Car keys · Brampton
Ignition Lock Repair
Half the key is still in your hand.
In plain words
A key that has snapped off inside the ignition barrel is not the end of the key, or of the barrel. The broken piece is drawn out with hooked or spiral tools built for the job, without pushing it further in, and the cylinder is checked afterward for the wear that likely caused the break in the first place. A fresh key is then cut and tested before the visit ends.
How the visit goesHalf the key is still in your hand. The other half stayed behind in the ignition when it snapped, and now the dash won't light and the wheel won't unlock no matter how carefully you nudge what is left.
Ignition Lock Repair
How the visit goes
Reading the exact symptom
The next question is about behaviour, not diagnosis. Does the key insert at all? Does it turn partway, all the way, or not at all? Does it turn without the steering lock releasing, or without the dash lighting up? Is it stuck, unable to come back out once the engine is off? Each answer points somewhere different inside the mechanism, and a locksmith who hears the exact sequence before arriving brings the right decoders, extraction tools and replacement parts rather than guessing from a general description that the key just does not work.
Clearing grit, moisture and old grease
A barrel that has gone stiff from road salt, winter grit or years of old grease is opened, cleaned and treated with whatever lubricant the vehicle's own service instructions call for. Water that has found its way into the keyway is dried out fully before the cylinder is reassembled, so trapped moisture is not left sitting against the wafers to start the same problem again next season.
A little care that keeps the barrel turning smoothly
A cylinder that has just been serviced benefits from the same light touch that kept it healthy in the first place: whatever lubricant the vehicle's own service information calls for worked into the keyway every so often, since some ignitions specify grease rather than a dry product. Wipe debris off the key itself before each use, and retire a key that has started to look rounded or thin, well before it becomes the reason for another visit.
Ignition Lock Repair
In the van
Plug follower
Steering column trim tools
Dry graphite or PTFE lubricant
Keyed-alike pinning kit
Key blanks and cutting machine
Ignition Lock Repair
What affects the quote
Access through the steering column
Reaching some ignition cylinders means removing trim, shrouding or fasteners around the column first, and putting all of it back cleanly afterward. A column that is straightforward to open takes less time than one that is not.
Keying other locks to match
Bringing the doors and trunk onto a newly pinned ignition key, so one key runs the whole vehicle again, is separate work from the ignition repair itself, even when it happens during the same visit.
Number of new keys cut
One replacement key is the simplest case. A household or a business vehicle used by several people may want a few keys cut and tested at once, and each one is counted into the visit.
What to have ready
- Do you have the vehicle permit or proof of ownership handy?
- Is any part of a key broken off inside the ignition?
- Would you like extra keys cut during the same visit?
Ignition Lock Repair: questions
QuestionsDo you check the steering lock as part of this service?
Yes. The steering lock is mechanically tied to the ignition barrel on most vehicles, engaging when the key is removed and releasing as the key turns toward accessory. It is cycled several times during testing, alongside every switch position, so a fault that shows up only in how the wheel locks or releases does not go unnoticed after the visit is finished.
What if there are scratches or damage around my ignition slot already?
That is noted honestly before any work begins, since it often means an earlier attempt was made on the lock. Damage like this usually points toward a full cylinder and housing replacement rather than a simple service, because the internal parts of a lock that has already been forced are rarely trustworthy afterward. You are shown what was found before deciding how to proceed together.
My key is stuck in the ignition and won't come out. Is that a problem?
It is mostly inconvenient rather than urgent, though it is worth having looked at soon since a stuck key often means a wafer or the steering-lock mechanism is not releasing the way it should. Forcing it risks snapping the key or damaging the barrel further, so the safer route is to leave it be and have the mechanism assessed and freed properly.
Related services
- Car Key ReplacementThe fob went through the washing machine in a jacket pocket.
- Spare Car Key DuplicationThe paperwork for the used car changed hands last week, and the previous owner mentioned, almost as an afterthought, that a second key never turned up.
- Key Fob ProgrammingA fob went missing weeks ago somewhere between a coat pocket and a parking lot, and a spare has covered the gap since.