Car Ignition Repair & Switch Replacement Vancouver
Key stuck, snapped or turning without starting? We diagnose and repair ignition cylinders and switches at your vehicle across Vancouver, on most makes.
Ignition Repair keys, cut & programmed. In Vancouver, on site.
16
Cities served
BC licence E106677
Master keysAccess controlCar keysSafesRe-keys
Ignition repair at your vehicle
An ignition that will not turn is usually one of three things: a worn key, a worn cylinder, or an electrical switch behind the cylinder that has failed. Telling them apart is the whole job, and it is cheaper to diagnose in your driveway than on a tow truck. We carry cylinders, wafers and switches for the common makes, so most visits end with the car starting.
If the key snapped off in the barrel, do not push the remaining half in further. We extract it whole in most cases, then cut a fresh key from the code. That part of the job is covered on car key replacement.
Signs your ignition switch is failing
The key needs wiggling or jiggling to turn. Worn wafers in the cylinder, or a key that has been copied from a copy.
The key turns but nothing happens. No dash lights, no crank. That points at the electrical switch behind the cylinder rather than the lock.
The car cuts out over bumps. A loose switch losing contact while you drive, which is a safety problem, not an inconvenience.
The key will not come back out or stays stuck in the accessory position.
The steering lock will not release, so the key will not rotate at all.
Dash warning lights flicker when the key is turned, or the immobilizer light stays on.
A key that works in the doors but not the ignition is the clearest sign the cylinder, not the key, is worn out.
What the repair involves
We start with the cheap possibilities: a fresh key cut to the original code, a cleaned and re-lubricated cylinder, or a reset of the steering lock. If the cylinder itself is worn we rekey or replace it and match it to your existing key, so you do not end up carrying two keys for one car. If the electrical switch has failed we swap the switch. Immobilizer-equipped vehicles are re-paired before we leave, and we test start the engine several times in front of you.
By brand
Ignition faults are not evenly spread. Older Honda and Acura cylinders wear at the wafers and seize with the key half turned. Ford and Lincoln column-mounted switches are a common electrical failure. GM, GMC, Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac columns often need the lock housing dismantled to reach the switch. Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM ignitions are frequently a worn cylinder rather than a switch. European cars, including BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Volvo and Land Rover, often use an electronic ignition module rather than a mechanical barrel, and those are ordered against the VIN.
Ignition repair is priced after diagnosis, because the same symptom can be a $180 key or a replaced switch. The $75 service call covers the visit and the diagnosis during standard hours, and the cylinder, switch or new key is quoted before any work starts.
Service call, standard hours: $75
After-hours labour, 5-9 pm: $150
After-hours labour, 9 pm to 8:30 am: $250/hour
Replacement key cut and programmed, where the repair needs one: $180-$280 for a transponder key, $280-$420 for a smart key
Every figure here matches the prices page. We do not quote an ignition price sight unseen, because a number given over the phone before anyone has looked at the column is a guess.
Where we work
We work out of one shop at 4105 Macdonald St in Vancouver and dispatch from there, so a Vancouver call is normally a 20-30 minute drive. Cities further out take longer, and the window for each one is listed on the service areas page.
Book a slot
Book an Ignition Repair key in Vancouver.
Spare key, lost key or a dead fob: pick a time that works for you, or call for a lockout.
Call 604-734-7233 or book a visit. Tell us whether the key turns at all and whether the dash lights come on: that one answer usually decides which parts go in the van.
