06/22/2022
I just returned from a vehicle that I had been asked to quote making keys for a week or so ago, due to the keys being lost. She didn’t like my price last week, which leads to today.
She calls a bit ago and asks what the price would be, and if I would come program her new keys. She agreed on price so I went to the job. Getting there, she hands me the ignition cylinder so I can put it in, and I declined. I peeked around the column to find someone had destroyed the lock cylinder housing while drilling the old one out. I told her they would have to put the new cylinder in, since they removed old one. The housing wouldn’t even allow the cylinder retention pin to function, and the key would not turn all the way off to be removed, but without retention, the whole cylinder would come out.
This is the part is like, I look over the type ignition assembly, and start quoting her how much things are going to cost to make it right. This one will need a replacement column, prob $200 at junk yard, then someone to install it, and I told her not to use the guy who drilled the cylinder out cause he doesn’t have a clue what he is doing, and when it is back the way it should be, the bill will prob run about $650. My original quote, with mileage, was $300.
She asked if I would program the keys now anyway. So I used the actuator tip piece off old cylinder, and the new key, and programmed her new keys, without her new cylinder in place. She wasn’t happy, but I didn’t choose that path for her.
Don’t get mad at me when you take the ‘cheap’ way out.