How to Pick a Car Lock

Is there anyone in the world who has ever managed to escape the headache of locking his or her car keys in the car – at least once? It’s happened to far more of us than anyone would like to believe, and it can be a tremendous time-waster that often requires panicked calls to spouses with backup keys, locksmiths, and even the car dealership. There are few things in life more irritating than that agonizing wait while a reserve set of keys arrives on the scene. Of course, if you had the skills to pick locks, you wouldn’t have to wait that extra half-hour for help to arrive, and could be the hero of your own story. Well, picking car locks is not just for car thieves and other miscreants – you too can learn how to pick the lock on your own car.

Burglarizing yourself

Yes, it is true that you may feel a wave of shame flooding over you as you engage in your first attempt to pick the lock on your own car. Get over it! In fact, even if you are doing this in public and find that every passerby is glaring at you in disapproval, ignore them. Think about it for a second: yes, you feel guilty, and yes your brain is telling you to explain your plight to everyone around you so that they don’t think the worst about you. Don’t bother – the worst that they can do is to call the police and report a burglary. If that happens, let the police come and help you open the car!

Tools of the trade

While the tools necessary to pick your own car lock may sound like a burglar’s kit, they are necessary if you hope to retrieve your keys. The first is a Slim Jim, or a modified metal coat hanger, and will work on cars made prior to 1995. The Slim Jim is a long metal piece that is able to latch onto your car door’s handle lever by means of a serrated edge. For these older models, the hanger will work just as well. Simply slide the unit between the car window and rubber stripping until you feel the lever. Pull the lever and the lock should disengage, freeing you to enter the car door.

Newer cars

For newer cars, the Slim Jim and hanger won’t work, since the lever mechanism is protected from that kind of tampering. You can, however, keep a set of so-called jiggler keys on hand.  These key-like pieces of metal have teeth like real keys, but no definable key notches, providing them with the capability to open most car door locks if you have the patience to jiggle the metal until the lock pops.

The best advice

Of course, the best advice for dealing with this problem is to adequately prepare in advance. Try keeping an extra key to the car door in a slot within your wallet or purse, in a safe place within the home or garage, or even in your office at work. While you can certainly pick your car lock with a little practice, avoiding the problem altogether can save you valuable time.

Photo Credits: Sara. Nel

This post involves:

burglar, burglary, car dealership, car door, car keys, car locks, car thieves, car tools, car window, metal coat hanger, slim jim

... and focuses on:

Car Alarm, Car Tips, Locked Car

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