?? sebring with punched out ingnition switch.

[looneytuner]

My son was given one with the ignition switch punched out. He has the keys. Can he have a locksmith just cut new tumblers for the key to get it to start? Almost forgot to say it is a key with the chip inside. I don't know what reads the chip.

[EaZyE426]

Generally, there is a chip reader installed on the column near the lock cylinder. Getting a replacement lock cylinder keyed to the correct key for the car would work just fine

[looneytuner]

thanks for the quick answer. Someone is giving the car to my son to pay for vet bills incurred to pay a debt.

[shackwrrr]

The dealer can build a new cylinder to match the current key. The "chip" is read by an antenna loop around the lock cylinder and should be ok as long as there was no collateral damage to the column.

[RoadWarrior222]

BTW I tried the "get a lockmith" approach on a broken cylinder before, and they screwed around with it and me for a month then told me they couldn't do anything with it. Ended up ordering replacement.... though I'd have spent the $200 up front if I'd have realised I would get messed around for that long.

[INVUJerry]

If you happen to buy a replacement key cylinder and the key does not match, you can zip tie the old key to the column and the chip reader will read it. I did this for about a month before I sold my 05 neon SXT simply because I wanted 2 keys cut and didn't want to fork over $80 at the dealer to get a replacement one.

[looneytuner]

thanks I sent that to my son.