Many people lead busy, often hectic lives, which makes it a bit hard to keep track of everything. While distracted in this fast-paced world, you may find your car key inside your car and yourself locked out! What a mess! What do you do?
Certainly, calling an auto locksmith comes to mind, although that may not always be possible.
The unpleasant experience of getting locked out of your car can range in seriousness from a slight inconvenience to a life-threatening situation.
Locked Out
Here are 5 methods to retrieve your car key when you get locked out. Please only use them to recover your own car key; the goal is not to get you started in auto theft.
- Hanger
On older cars, using a metal hanger is probably the simplest way to unlock your car door. This method works well on different types of locks, but it is not a good idea with modern models. To open the car door, you need a metal hanger or a bendy wire.
Keep the hooked part intact, and then adjust the rest of the hanger to make a straight line. Next, you will need to slide the hanger between the lower edge of the window and the rubber covering.
Finding the locking pin of the door may take a while, but it is often placed near the back end of the door. As soon as you locate the door handle mechanism, pull up the hanger. This should open the door, allowing you to recover your car keys.
- Shoelace
Using a shoelace or a string only works if your door lock opens by pulling it up. Although simple, this method may require practice to perform it successfully.
The tricky part is making a slipknot, which is easy despite seeming hard at first glance. Furthermore, you can make a slipknot using different approaches, but the most effortless way is feeding a loop into a loop.
First, you need to create a loop by crossing one end of the lace over the other. Next, hold the meeting point with your index finger, and then form another horseshoe-like knot next to the first loop. Feed the second loop through the first one. Lastly, pull the shoelace to tighten the first loop around the second, and voila!
Next, slide the knot inside the car until it is around the lock, and then tighten the loop by pulling both ends of the string. All you have to do now is pull up the lock to open the door, which will allow you to get your key back and be on your way. It takes lots of patience but can be used in a pinch!
- Trunk Access
Another way to enter your vehicle when locked out is through the trunk, but obviously, this only works if your car trunk is open. Many cars have an emergency cord in the trunk, which lets drivers enter their cars through the back seat.
Locate the cord and pull it, this will cause the back passenger seats to fall forward. After doing so, there should be enough space for you to crawl through, enabling you to reach your keys inside the car.
- Break the Window
For a number of reasons, you may be unable to perform the methods we have discussed previously in order to recover your car key. This proves true during an emergency in which a few minutes may make the difference between life and death. Drastic times can call for drastic measures.
Ideally, you should use a heavy object, such as a brick, to break the window. However, if you find no such item, then you could wrap a shirt or a coat around your fist and punch the glass. After breaking the window, unlock the door to regain your car key.
- Call a Professional Service
Calling in a competent auto locksmith is by far the safest method to handle being locked out. With a blend of experience and sophisticated equipment, a proficient technician can unlock your car door in a matter of minutes.
Compared to automotive service, other methods may cause damage to your car. For instance, using a hanger may cause the locking mechanism to malfunction, which equates to extra repair fees.
The Wind-up
Being locked out of your car presents you with a troublesome issue. This can escalate to a grave situation. While you may opt to unlock your car on your own using a hanger or a shoelace, but that is not always an option. To recover your key when locked out, it is often better to enlist the help of a professional instead of doing it yourself.
If you have ever been locked out of your car, you can call Chicago Car Keys at (773) 521 7000 or visit our automotive locksmith shop.