you see obvious signs that the problem is the ignition cylinder, call a trained locksmith.

4. Your Switch is Getting Too Hot

If your ignition lock cylinder is hot to the touch, this is a major symptom that there is a problem with the ignition cylinder’s electrical components. Inside of the vehicle, the ignition cylinder as various wires attached that relay the messages the ignition switch send. These wires can overheat and melt the coating protecting them, in turn causing short-circuits in the system. Touch the metal on your ignition cylinder switch and evaluate whether it feels hot to the touch. If this is the case, the electrical components inside are trying to tell you there’s a problem.

5. Your Key Breaks Off in the Ignition

Car keys in general are designed to be fairly sturdy. However if they’ve seen a lot of use, have been damaged in some way, or were designed with defects, it’s possible for your transponder key to break in half with part or half of the key stuck in the ignition. It’s usually not possible to extract the key fragments yourself and will require a trained locksmith who is skillful at extracting broken key pieces. A locksmith may be able to remove the remainder of the key while preserving your ignition lock. Then, the locksmith will make a new copy of the key to fit the lock and match with the engine’s computer system.

Handling Ignition Cylinder Issues

A professional locksmith can determine whether the pin and tumbler configuration inside the ignition lock can be fixed or whether the ignition cylinder needs to be replaced entirely. A reputable locksmith will determine the most cost-effective solution to your ignition cylinder problem. It’s best not to try to replace your ignition cylinder yourself, as you run the risk of electrocution or mistakes that could cause further damage.

Replacement of Your Ignition Cylinder

If the locksmith determines that your ignition cylinder is damaged or worn out and needs to be changed, he or she will remove the current faulty ignition cylinder first. An ignition cylinder is designed as an interchangeable core that can be changed out in just such emergencies as these. While a mechanic can perform this service, it’s much cheaper to utilize a locksmith service. First, the battery is disconnected to prevent electrical shortages. If there are any issues with the wiring, those will be inspected and repaired. There is usually a core key used in place of the ignition cylinder key which is turned and therefore releases the core of the ignition cylinder from the housing that keeps it in place. This will allow the ignition cylinder to be taken out and replaced by a new one.

If your ignition cylinder is giving you problems such as those listed here, never fear. Call in an experienced locksmith to handle the situation and they’ll have your vehicle fixed up in no time.