Ignition cylinder problems
can be heartless at times! This is because you don’t find out until
it’s too late that your plans are ruined! Think about it; you hop in
your car, all ready to go somewhere. That destination might be your
workplace or it might be a date you’ve been looking forward to. You
might be going to dinner with a parent or picking up your child from
school. At any rate, your mind is on your destination and what you will
do afterwards; not on your ignition cylinder problems! That’s the cruel
part; now your plans are ruined or at least postponed and you are
facing inconvenience, extra expense and lots of stress.
How do we know
this? It’s because Top Notch Locksmith, LLC works with auto ignitions on a regular basis. We get the upset phone calls from local Marietta, GA drivers that are suddenly experiencing issues with their ignition cylinders. Automotive locksmith
services are part of our diverse expertise but there are a few things
you should know before you urgently call us or anyone else for ignition
cylinder repair; you might not even need us!
That’s right!
How would you like to save some
money and some stress and time? Before you urgently reach for your smart
phone to call for professional service for your car’s ignition
cylinder, try these simple tests to make absolutely sure that this is
in fact, what you need. Many times it isn’t, so try our suggestions and
know for sure!
Put the phone down!
That’s right; you don’t have to
call for professional repair service; at least not yet! Many a service
call to a locksmith, a car repair shop, a dealership service center or
to AAA could have been avoided if the driver had simply followed our
advice. So put the phone down and try a few simple items first. Start
by applying your parking brake. Perform this simple act before you try
anything else. Every year people are needlessly injured or even killed
by vehicles rolling forward or backwards. These victims can include the
driver, neighbors, children, pets and anyone who just happens to be in
the way. There’s no need for this. Put your parking brake on! That
way, you can devote all your attention to the task at hand and not on
keeping your car in place.
Check your gear shift
This simple task is so easy that
many people skip it and wind up regretting it later. When your parking
brake is on, check your gear shift and make double sure that you are in
PARK and nothing else! You can’t be almost in PARK. Neither can you be
in DRIVE or NEUTRAL. Cars have a built in safety mechanism that
prevents them from starting or even the ignition key from turning if
you are in the wrong gear. Are you? You may have to jiggle the gear a
bit to make sure but don’t skip this step.
Steering wheel check
AAA reports that every year,
hundreds of people call for help needlessly on this one! The customers
report that their ignition system is locked up and that the car won’t
start. Furthermore, the ignition key won’t turn or come out. They panic
and call for professional help as it appears that they are
experiencing ignition cylinder failure. The problem here is simple,
easy to fix and free. You don’t need anyone to come and work on your
car. Just apply some weight on the steering wheel and move it back and
forth to unlock it. This will allow you to start the car and to turn
and even remove the ignition key. You just experienced a locked up
steering wheel. This sometimes happens when too much pressure is
applied to it. Maybe you leaned on the steering wheel too hard or moved
it to the point where it suddenly locked up. No need for worry or
panic; just unlock it by moving it again!
