Auto Key Services0
A stiff ignition that is hard to turn, or a key that keeps breaking, usually means a worn ignition housing. We rebuild it on site.
Whichever suits the wear on your ignition housing, both are done on site.
We quote a firm price after assessing the vehicle, with no hidden extras.
A familiar issue on higher-mileage used imports, including many VW and Audi models.
A hard-to-turn key usually means a worn ignition housing. We rebuild or replace it before the key breaks.
A car is a set of interconnected systems, and a small, easily overlooked part like the ignition housing can affect the whole vehicle if it wears out. If your key is becoming difficult to turn, needs increasing force to start the car, or has snapped off in the ignition, the internal mechanism is very likely damaged rather than the key itself.
This is especially common on older, higher-mileage vehicles, including certain Volkswagen and Audi models, where the ignition housing can wear internally over years of use, but it can happen to any make. Auto Key Services has the expertise and parts to rebuild or replace an ignition housing on site, without unnecessary delay.
A worn ignition housing rarely fails all at once. It usually announces itself gradually, first as extra resistance when turning the key, then as the key refusing to move past a certain position, and eventually as the key sticking in the cylinder or snapping off under the extra force needed to turn it.
Catching the problem at the stiff-turning stage, rather than after the key has already broken, generally means a simpler and less costly repair, so it is worth having a locksmith look at it as soon as you notice the ignition getting harder to turn.
Depending on the severity of the wear and the availability of parts, we will either rebuild your existing ignition housing or fit a replacement unit. Both options are carried out on site wherever practical, avoiding the cost and inconvenience of towing the vehicle to a dealer or garage.
We also refurbish the switch-blade mechanism where the key has come loose from its shell, since a loose blade significantly increases the risk of it breaking off inside the ignition during ordinary use, which is a problem worth fixing before it strands you somewhere inconvenient.
Where a specific part such as a steering lock or ignition cylinder needs replacing rather than rebuilding, we carry the parts and tools to do this at the roadside in many cases, avoiding a dealer diagnosis fee and the cost of towing the vehicle to a workshop.
We quote a fixed price for the repair once we have properly assessed the vehicle, rather than adding unexpected extras partway through the job, so you know exactly what to expect before any work begins, with no surprises on the final invoice.
Calls are answered 24 hours a day. Tell us the make, model and year, and we will tell you what we can do and what it will cost.
It is worth having checked. A stiff ignition often signals early wear in the housing, and catching it early usually means a simpler, less costly repair than waiting until the key breaks.
In most cases, yes. We carry the tools and parts needed to rebuild or replace an ignition housing at the roadside or wherever your vehicle is parked, so you rarely need to visit a workshop.
It is most commonly reported on higher-mileage Volkswagen and Audi models, but ignition housing wear can happen on any make with enough use, so it is worth having any stiffness checked.
Diagnosing and repairing faulty ignitions, from a stuck key to a car that won’t crank.
Reprogramming immobiliser keys and resolving immobiliser faults, so you avoid replacing the whole engine control unit.
Spare and replacement keys for motorcycles, including the brands used for boda boda work across Kampala.
