Pro Durham Locksmith
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Are you experiencing ignition cylinder problems? Are you close to pulling your hair out because you need to be somewhere but the car won’t even start? Does the thought of a big mechanic’s bill sicken you? You’re not alone!
In the “early days” of the automotive industry, ignition cylinders helped start your car’s engine; end of story. Those were simpler times. Now, in the modern era, automotive ignitions are also supplying power to a plethora of other components. Some of these include power windows, radio, heater, air conditioner, power seats, GPS system, headlights, dashboard lights, music system and lots more. What does this tell you? It means that the more parts, the more that can go wrong! Since we like having our “extras” we’d better get used to dealing with ignition cylinder problems and expectations. One smart way to do this is to keep reading below!
Here’s what we mean by this. If you insert your key in the ignition and nothing happens, you assume that you have a problem with the ignition. Sometimes that’s true, but many other times, it’s not. For instance, have you checked your gears? Which one is your car in? You need to be in the PARK gear in order to start the car. No other gear will do; not DRIVE, NEUTRAL or anything else; only PARK! Check it and see. Jiggle the gear shift around if needed but make double sure. Not only must you be in gear in order to start your car, but you run the risk of rolling forward or backward if you are in NEUTRAL or in-between gears. People are injured and even killed every year by not checking this. Be sure that anytime you are working on or adjusting items on your car that you put the parking brake on; don’t take chances!
Here’s another culprit that often leads to the ignition cylinder being blamed; the steering wheel. It’s a little known fact, but steering wheels do lock up at times. This is usually when they are leaned upon too heavily or jerked roughly. No problem – simply move the steering wheel back and forth to unlock it. Note – on some car models you may have to apply some force in order to do this so don’t panic and call for a >repair tech. It’s a side effect of steering wheel lock-up – your ignition key won’t turn and this gives the impression that your ignition cylinder is damaged when in fact, it isn’t.
Believe it or not, your car battery can affect your ability to start your car. A drained or dead car battery will not have sufficient power to let your engine turn over. Your ignition key will do nothing once turned to the START position and this too can look like your ignition switch is damaged. For an accurate check, be sure to see if your headlights, radio or windshield wipers are working. If they are, it’s not your battery.
If your transponder key is stuck in the ignition, this can lead you to think that your ignition cylinder is damaged
How can you avoid accidentally grabbing the wrong transponder key and using it? Try putting your car keys in the same place when not using them. It might be on a nail or on the dresser but if you get in the habit of keeping your transponder keys in the same place, it will just “feel” wrong when you pick up someone’s else’s set by mistake.
Be careful when calling friends, co-workers, and family members for help. All mean well, but they may not be experienced, trained, or qualified to actually be of help. Just because someone dabbles or is interested in auto mechanics doesn’t mean that they actually are. Keep in mind that it’s your car that is involved and you are the one responsible for any damage or breakage caused by others. What you CAN do is call them and let them know that you are having a delay in your driving plans. Many times the act of speaking to someone on the cell phone can act as a calming effect to lessen the stress of automotive locksmith issues.
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