No one is immune from accidentally leaving the keys in the car. Waiting for a locksmith can take time, and the cost for such a simple procedure is generally not cheap. For many types of vehicles, you may be able to get back into your car in the space of just a few minutes with a simple household item, such as a hanger or a long shoelace.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Go Below the Window
Step 1. Stretch out a wire hanger
This method will work best for vehicles with a vertical manual lock; this means, a latch that you pull up to open and push down to close. These locks are usually located at the top of the door panel, just inside the window. This method requires a thin but stiff tool that you can insert between the weatherstrip around the bottom of the window and the glass itself. A wire hanger works fine, but you need to stretch it out first.
A universal lock-opening tool or "crowbar" also works in this case if you are prone to leaving your keys in the car and want to have one for future incidents
Step 2. Make a hook at one end of the hanger
Although the hanger needs to be mostly straight, you will need to keep a hook at one end. This hook will need to be attached to the lever arm of the locking mechanism inside the car door.
The hook should be approximately 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) long
Step 3. Insert the hanger between the window and the weatherstrip
In order to get to the lever for the lock mechanism on the door, you must insert the end of the hook into the small space between the bottom of the window and the weatherstrip that helps seal and cushion the window in the door.
You will need to insert the hanger several inches and you will feel the end of the hook slide past the window
Step 4. Rotate the hanger to point the hook toward the inside of the car
The mechanism lever will be parallel to the car door, so you will need to rotate the hanger about 90 degrees to make sure the hook is perpendicular to the lever and can hold it.
Step 5. Search with the hook until you find the lever
This part is not an exact science and depends on the specific car. You will have to search with the hook inside the door mechanism to find the lever.
- The lever is likely slightly behind the true location of the latch, so position the hanger a few inches from the tab on the manual latch rather than directly next to it.
- You will see that the manual safety lever will jerk and move when you make contact with the lever arm, so keep searching until you see it begin to move.
Step 6. Raise the lever arm
Once you feel that the hanger hook is around the lever arm and you see the manual lock move, you simply have to move and lift the hook to finish unlocking the door.
Because the lever arm is stronger than the hanger, you can bend the hook out of place. Take out the hanger, reshape the hook, and reinsert it in the same place. It may take several tries, but as long as you see the manual safety move, you are in the right place
Step 7. Call a locksmith
If you can't pry under the window, you can always try one of the other methods or just call a locksmith. With the professional selection of tools that a locksmith will have available, you will be able to get back into your car in the space of a few minutes.
Method 2 of 3: Using a Cord and Slip Knot
Step 1. Get a long piece of parachute cord or a long shoelace
This method is also designed for vehicles with vertical manual locks that are just inside the window and which you must pull up to open the vehicle. Start by getting a long, thin piece of parachute cord or even a long shoelace.
If you use a shoelace, it will likely have to come from a pair of boots, because it will need to be at least about 3 feet (1 m) long depending on your car doors
Step 2. Tie a slip knot in the center of the cord
For this method, you will insert the lanyard into the vehicle and adjust the slip knot on the manual lock to pull it up, so you will need to tie the slip knot on the lanyard before inserting it into the vehicle.
- If you don't know how to tie a slipknot, visit How to Tie a Slipknot to learn.
- You should leave about 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) in the slipknot to make it easier for the loop to fit over the lock before tightening it.
Step 3. Insert the cord into the jamb
Start at the top corner of the door and pull it up to make some space between the door and the rubber seal, then push the part of the cord that contains the slip knot between the door and the frame.
Step 4. Insert the lanyard into the vehicle downward
You may find it easier to lower the slip knot to the safety using a kind of handsaw motion to pull the cord down. Route one end of the cord to where the door handle is and the other end of the cord toward the side rearview mirror, and then move them back and forth to make the knot go lower.
- You may need to use something with a bit of a wedge, like a stopper, to hold the corner of the door as you push the cord between the door and the frame.
- Make sure to only pull one end of the string at a time. If you pull both ends, you will simply tighten the knot prematurely.
Step 5. Position the slip knot loop over the manual safety
After you have inserted the cord far enough down, you will need to position it on top of the lock and with the loop facing in the correct direction. Since the gate will force the lanyard slightly further in than the latch position, you can twist the lanyard once it is on top of the latch to balance the lacing over it.
Step 6. Pull the slip knot to tighten it on the latch
Once you have the slip knot in place over the manual safety, you can tighten it. Pull both ends of the cord to tighten the knot, but be sure to pull slowly so that the loop does not reorient itself and away from the lock as it tightens.
Step 7. Unlock the door
Once you have the knot tight on the lock, you can simply pull the cord up to open the lock. This is especially easy for vehicles with manual locks that have a concave shape. If the lock is a smoother shape, you will need to pull it up at an angle rather than straight to prevent the knot from slipping out of the lock.
Step 8. Call a locksmith
If you can't insert the cord past the jamb and none of the other methods work for your vehicle, you can always call a locksmith.
Method 3 of 3: Surround the Jamb
Step 1. Stretch out a wire hanger
Because this method involves extending the hanger into the vehicle, it tends to work best for vehicles with power locks or a lock that opens automatically when you pull the interior door handle. You will need a long, stiff tool that won't bend under a little strain to reach in and either press the button to unlock the latch or pull the handle. The most common household tool is probably a wire hanger after stretching. A rod from an umbrella or a long wire from a wire basket will also do the trick.
You can also purchase a specific tool kit for this method online, which consists of an inflatable bag, a wedge, and a rigid tool. If you are prone to leaving your keys in your car, it could prove to be a good investment
Step 2. Cut the twisted section at each end of the hanger
Use a pair of wire cutters to cut the crooked section at each end where the hanger was attached. This section is normally difficult to fully stretch and difficult to slide into the jamb.
Cut as close to the base of the twisted part as possible to keep as much of the wire as possible
Step 3. Shape the wire hanger
Create a small hook with the end of the hanger if you are opening the interior door handle itself. Make a small circle if you are going to open a vertical latch or press a button to open the latch.
Make sure the hook is big enough to hold the handle, and that the circle just fits over the button so that it snaps when you pull it up
Step 4. Slightly open the car door
You'll need to push something into the car door jamb just enough to pry a bit. You can use an inflatable wedge, which is a small inflatable bag that safely creates an opening in your car door or window.
- If you don't have access to an inflatable bag, you can use any type of tapered rubber material. Two or three door stops will also work well if you slide them in a little at a time to get a good wedge. Use rubber bumpers to avoid scratching the paint on your car.
- Make sure to pry under the weatherstrip and just enough to get the wire in.
- Leave the item you inserted on the jamb while you complete the next step.
Step 5. Insert the wedge deeper
Once you have something that does a bit of leverage behind the door, you need to spread the door a bit further to open a wider space. Even if you used an inflatable wedge, you should still have one or two real rubber or even wooden wedges with plastic protection. You will need to drive these shims further into the jamb until you have enough room to insert the wire hanger.
Step 6. Feed the wire through the opening
If you are trying to open the door handle, you should feed the wire horizontally, through the side of the door. If you are trying to unlatch using a vertical button, you should feed the wire down vertically from the top of the door.
- If this turns out to be too difficult through the driver's door, you can always try the passenger door as well, as most modern vehicles with power locks will have a control on the passenger side as well.
- Be careful not to scratch the paint on your car while completing this step.
Step 7. Use the hook to hold the door handle
If you are opening the handle itself, direct the wire towards the handle and secure it on the handle with the hook you formed on the wire. The hook will generally be pointing downward and slightly toward the inside of the car for the best angle.
Step 8. Use the circle to press the button and open the lock
If you are pressing a button or pulling a vertical latch up, route the wire from the top of the window toward the button and take the necessary action. For a button, simply press down with the end of the wire until the doors open. For a vertical latch, push the circle you created on the end of the wire down over the latch and pull up until the latch opens.
It's important that the circle is just wide enough to slide over the vertical latch so that you can pull it back up
Step 9. Open the car door and get going
Step 10. Call a locksmith
If your vehicle door turns out to be too difficult to force open enough to insert the hanger with enough room to maneuver it, you may simply need to call a locksmith. They will have professional tools to get you back in your car in seconds.
Advice
- Make sure to use rubber wedges to avoid scratching the paint on the car.
- Perform this task in a well-lit and safe area to avoid looking like you are stealing your own car.
- Call a locksmith if you are concerned about damaging your car.
- Consider purchasing a device that consists of a small box with a powerful magnet that attaches to the bottom of your vehicle's frame. This device allows you to keep a spare key in a hidden place in the vehicle in case you ever lose your keys or leave them inside the car.
Warnings
- If your vehicle has an alarm, it is certain that it will go off during any of these methods of entering the car. Let the neighbors know what you are going to do so that no one calls the police. You may also want to have a neighbor with you to vouch for your possession of the vehicle in case someone else in the neighborhood calls the police.
- Do not use this method to enter a vehicle other than your own. It is completely illegal and will result in criminal charges.