If you've left the keys in the car, it can be a messy and expensive proposition to get a professional to open the car. About $ 80 for five minutes of work? Please. It's not very difficult to force entry into vehicles with automatic or manual locks, or even check to see if you can get in through the trunk. All of these methods are free and available to you. Don't resort to breaking a window to get your keys back.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Breaking Electric or Automatic Locks
Step 1. Find your preferred tool
The basic method of breaking into a self-locking car without damaging anything is to wedge a gap in the door and use a long poker to reach the bolt. It might be crude, but it's pretty much exactly what a locksmith will do if you call them, except that doing this won't waste you roughly $ 80 for five minutes of work. To do this, you will need a wedge and a poker. Possibilities include:
- The best wedges may include spatulas and door stops; the thinner the better. Ideally, you should leave only as much space as is necessary to insert the poker. Locksmiths use a balloon that is inflated to pump air and create space.
- The best pokers They include the unscrewed car antenna and a stretched wire hanger. You may need pliers to stretch the hanger, and consider bending it for better control and pushing power when you get to the door latch. Pretty much any tool that is narrow enough to fit through the slit in the window and long enough to reach the latch will do.
Step 2. Chock the door to keep it open
Insert a doorstop or equivalent wedge-like tool into the space between the top of the door and the car. Firmly tap the wedge into the space between the car and the door using the base of your thumb.
If you're concerned about damaging your car's paint, cover the shim with a cloth or some kind of felt surface to protect the paint before you begin
Step 3. Insert the poker
The wedge will create a space between the door and the body of the car. Insert the poker in this space. Guide the poker to the bolt.
Step 4. Press the latch and open it
Press down firmly on the bolt with the poker. It may take a few tries to get to it, but once you do, you will have successfully broken into your car. Open the door and retrieve your keys.
Method 2 of 3: Break Manual Latches
Step 1. Link the latch with a hanger
The biggest difference between forcing entry into a vehicle with manual locks is that you have to pull the bolt up once you enter if you want to do it manually. Follow the same instructions, chocking and pulling into the space you create, but then you will have to carefully pull up to unbolt the car.
Pressing a button is one thing, but engaging the bolt is much more difficult. You will need to slide the loop over the bolt boss like a slip knot and pull up to open the bolt. It may take a few tries to achieve this
Step 2. Consider using a Slim Jim or making one yourself
A Slim Jim, also known as a locking tool, is a car tool that is commonly issued to police officers to help open doors with manual locks. It is used by wedging itself into the door mechanism itself, between the window and the weatherstrip, hooking onto the latch and pulling it from the inside. If you have access to a Slim Jim, it can be a quick fix for your situation.
- Create your own Slim Jim by stretching a hanger, leaving only the curved end (the hook) in its original shape. You may need to use needle nose pliers to unwind the hanger to stretch it, and bend it to reinforce it.
- Note that this method is not recommended for cars with automatic windows and locks. These cars have many cables in their doors, which can be damaged in this process of breaking in.
Step 3. Choose the passenger door
Generally, there are fewer cables on the passenger side than on the driver's side, making it a bit easier to force entry.
Step 4. Enter your tool
Identify the black rubber weatherstrip along the bottom edge of the car window. The latch mechanism is generally flush with the latch itself, usually toward the rear of the door.
With your fingers, peel this rubber strip off the window slightly to expose the gap between the window and the outside of the car door. Gently insert the stretched hanger with the curved end down into the space between the window and the weatherstrip
Step 5. Lower the hanger
You should be able to lower the hanger through this space a few inches without resistance and then begin to feel for the latch.
If you can read the vehicle's workshop manual, you can get a good idea of where the bolt will be and how to access it. If you blindly dig into the door, you run the risk of messing up the wiring and causing damage. Try to find where the bolt is before inserting the Slim Jim
Step 6. Find the latch
Move the hanger through the gap until you feel a small pin. This pin can be pulled to release the door latch. It will generally be located about 2 inches (5 cm) below the bottom of the window, near the inside door handle.
Step 7. Pull the latch gently toward the rear of the car
When you find the pin, hook it up and pull gently. If you are successful, you will feel the latch move and hear the bolt open. After unlocking the latch, gently pull out the hanger and open the door to retrieve your keys.
Method 3 of 3: Force Entry Through the Trunk
Step 1. Find the emergency cord
If by any chance the trunk is open but the cabin is locked with your keys in it, open the trunk and find the emergency cable to open the trunk to the car. It is often on the "door" or the roof of the trunk.
Step 2. Pull the cord
Once you find the cable, pull it out. This will unlock the rear seats, allowing them to slide forward on some car models. This is a common feature on some sedans.
Step 3. Get in on all fours
Once the rear seats are open, push them forward. Now you can access the car through this new entrance and unlock one of the rear doors yourself.
Advice
- Be careful not to damage your car's paint or weatherstripping by breaking in.
- Before breaking into your car yourself, consider calling a locksmith or auto association to come and professionally open your locks with a "Slim Jim."