A lot of people take the ignition cylinder, also known as the ignition lock cylinder, in their car for granted. They climb into their car, stick their key into their ignition cylinder, and turn it to start their car up without giving it a second thought. But you’ll realize first-hand just how important an ignition cylinder is the first time you go to start your car and have trouble turning your key. You’ll scramble to get it fixed and pay whatever the ignition cylinder replacement cost is just to get your car back out on the road. Discover what an ignition cylinder is, how to tell when it’s gone bad, and what the ignition cylinder replacement cost will be below.
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What Is an Ignition Cylinder?
Before we begin talking about how to tell whether or not your ignition cylinder has gone bad, it’s important for you to know what an ignition cylinder actually is. You’ve probably used one hundreds, if not thousands, of times now without necessarily thinking about it. The ignition cylinder in your car is the part of it that you stick your car into when starting it up. It’s designed to work with your car’s specific key and to protect your car from being stolen by someone else.
When you get into your car and put your car key into your ignition cylinder, it has tiny actuators inside of it that will allow you to turn it to start up your car. If you try to use the wrong key in it, you’ll find that it won’t turn at all. But unfortunately, you might also find that will happen eventually with the right key. It’ll let you know that you need to pay the ignition cylinder replacement cost to get your ignition lock cylinder working in the way that it’s supposed to again.
Why Is an Ignition Cylinder Important?
It’s pretty easy for most people to understand why an ignition cylinder is so important. But just in case you’re confused, your car’s ignition cylinder is one of the first lines of defense when it comes to protecting your car from ever being stolen. Unless someone has a key to your car, they’re going to struggle to steal it thanks to your ignition cylinder.
But your ignition cylinder also takes things a step further than that as far as its importance is concerned. The ignition cylinder also plays a vital role in the overall well-being of your car’s ignition switch. If you can’t turn your key in the ignition cylinder, then you’re not going to be able to rotate this switch and get your car to start up on command. You’re going to be stuck in place until you’re able to shoulder the ignition cylinder replacement cost.
How Often Does an Ignition Cylinder Need to Be Replaced?
The good news for you is that you shouldn’t have to be too worried about paying the ignition cylinder replacement cost on a regular basis. Generally speaking, ignition cylinders don’t fail all that often. In fact, there is a chance that you could own your car for an extended period of time and never have to do ignition cylinder replacement. But if your car has a lot of miles on it or if you don’t do anything to care for your car’s ignition cylinder, you could very well have to replace it sooner or later.
There are some steps that you can take to prevent your ignition cylinder from going bad on you. You can obviously be gentle when putting your car key into your ignition cylinder since being too rough with it could cause damage to it. You can also clean the key for your ignition every so often to avoid putting any debris into it inadvertently. And you can even do something as simple as being careful about putting too many things on your keychain. This will prevent you from putting unnecessary pressure on your car’s ignition cylinder.
How Will You Know If an Ignition Cylinder Is Bad?
It’s not going to be all that difficult for you to figure out when you have a bad ignition cylinder in your car. It’s going to be pretty evident from the moment that you stick your car key into your ignition and try to start it up. More often than not, you’re not going to be able to turn the key when you have a bad ignition cylinder on your hands. In this instance, you’ll have to arrange to have ignition cylinder replacement done right away and pay the ignition cylinder replacement cost.
This isn’t the only sign that’ll indicate issues with your car’s ignition cylinder, though. If you have to wiggle your car key around a whole lot to get it to turn in your ignition cylinder, that could also suggest a serious problem with it. It probably won’t be long before you’ll find that your car key won’t turn in your ignition. Additionally, some ignition cylinders will allow people to put their car key in when they’ve gone bad but won’t release them and let them back out. That’s going to put you in a position where you have no choice but to call someone to help you retrieve your car key.
Whatever you do, you shouldn’t ignore any of these signs if you spot them. By catching a bad ignition cylinder early, you can steer clear of getting stuck somewhere because you can’t put your car key into your ignition cylinder. You can also prevent someone from stealing your car because you aren’t able to remove your key from it. You should gladly pay the ignition cylinder replacement cost to remedy the situation.
Can You Drive a Car With a Bad Ignition Cylinder?
This should almost go without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway. If you have a car with a bad ignition cylinder, you should not, under any circumstances, continue to drive around in it. You’re going to be asking for trouble if you do this, as you could put yourself and your car into jeopardy by not taking the problems seriously enough. The ignition cylinder replacement cost will be nothing compared to the price you may have to pay if you drive in a car with a bad ignition cylinder.
There is also (fortunately, some might say!) a decent chance that you won’t even have the option to drive around in a car with a bad ignition cylinder. Oftentimes, a bad ignition cylinder will stop you from starting your car up, which will give you no choice but to leave your car parked where it is. But even if this isn’t the case, you should stay away from driving in a car with a bad ignition cylinder at all costs.
Who Should You Call If You Have a Bad Ignition Cylinder?
If you have a bad ignition cylinder in your car and you want to have it fixed, you might be curious as to who you should call for help. It can be especially tricky trying to answer this question when you’re not able to turn your car on and drive it anywhere. But there are a couple of good options that you’ll have when you’re dealing with a bad ignition cylinder.
First and foremost, you can always take your car to a mechanic to have them inspect your ignition cylinder and fix it. They’ll usually offer you a pretty reasonable ignition cylinder replacement cost, though you might have to arrange to have your car towed to them if it won’t run because of your ignition. That could send your ignition cylinder replacement cost skyrocketing.
That might make your other option the better choice. In addition to contacting a mechanic for assistance, you can also call one of the many locksmiths scattered throughout the country for help. They can typically come to your exact location and work on your car so that you don’t have to tow it anywhere to have your ignition cylinder fixed. They can also offer competitive prices when it comes to the ignition cylinder replacement cost. You should give a locksmith a call at the first sign of trouble with your ignition cylinder.
What Is the Ignition Cylinder Replacement Cost?
So, what exactly are you going to have to pay to fix your car’s ignition cylinder and get back out on the road again? That’s the question that’s probably swirling around in your head right now if you suspect that you might have a bad ignition cylinder on your hands. You’ll be glad to know that it’s not going to cost a small fortune to get the job done.
The final ignition cylinder replacement cost will ultimately depend on who you have work on your car. But on average, people tend to pay between $200 to $250 for ignition cylinder replacement. This includes the cost of a new ignition cylinder, which is around $125 to $150, and the cost of the labor associated with the job.
There are some factors that could bring that price up or down. If you have a certain make and model car or if you need to have your ignition cylinder fixed by a mobile locksmith in the middle of the night, it could have an impact on what your ignition cylinder replacement cost is going to be. But in general, you shouldn’t have to plan to pay an arm and a leg for a new ignition cylinder.
How Long Does It Take to Replace an Ignition Cylinder?
One of the other things that you’re going to be happy to hear with regards to ignition cylinder replacement is that it’s not a task that’s going to take a mechanic or locksmith very long. That’s a big part of the reason why the ignition cylinder replacement cost isn’t through the roof. It’s not going to take hours and hours on end to put a new ignition cylinder into place in your car.
While every mechanic and locksmith works at a slightly different pace, it should take less than half an hour in most cases for them to replace a bad ignition cylinder. It could take a little longer than that if you have a certain make and model of a car. But even then, you shouldn’t have to wait around for more than an hour for your car to be finished. That should be good news to those who are worried about having to give up their car to get a new ignition cylinder.
Is the Ignition Cylinder Replacement Cost Worth It?
If your plan is to continue driving your car well into the future, then we would definitely say that the ignition cylinder replacement cost is well worth the price you’ll pay for it. If you choose not to replace your bad ignition cylinder, you’re not going to be able to drive your car at all. So paying for it is really your only good option and an option that will pay off in the end when you get your car back up and running again.
Can You Get Rid of a Car With a Bad Ignition Cylinder?
Although the ignition cylinder replacement cost is on the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to car repairs, there are going to be some people who don’t want to pay to have a new ignition cylinder installed. At the same time, they’re not going to want to just let their car sit idly for long stretches of time. So, what should they do with their car then?
Junk car buyers make it easy for these people to sell an old car, even if it’s in need of ignition cylinder replacement and doesn’t run. Cash Cars Buyer can make you a strong cash offer for your vehicle and give you more than you might expect for it. It’ll help you get rid of a car you don’t want and avoid paying the ignition cylinder replacement cost. Contact us now for more details on how we can help you.