We have all, at one time or another, locked ourselves out of our cars. Do be embarrassed; it happens to the best of us. When this happens, you may find yourself panicking. This is especially if it is the first time this has happened to you.
In your state of panic, you are maybe thinking of what is the fastest way to get your keys out. But like any other situation calming down and being objective is what you need to do. Before you go breaking your windows or try prying your doors open, take a step back.
If you are anxious and panicking, get a place to sit and relax, then return to your car because your keys are not lost. They are inside your car that is going nowhere. It may look impossible, but it may prove to be easier than you ever anticipated.
The key to getting your keys out of your car, no pun intended, is to do so with little to no damage. Here is how to get keys out of a locked car.
Call For A Spare
If you are out running errands, and you find yourself locking your keys in your car, the easiest way to get them out is by calling someone to bring you your spare car keys. Alternatively, you can opt to call for a cab and make the trip back home to retrieve the spare, then make your way back to the car.
However, in the case of a child or pet locked in the car, call for emergency services immediately. The police and fire department is equipped with the necessary tools to either pick the lock or break your windows. But to be on the safe side, make sure to never lock your doors before removing your child or pet from the car.
On a light note, if you are locked out of your car and your child is inside, they can understand instructions on how to roll down the window and hand you the keys, then ask them to. This will, however, require patience, so no shouting or screaming at kids.
Call Road Side Assistance
The worst place to lock yourself out of your car is in the middle of nowhere. Some people may relate to this. During a long road trip, you might find yourself needing to take a break and stretch your legs. When doing this, you might accidentally lock yourself out of the car. For this situation, it is best to contact roadside assistance. Depending on your membership level, road side assistance can do this for free or at a fee.
Keep in mind road side assistance might take some time to get to you, depending on how far out you are. The key information details to give to road side assistance before you hang up are your location and your car’s make and model.
Use Your Phone
If you own a modern car that can be controlled using your phone, then panic is the lost thing you should do when you lock yourself out of the car. Most cars today, like Tesla, Ford, Subaru, Hyundai, or Chevrolet, can be opened using mobile apps. These apps are built like key fobs that are connected to the car’s system.
Make sure you use the manufacturer’s licensed mobile app to open your car. However, for this to work, you need to have your phone. If you cannot access your phone, you can opt for other methods to get your keys out.
Get Your Keys Out Of Your Car DIY
While DIY hacks might come in handy, they may also land you in trouble. Bystanders may call the cops on you for breaking into cars. So, to be safe, stick to the other methods mentioned above. However, for instance, if your car is in your garage and out of view of others, and you feel you can safely carry out one of these approaches, it's worth considering a DIY approach.
You might have seen the tennis ball hack video going around. The one where you use a cut-out tennis ball to create a vacuum seal around your car lock and pull the ball, the resulting pop opens your lock. While this hack worked on the video, there is no guarantee that it will work on your car. But it does not hurt to try.
Another popular DIY hack to get your keys out of a locked car is using a shoelace. This will, however, only work for cars with manual locks. If you are wearing shoes with laces, all you need to do is get the lace, create a loop the size of your index fixer and go to work.
Wiggle the looped side of the lace on the right corner of the driver side door. Do this until the loop slips inside the door stem. Once it is looped, use both of your hands to move the lace back and forth in a flossing motion.
This motion will see the knot slip further into the window and move towards the lock. Once the loop gets to the lock, move it to grip the lock and gently pull to unlock the door. Other popular DIY hacks involve coat hangers, bobby pins, and wedges.