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You depend on your vehicle to get you where you need to go in Maple Valley and other parts of Washington, whether that be to work, to drive the kids to and from school, to see family and friends, or to run essential errands. All of us tend to panic when we notice something go wrong with our vehicles, picturing costly bills and downtime while the problem is repaired. But it doesn’t have to be a major issue.
Today we’ll discuss car ignition issues that can be traced back to your vehicle’s ignition lock cylinder, if your car or truck has a keyed operating system. Your ignition lock cylinder is a mechanism that fits into your steering wheel and contains the lock hole into which you put your car key. If you have a keyless entry system, this does not apply to you, but since this was the common manufacturing style for many years, most cars on the road still have ignition cylinders. As these vehicles age over time, issues can begin to develop as the parts of the ignition cylinder wear down.
By looking out for the following symptoms of car ignition issues related to the ignition lock cylinder, you might be able to identify the problem before it gets worse, and seek a professional who can assist you while the cost is still relatively minor. If you recognize any of the following symptoms, don’t use the wait and see approach, as this usually leads to the problem only getting worse and costing more in the long run.
1. Your Key Sticks in the Ignition
Ignition locks, like most standard locks, feature a pin and tumbler system inside the cylinder that is specifically designed to match the cuts on your key. With frequent use, the key’s teeth begin to wear down, and the pins and tumblers can begin to become worn or out of whack as well. You may notice your key begins to stick a little and then gradually get worse and worse, requiring more effort to turn. Over time, if ignored, this issue can get so bad that the key gets truly stuck in the ignition cylinder. If enough force is applied, the key might even break off, leaving half of it wedged inside the lock mechanism. If either of these situations occur, you may need to call on an emergency locksmith to get your vehicle back on the road again.
2. Your Ignition Key Won’t Go In
Similar to the first problem but more severe, in this situation, your key refuses to go into the lock at all. You may be able to see an obstruction, such as a build-up of debris or dirt. Or there may be no obvious issue from the outside of the lock, which usually means either the key or the lock is damaged enough that they no longer fit properly. If you have a spare key, try using that instead. If it fits in the lock without an issue, replace your old key. If not, then the ignition cylinder will probably require professional replacement.
3. The Car Has Difficulty Starting
This problem can be either intermittent or occur every time that you try to power on your vehicle. Your key goes into the lock and turns just fine, but the engine itself doesn’t want to turn over. Your ignition cylinder mechanism is connected to a switch which sends a signal via wiring to your ignition system itself every time you put the key in and turn on the vehicle. Problems can occur anyplace in this system that prevent your vehicle from starting easily. This issue usually degrades over time. Of course, there could be many other reasons for your vehicle to have difficulty starting that have to do with the motor or ignition. That’s why it’s recommended to contact a professional for advice as soon as you notice this issue to get answers.
4. The Car Stalls
A more worrisome and potentially dangerous problem occurs when you have no problem getting your vehicle running, but it stalls occasionally without warning while you’re on the road. Depending on where it decides to stall, this could put you at risk for a traffic accident. At the very least, it can be a frustrating and annoying problem to deal with, especially if you have a long commute to and from work or otherwise use your vehicle for a long time each day. As with the problem of your car not starting, this sign usually means that an issue has developed between your ignition switch and the wiring that connects it to the internal assembly. It’s also possible that the problem has nothing to do with your ignition cylinder mechanism. Contact a professional as soon as you notice your car stall more than once to have the issue diagnosed as soon as possible.
5. The Car Refuses to Start
If issues with your ignition cylinder happen slowly over time, as is often the case, you may not notice an obvious problem. Or you may just assume that it’s normal when your vehicle is difficult to start or seems to have issues with the key, because it’s an older model. In these cases, the problem usually gets worse and worse until the car refuses to start entirely one day. This may effectively leave you stranded, depending on the particulars of your situation.
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