Locked my keys in my car... best way to open it

originally posted by: Imagewerx

In this country remote starting is illegal,it will invalidate your insurance and it's as bad for an engine to let it idle when cold as it is to thrash it when it's still cold.

I live in a very cold northern US state. I wouldn't dare NOT start my engine and let it idle in the winter. That's just the craziest thing I have ever heard.

The best luck I had in the past without a spare available was leaving my window down a smidgen, pretty much always, so I could get a stiff wire in when I needed to. Now, especially when I'm long distance traveling, I ALWAYS keep one spare in my pants pocket at all times. If I ever use it, which I have, it goes straight back into my pants pocket, NO EXCEPTIONS.

a reply to: StoutBroux

Whether or not you dare to do it (or not) it's still very bad for any internal combustion engine to let it idle while cold.More so in your case as the oil will be like treacle in those temperatures and oil pressure will be dangerously low until it warms up and reaches it's operating viscosity.

The best way I have found to unlock a vehicles door, without causing damage, is to use a lighter and a heavyweight plastic (polypropylene) spoon.

a reply to: jstanthrno1
my mom and her friend went out one night and they left moms van at the local lions club when thyey returned they found the keys locked in car they tried the cops no luck there so they picked up a big riff raff rock and they bounced it off the driver side window then they decided to come get me i had a spare key but when i got there i walked over to passenger side and took my hand and popped out the plexiglass window my step father put in to replace it after he broke it out throwing beer bottles at signs morale to bthe story calm down and think before you act plus have a hidden key holder on your car

I actually saw a good break in kit at the local Flying J just yesterday. It was $20.

Had 2 wedges, slim jim tools, rigid bar, plastic loop, etc., It would do the job in most cases.

I saw this in an episode of Better Call Saul. I don't think it would work for all kinds of lock though.

Tennis ball trick

originally posted by: Skid Mark
I saw this in an episode of Better Call Saul. I don't think it would work for all kinds of lock though.

As of about ten years ago cars stopped having that little button,and over here even fewer had the mushroom shaped bit on to the top for the string to grip onto for sometime before that.Most European cars now don't have a visible means of locking or unlocking the doors other than a flashing LED to show when it's locked.

originally posted by: SprocketUK

Tennis ball trick

You mean the old tennis ball trick con? The central locking is actuated by a lever pressing on a microswitch when you turn the key,it's physically impossible for this to work.

a reply to: Imagewerx
Hey, don't shoot the messenger.
I've only had bikes most of my life, so never had to get my keys out of a locked car.


I've heard a few people talk about tennis balls so figured it was worth a shot, what ya got to lose? a tennis ball and 5 minutes of your time

a reply to: jstanthrno1

Wow, look at all the experts in this field lol

originally posted by: SprocketUK
a reply to: Imagewerx
Hey, don't shoot the messenger.
I've only had bikes most of my life, so never had to get my keys out of a locked car.


I've heard a few people talk about tennis balls so figured it was worth a shot, what ya got to lose? a tennis ball and 5 minutes of your time

The easiest way that does the least damage to the rest of the car is to smash a window.If it's an older car it'll cost £10 at the most from scrap yard,five minutes with a Hoover and about an hour of someone's time to fit the new/second hand window.

Trust me,the tennis ball trick won't work on any car I've ever worked on or know about.You'd be better off having a game of tennis with it while waiting for the locksmith or AA/RAC guy to arrive.

a reply to: Imagewerx

I did what I should have done first, and checked Mythbusters. Seems you were right, better off playing tennis while waiting for the locksmith!

originally posted by: verylowfrequency
I was in downtown Seattle and I asked a garage attendant what they do for lockouts and he handed me a card that advertised lockouts for $20. I was loading computers and the door slammed shut on an incline. I couldn't leave the truck to get spare keys & risk loosing the boxes, so I called the $20 lockout guy.

The coolest part is I learned how to get in without doing damage. What they do is slide a thin bladder inside the door frame and with a little hand squeeze pump they pump up the bladder until it creates a large enough gap to put a rubber wedge in to hold the spot then they move the bladder to get at least one more point to create a work space in between wedges or the bladder & a wedge. Once the gap is wide enough to get a tool in they unlock the door. For electric locks just a long tool to push the unlock button or a variety of angled tools for pulling manual locks including one with a noose that will tighten around a lock with the pull of a string.

The wedges sort of look like those used to split wood except they are hard enough rubber to hold their shape, but soft enough not to do damage to your finish.

No scratched paint outside or inside or broken expensive rubber seals and no damage to the door or hinges with this method. The larger the doors the easier they flex.

The key is the rubber wedges as you can use them without the bladder by inserting on the e if you have the finger strength to do what the air bladder does being careful not to over flex the door if your rocking because you don't have the strength. With two people one can flex while the other inserts the wedge to hold a gap.

To do it yourself, I would use the technique described above in verylowfrequency's reply but for the bladder, you can use a sphygmomanometer's inflatable rubber cuff to pump the door away from the threshold. Get or make wedges out of wood, or any material hard enough to support and wrap them with a washcloth, rubber or other covering that will protect the finish. For a tool to get to the lock mechanism, Go to a welding supply store and purchase a 36"x3/16" R45 brazing rod. I have a lockout kit and a set of registered pick keys, but most of the time I use a 36" R45 rod or the pink wand one that reaches from door window to opposite side of car. The pink wand cost me 100 bucks, an R45 rod is just a few bucks, if you can buy singles where you shop.

originally posted by: jstanthrno1


I also failed to mention the car has no power, I pulled the battery out to charge it when I locked the keys in the damn trunk.

keys in trunk...not in ignition...big difference in finding a solution

sorry about your problem

locksmith tools are a source for income, in a part-time mode, something to consider for the future... a lock puller device would be a once-in-a-lifetime- investment that would/could pay for itself in 2 or 3 rescue ventures in those rare instances where someone else got in a pickle

Even if your key has a chip in it, if the same key as the door, you can get a non-chipped copy made at any store that makes keys, to get door access. This is what I have in my wallet. (I have a hidden, chipped key hidden in the truck for any time I don't have my keys for some reason.)

You just need to hide one of these under your car, good for when you lock yourself out of car or home.

a reply to: Blackmarketeer

LOL, I locked my keys in my car a month ago and grabbed a tilt out rear side window and it shattered into a thousand pieces, and then reached in and unlocked the driver door which set off the alarm so I grabbed the keys and turned the lock on the rear hatch twice to disarm it..
Still haven't replaced that window and duct taped a black garbage bag over it haha.

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good luck