Too many keys damage your car’s ignition
Aug 02, 2010
YOUR car ignition plays many roles ranging from starting the vehicle to locking and opening up the car. Robert Mwaga, a mechanic at Bouche Garage on Gaddaffi road, says the ignition connects the starter to the battery which in turn allows the battery to send power to the starter when the car is sta
By Godwin Ayesiga
YOUR car ignition plays many roles ranging from starting the vehicle to locking and opening up the car. Robert Mwaga, a mechanic at Bouche Garage on Gaddaffi road, says the ignition connects the starter to the battery which in turn allows the battery to send power to the starter when the car is starting.
However, some car owners load the car key holder with a bunch of other keys. As you drive through a bumpy road, the keys keep swinging to and fro, exerting unnecessary weight on the ignition. This makes the ignition switch wear-out quickly.
Mwaga says the extra weight does not only increase the chances of the key breaking from inside but also widens the ignition switch. This makes it possible for any other key to enter the ignition switch and start your car.
“Once the ignition becomes hollow, the car can be started with even a screwdriver,†Mwaga says. He adds that a widened ignition switch will require replacement since it compromises the security of your car.
Replacing an ignition switch is expensive and can affect the wiring system. A new ignition switch costs between sh80,000 and sh200,000 depending on the type of car and mechanics charge between sh35,000 and sh50,000 to replace it.
For cars that use the same key to open the doors and start the engine, replacing the ignition switch will require you to replace the door lock as well.
The cost of lock depends on the type of car but may vary between about sh25,000 and sh85,000.
YOUR car ignition plays many roles ranging from starting the vehicle to locking and opening up the car. Robert Mwaga, a mechanic at Bouche Garage on Gaddaffi road, says the ignition connects the starter to the battery which in turn allows the battery to send power to the starter when the car is starting.
However, some car owners load the car key holder with a bunch of other keys. As you drive through a bumpy road, the keys keep swinging to and fro, exerting unnecessary weight on the ignition. This makes the ignition switch wear-out quickly.
Mwaga says the extra weight does not only increase the chances of the key breaking from inside but also widens the ignition switch. This makes it possible for any other key to enter the ignition switch and start your car.
“Once the ignition becomes hollow, the car can be started with even a screwdriver,†Mwaga says. He adds that a widened ignition switch will require replacement since it compromises the security of your car.
Replacing an ignition switch is expensive and can affect the wiring system. A new ignition switch costs between sh80,000 and sh200,000 depending on the type of car and mechanics charge between sh35,000 and sh50,000 to replace it.
For cars that use the same key to open the doors and start the engine, replacing the ignition switch will require you to replace the door lock as well.
The cost of lock depends on the type of car but may vary between about sh25,000 and sh85,000.