How to Slim Jim a Car Door

A slim jim is a device that is used to open a car when the door keys are not available. While it is perfectly alright to use a slim jim to open your own vehicle, if you know how to do it, it should not be used on someone's vehicle without the consent of the owner. Most slim jims come with an instruction manual which explains its workings as to where you should insert the tool and how it should be done.

If you don’t quite know what a slim jim looks like; it is a long thin piece of metal which has a notch at the bottom. Before using the slim jim, try to get an idea of the mechanism of the door you are trying to open. This is important in order to find out where the control arm is located since it could be either at the front or rear of the lock. The location of the control arm also depends on the model and make of the car as well as the year of manufacture.

The notched end of the slim jim should be inserted between the weather stripping and the outer side of the window to push down the control arm. When this is done properly, the door gets unlocked.

The negative side of using a slim jim on a new model is because of the many fixtures and gadgets that are the hallmark of new cars. These cars come with power windows, burglar alarms, heated side mirrors etc. and with wires that control these devices running through the doors. If by chance the slim jim gets entangled in one of the wires, which is quite possible, it could set off the alarms and other controls which could prove to be a costly mistake apart from being dangerous as well.

Most car dealers and locksmiths advice owners of new cars against using a slim jim to unlock a door for this reason and try other means to open the door without causing any damage. Old cars of course have no such problem and the slim jim can be used on these vehicles to unlock the door.

Something else to keep in mind is that a person with no knowledge of vehicles should never attempt to use a slim jim to unlock a door. The wrong use of this gadget could very seriously damage the mechanism of the door or by exerting too much pressure could even cause the window to crack or break. While a locksmith is the best person to be consulted in case your car door gets locked while you are outside, you could also get the help of a law enforcement officer or an auto shop to help you with the unlocking of your car door.

There are various types of slim jims available with auto car dealers and specialists and these devices can be used to open a variety of models with different mechanisms. Therefore, unless you know what you are doing, do not attempt to unlock your car door with a slim jim. Let the professionals handle your problem and leave the car in one piece.

Photo Credits: irina slutsky

This post involves:

burglar, door keys, power windows, slim jim

... and focuses on:

Car Tips, Locked Car

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