Key won't turn, car won't crank — we diagnose and fix on site.

What goes wrong with ignitions

The ignition is two things wrapped together — a mechanical lock barrel and an electrical switch. Either half can fail independently. The mechanical barrel wears out after years of use, especially with overloaded keyrings yanking on it; the electrical switch behind it fails from heat, vibration and age. A snapped key, a key that turns but doesn't start, or a key that won't turn at all all point to slightly different repairs.

What we do on site

• Free a steering lock that won't release.
• Extract a snapped key from the ignition cylinder.
• Recut a worn key when the barrel is still healthy.
• Rebuild or replace the ignition barrel.
• Replace the electrical ignition switch.
• Re-pair existing or fresh keys after a barrel swap.

Diagnose before replacing

Ignition jobs are where dealers and inexperienced shops over-replace. A binding steering lock looks like a dead ignition; a worn key looks like a dead barrel. We test the actual failure point before quoting parts, and we'll often save you a barrel swap with a recut or a steering-lock release.

Pair with key work

Ignition repair often comes with key replacement, especially when the broken key is also the only key. If the immobiliser system has flagged faults we'll re-pair existing keys with car key programming in the same visit.

Where we work

Across CBD, Sea Point, Rondebosch, Durbanville, Century City and beyond.