Diagnosing the Jammed Ignition

When an ignition refuses to turn, many drivers make the mistake of gripping the key with pliers and forcing it, which only results in snapping the key in half. The problem is rarely the key itself; it is the tiny, fragile brass wafers inside the ignition cylinder. Every time you insert and remove your key, friction slowly wears down these wafers. Over years of daily driving, the wafers become bent, burred, or jammed with dirt and graphite. When this happens, the wafers no longer align properly to the shear line, and the cylinder lock seizes up completely.

Ignition Cylinder Rebuilds

We do not believe in blindly replacing expensive parts if they can be fixed. When our technicians arrive at your stranded vehicle, we carefully disassemble the plastic cowling around your steering column to access the ignition housing. We safely extract the seized lock cylinder and rebuild it on our workbench. We remove all the old, damaged brass wafers and springs, clean the housing, and insert a brand new sequence of factory-fresh wafers. We then reassemble the steering column, ensuring your original key turns as smoothly as the day the car was built.

Broken Key Extractions

If you have already tried to force a stuck ignition and the brass key snapped off deep inside the keyway, do not panic. Digging at it with a paperclip or tweezers will only push the broken fragment deeper into the lock, permanently destroying the fragile springs inside. Our technicians use microscopic, barbed spiral extractors and heavy-duty lubricants to gently slide alongside the broken brass fragment, hooking it and pulling it out cleanly. Once extracted, we can cut a brand new, structurally sound key for you on the spot.

Frequently Asked Questions

• My steering wheel is locked and the key won't turn. Is my ignition broken? Not necessarily! Modern cars have an active steering lock feature. If the steering wheel is turned sharply when the car is turned off, it puts immense pressure on the ignition locking pin. Try turning the steering wheel firmly in the direction it has a little bit of "give" while simultaneously turning the key with gentle pressure. If it still won't turn, the internal wafers have likely failed, and we need to rebuild it.
• If you rebuild my ignition, will my old door keys still work? Yes! Because we are rebuilding the internal wafers of the ignition to perfectly match the original factory cuts of your existing key, you will not need to carry two different keys. Your original key will continue to open the doors and turn the newly rebuilt ignition smoothly.
• Do I have to tow my car to a mechanic to fix the ignition? No, and you shouldn't! Mechanics often want to replace the entire steering column assembly, which is incredibly expensive and requires towing. We are mobile locksmiths. We come directly to your driveway or parking spot, disassemble the necessary components on-site, and fix the specific lock cylinder for a fraction of the cost.
• Why does my key slide into the ignition but feels loose and wobbly? This is a sign of severe wear on both the key blade and the internal wafers. The "teeth" on the key have worn down so much that they are no longer engaging the wafers properly. If left unaddressed, the key will eventually fail to turn the ignition at all, or it could slip out while you are driving. We can originate a fresh, factory-cut key to fix this issue.