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Car Ignition Repair Halifax and HRM
If your key will not turn in the ignition, I repair and replace ignition locks at the vehicle. No tow, no dropping the car off somewhere for a week.
There is usually more than one way to fix it, and they are not all the same price or the same result. I will lay the options out and you choose.
The Key Will Not Turn
This is the one I see most. The key goes in and will not turn. Or it turns part way and stops. Or you have to jiggle it every single time and you have got used to it.
A key that will not turn is a cylinder, wafer or key problem. It is mechanical, and mechanical is the part of a car I am most at home in. Before locksmithing I worked as a mechanic, a shipbuilding carpenter and in fiberglass.
Why Ignitions Wear Out
Mostly it is the key. A key wears down over years of use, and a worn key works the wafers inside the lock in a way they were never meant to be worked. Over time the lock wears to match the bad key. Then one day it will not turn at all.
That is why a sticky ignition sometimes improves with a new key. It is also why putting an old worn key back into a brand new lock is a short term fix.
Four Ways to Fix It
Which one makes sense depends on your vehicle and on how worn your keys are. I will go through these with you rather than just picking one.
One, rebuild the lock you have. The cheapest of the four. If the trouble was a worn wafer or tumbler, it should hold up fine. If the holes the wafers sit in have worn, the problem can come back later. I will know which it is once I have the lock apart, and I will tell you.
Two, fit a new lock and program the two keys that come with it. Second cheapest. You end up carrying two different keys, one for the doors and one for the ignition.
Three, fit a new lock and rekey it to the keys you already carry. No programming needed and you keep one key for everything. Rekeying is work, so this lands around the same as option two or a little above, depending on the make, model and year. The catch is that if your existing key is worn, that wear goes straight into the new lock and in time you can be back where you started.
Four, fit a new lock, rekey it and program a fresh set of keys. The most expensive, and the one I would pick. New lock, new keys, nothing worn going back into the car, and one key for everything.
If the Key Turns and the Car Still Does Nothing
If the key turns normally and the engine does not crank, that usually is not the lock. Battery, starter, something electrical. Worth having that checked before you call a locksmith, because otherwise you are paying me to come out and tell you it is not my job.
If you are not sure, call and describe what the key actually does. I will tell you whether it sounds like mine or not.
Not Every Car
Some I handle at the car the same day. Some need a part ordered in first. And there are some I will not take on.
Tell me the year, make and model when you call and you will get a straight answer before either of us has spent anything.
Where I Come
Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, Sackville, Cole Harbour, Eastern Passage, Fall River and the rest of HRM. Also East Hants and West Hants including Windsor, Mount Uniacke, Enfield and Shubenacadie.
If there is a travel charge for where you are, I will tell you on the phone before I set off.
Why Call S.E.S?
It is one person. Me. You get me on the phone, I am the one who turns up, and the price I quote on the phone is the price you pay.
Fully insured, WCB covered and HST registered. I am also registered with NASTF as a Vehicle Security Professional, which is what gives me manufacturer key and security data for this work.
An ignition lock is a mechanical part that has worn out. That is how I look at it, and it is why I will tell you when the cheap repair is worth trying instead of selling you the expensive one every time.
Call Me Anytime
Call or text with the year, make and model and a description of what the key does. I will tell you what it sounds like and what the options are.
Ignitions are one part of the vehicle work I do. Lockouts, lost keys, fobs and broken keys are on the automotive locksmith page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My key will not turn in the ignition. Is that the ignition switch?
Usually not. A key that will not turn is a cylinder, wafer or key problem, and that is mechanical. The switch is the electrical part behind it and it fails in a different way.
Q: Can you fix it without replacing the whole lock?
Sometimes. If the wafers or tumblers are the problem, rebuilding the lock you have is the cheapest fix and it holds up. If the holes the wafers sit in have worn, it can come back. I will know once I have it apart.
Q: Will I end up with two different keys?
Only if you pick that option. Fitting a new lock and using the keys it comes with is cheaper, but it leaves you with one key for the doors and another for the ignition. If you want one key for everything, I can rekey the new lock or cut and program a fresh set.
Q: Can you make a new ignition work with my old key?
Yes. The catch is that if your old key is worn, that wear goes into the new lock and in time you can end up back where you started. Worth knowing before you choose it.
Q: Which option do you recommend?
A new lock, rekeyed, with a fresh set of keys. It costs the most and it is the only one where nothing worn goes back into the car. I will still lay out the cheaper options and you pick.
Q: What causes an ignition to wear out?
Mostly a worn key. Years of use wear the key down, the worn key works the wafers wrongly, and the lock wears to match it. That is why a sticky ignition sometimes improves with a new key.
Q: The key turns fine but the car will not start. Can you help?
Probably not. If the key turns normally, that points at something electrical rather than the lock. Call and describe what happens and I will tell you whether it sounds like my job.
Q: Do I need a tow?
No. I work on the car where it is.
Q: Can you do every vehicle?
No. Some I handle at the car the same day, some need a part ordered in, and there are some I will not take on. Tell me the year, make and model and I will give you a straight answer.