Locked Keys In Car? Here Are DIY Tips - Locksmith Atlanta

Take a deep breath, and try to stay calm!

It may sound trite, but it’s true that the most important thing to do in a stressful situation like discovering that your keys are locked inside your vehicle, is to stay calm so you can think of all of your viable options. You locked your keys in the car, and while this happens every day to someone out there, that someone is not usually you. It is time to take the necessary steps to get back into your car, retrieve your keys, and get on with your day. There are do-it-yourself DIY tips that may work, or they may leave you in worse shape with a damaged lock or car that is not covered by insurance. Calling a locksmith is often your best bet to get help on the way, get you back inside, and on with your day. In the meantime, here are some helpful tips to try:

Make Sure You Are, Indeed, Locked Out

Locked Keys In Car? DIY TipsWhen you think you have locked your keys in the car, panic often takes over and all reason is thrown to the wayside. Sometimes, you are not actually locked out. There may be an open passenger door or a way to enter through your trunk or hatchback.

If you have checked all of your options for entry, and you are sure you are locked out, look around for tools that you might be able to use to get inside. Gone are the days, on most recent model cars, of picking up a wire or coat hanger and pulling the locking knob up. If you have a post lock and are wearing shoelaces, you might have enough of a tool to get the job done. Coat hangers and shoelaces work in much the same way. The basic idea is to get a loop-ended straight object through the window seal and the window and into position to lift the lock button. For sliding or push locks, a coat hanger that is straightened may be maneuvered to push the lock open as well. Sometimes a screwdriver as a makeshift wedge can be used.

WARNING: These tried and true sliding or push locks methods often leave damage to your car.

Another option is to go to a local store and buy tools to help get you inside your vehicle to retrieve your key. These tools include:

Wedges

Air or rubber wedges are used to create a gap where you can insert the necessary tool to lift a lock. If you do not find an actual car wedge, a rubber door stop, or even a screwdriver may do the trick.

Probe or Plastic Strap

A probe works much like the coat hanger. It is basically a long, sturdy thin object with a loop on the end that can be inserted and positioned to lift a push button lock.

Slim Jim

Locked Keys In Car? DIY TipsThe slim Jim method is similar to the coat hanger, wedge and probe method. The difference is that the slim Jim fits into your door and is designed for this purpose. Be very careful, because there are now many wires and electronic components that are inside door panels that you could damage in an attempt to open your door.
Picking the Lock

If your vehicle was manufactured before the mid-1990’s, it probably has traditional locking mechanisms that consist of inside wafers and pins that can sometimes be jiggled into position to open. Use a professional lock-picking tool, or something like a paperclip sometimes works.

WARNING: An attempt at picking a lock may result in a damaged lock that is not covered by insurance.

Keys Locked In Trunk

To complicate a typical “locked my keys in the car” situation, sometimes your keys may be trapped inside a locked trunk. If this is the case, the best help some services can offer is to drill open your trunk lock, which leaves you with a hole in your car that isn’t covered by insurance.

Call for Help

Unless you have the proper tools or are extremely skilled at unlocking your vehicle with these or similar tools, there is a great chance you will damage your car in an attempt to get inside. It is time to call someone who is equipped with the proper tools and knows how to properly use them to open your doors without leaving any damage to your car.

Call On star or AAA

If you are a member of AAA, unlocking your vehicle may be part of your coverage plan. Otherwise, some On star services provide remote unlocking services. If your service agreement has run out, or if a car lockout is not part of your policy, these services will assess a fee that you may not be prepared to pay.

Call the Police

Some police officers are equipped for lockout situations, but some municipalities allow an officer to open your vehicle only if it is an emergency, such as a child trapped inside with the engine running.

Call a Locksmith

A local mobile locksmith is prepared to come to you quickly, usually within 30 minutes or less, get your car door open, and retrieve your keys or even make you a duplicate set on the spot, leaving you with no damage to your vehicle and charging a competitive and often very affordable rate for these services. Another benefit to using a professional locksmith when your keys are locked in your car is that they are trained and handle these lockout scenarios every day.

TIP: Calling a locksmith is often the best place to start to save you time, needless effort, and a whole lot of money, not to mention repair bills for damage that DIY attempts often leave.

Be prepared to share:

Your location
Make, model, and year of your car
Explain where your keys are located inside the vehicle
Provide proof of ID

Stay calm, and relax. Because, when you go straight to best solution, you will be back inside your car, with car keys in hand, and being locked out of your car with locked keys in car will not be a problem for long.

Car Lockout - Locksmith Atlanta

Car Lockout

Car Lockout 

Probably the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions a locksmith is a car lockout situation. It’s never fun when you realize your keys are inside the vehicle, and you are stranded outside a locked car. How you handle the situation will determine how quickly you get back on the road and out of potential danger. There are a few common circumstances that lead up to a car lockout.

Losing your keys at home or work – As simple as this sounds, it happens all of the time. You set the keys down in an unusual spot and think to yourself that you will remember where you set them, or you’re in a hurry with groceries or computer bag in hand and drop them. Perhaps, you rushed in the door just in time to meet an unexpected client, set your keys down to focus on the business at hand and later forget where you placed them. You don’t realize that they are not where they should be until you go to leave and cannot find them.

Locked Out? Call Locksmith Atlanta (678) 942-6714

Breaking your key in the ignition – You casually insert the key like you always do, and suddenly you hear a “Snap!” Oh no! You have the key, but it’s not either starting or turning off the engine. 

Car Lockout Atlanta Locked Keys In The Car  – Just as simple as losing your keys at home or work sounds like something that could never possibly happen to someone who gives even half a thought to their daily routines, it’s easier than you imagine to shut the car door and realize the keys are inside. Often, it’s that pit-in-your-stomach feeling as soon as you hear the latch close. This usually happens when you are loading or unloading items from the car and set them down inside the trunk, or maybe you’re out of routine, helping a child in and out of the car or distracted in some other way. This situation becomes of utmost emergency if you have also locked inside a child or a pet.

Locking your keys in the car with the engine still running – Worse than losing your keys or locking them in the car is when you not only locked your keys in the car, but the car is still running. At this point, every second count as your mind tally up the cost of gasoline being burned and the wear and tear on the engine idling with no one inside. 

Car Lockout Are A Common Problem

Whatever the cause of your car lockout, you are now in need of help. You need to regain access to your keys to get back on the road again in no time.

First, check to see if you have a spare key. If you do have a spare or have left an extra key with someone you trust you are in luck. If not, you will still need to figure out a way to get inside your locked car. Most current model cars automatically lock every door at the same time. There are some older model cars where only the driver’s door locks, leaving the passenger doors unlocked and accessible. If neither of these options works for you, it’s time to ask for professional car locksmith Atlanta help. While you wait for help, look for a safe location to wait while keeping an eye on your vehicle. Call Locksmith Atlanta now at (678) 942-6714 for FAST car lockout Atlanta!

Check out our DIY tips for keys Locked In The Car 

Call a trusted locksmith Atlanta who knows how to handle any car lockout Atlanta situation!

Locked Out? Locksmith Atlanta

Lockout

Lockout happens every day. In fact, as you read this, someone is probably standing somewhere locked out of a car or building, making them late to an appointment and probably panicking as they try to figure out how to get inside. As in any emergency situation, the most important thing to remember is to not panic, which is so much easier in theory than smack dab in the middle of an emergency situation. Of course, you may have a spare key somewhere. However, getting to it isn’t always an option. Calm down, and think clearly about what your next step should be.  

Take these steps and prepared before you will need a lockout Service:

  1. Always have a copy of your most important keys. Store them in a location that is easy for you to access yet out of the reach of potential crooks.
  2. Keep a spare house key in your vehicle, and keep a spare vehicle key in your house.
  3. Give a spare key to someone you trust, such as a neighbor, relative, or close friend, and who is prepared to get the key to you in an emergency lockout situation.
  4. Hide a spare key in an unsuspecting location. Don’t hide your keys in an obvious place. Don’t discuss it with others within hearing of strangers or on social media. Avoid the proverbial “key under the doormat” scenario. Be more creative than that. Select places such as underneath a dog house, since burglars notoriously will avoid dogs at all cost, or hide it inside a weatherproof container buried underneath a section of mulch on the landscaping or inside a patio furniture cushion.
  5. Consider wearing a spare key as a piece of jewelry, like looping one onto a necklace chain or bracelet. Of course, the electronic key fobs don’t work as well for this solution.
  6. Electronic key fob users need to occasionally use the manual key to open the door just to make sure it is working properly. If the key is working manually, you can rest assured that if your key fob battery goes bad or something goes wrong electronically you will still be able to use the manual key.

 

When you do find yourself locked out of a home, office or vehicle, and it’s an emergency situation which demands immediate action, consider your options.

Lockout Service - Locksmith Atlanta The first option – Calling a professional locksmith that specializes in any lockout services. 

The second option – is to check to see if there is another way of entry. Some cars only lock the driver’s side which means a passenger door or hatchback may be open to allow you to get inside and retrieve your keys. On a house or office, there may be a back door or even a window open to allow for entry.

To complicate matters, many cars today start only with a programmed transponder key or have a key built into an intricate electronic system that is programmed only for your specific vehicle.

Did you try all the options and none of them worked? It’s time to call in the reinforcements of locksmith Atlanta! we will conveniently and quickly come to where you and will get you back inside. Don’t waste your time and money! 

In Locksmith Atlanta We know how frustrating is for you to be locked out. We will do everything to get you back into your house, car or office as soon as possible. Locksmith Atlanta is ready to assist your lockout Atlanta situation now! With our locksmith technicians standing by and ready to serve you with any lockout Atlanta service. Call now for fast 24-hour lockout Atlanta service!

Need A Lockout Atlanta Service? Call Locksmith Atlanta Now (678) 942-6714