Ignition Rekey Service

For the best ignition rekey service in Washington DC, you need to contact a local locksmith. You might be tempted to use a mechanic or dealership, but the best option is almost always a locksmith. No one knows more about locks and best security practices.

Many newer cars cannot make use of our Washington DC ignition rekey service because they use a keyless ignition system (push to start). If you want to change the ignition protocols on a keyless vehicle, Key Man Locksmith can still help, but it is a different service.

For the time being, let’s not focus on key fob replacement or electronic ignition systems. Instead, we should focus on some of the specifics and things you might want to know about our Washington DC ignition rekey service.

FAQs

What does it mean to rekey a car ignition?

Rekeying is a process that keeps your existing hardware while changing a few internal components. The wafters, sliders, or pins inside your ignition cylinder are arranged to match a particular key. If you change the orientation of the internals, the old key will not work.

When should you rekey your ignition?

You should use a Washington DC ignition rekey service if you are worried about who has access to spare keys. With an ignition rekey, you can change the key that will start your vehicle without investing in a new cylinder.

Or if you have bought new door locks, you may just want a Washington DC ignition rekey service to make sure you only need one key for your car rather than one for your doors and one for the ignition. Do not use this if you are experiencing ignition problems. Those are best handled by changing the ignition cylinder or with an ignition switch replacement.

Who offers car ignition rekey services?

A mechanic, car dealership, or car locksmith will most likely offer ignition rekey services in Washington DC. Out of all the options, a locksmith is going to be the most convenient choice. A locksmith can come to your location, provide all necessary parts, and service the lock when and where you need it.

Should I rekey or change my ignition?

Whether you should get an ignition cylinder replacement or use a Washington DC ignition rekey service comes down to damage. Rekeying will not fix the damage, unless the wafers, sliders, pins, etc., are the issue. Then re-pinning (for lack of a better term) will be the type of replacement you need.

Is rekeying an ignition an emergency service?

Often rekeying of any sort is not requested as an emergency service on its own, but it can accompany more common emergency services such as a car lockout. But what is and is not an emergency service comes down to a customer’s need. If you need it immediately, then it is an emergency.

Rekeying A Car Ignition

The process of rekeying a car ignition requires a working ignition cylinder. If the only thing wrong with the ignition is the internals (sliders, wafers, pins, etc.), then your rekeying will have to involve changing these parts and not just re-organizing them.

The main requirement to begin a Washington DC ignition rekey is that you can turn the ignition cylinder. If you do not have a working car key this will be more difficult, but not impossible. You do not need a car key replacement for a cylinder you are about to rekey. Instead, the ignition can be picked.

But wait! Before you turn your cylinder, you have to remove some dashboard panels to expose the ignition assembly. This is actually one of the most important parts of the process to have some level of experience with, as some panels can be delicate, while others may be held together with safety screws.

Once you have done everything specific to your make and model of vehicle to remove the ignition cylinder, you need replacement parts and a key that will work with the new internal components. Luckily, this Washington DC locksmith has everything you need!

Added Convenience Of Ignition Rekey

After car door lock repair, you might be placed in the unfortunate situation of having different keys for your ignition and your doors. This just adds unnecessary confusion and inconvenience to your life. You can solve this problem with our Washington DC ignition rekey service.

The reason that you would want to rekey your ignition rather than the door lock is to change the one ignition cylinder versus multiple door lock cylinders. You want to change as few locks as possible, so what makes sense?

Perhaps one car door lock was broken, and the ignition and the rest were fine. In that case, you might want to rekey the one door rather than the ignition and other doors. But if you replaced your ignition, then you probably would like to rekey it so the existing door key will start the vehicle.