Improving the appearance of my garden in winter

What to Do When You've Locked Your Keys in Your Car

6 December 2016 by Paul Harrison

Let's face it: nearly everyone's locked their keys inside their car and gotten stranded in the office carpark. Luckily, you can get into most models without having to smash a window. If the following method doesn't work for you, you should contact your local emergency auto locksmith, who will be able to get into your car to retrieve your keys without drama.

In the meantime, here's how to get into your car.

Materials you will need

• a wedge-shaped object (a flat knife will work well)
• a thin object that is long enough to reach the door lock (a straightened-out wire coat hanger is fine for this)
• an old tea towel or fabric cloth

Things you will need to do 

The first thing you need to do is create an opening at the top of your driver's door. Take an old cloth or tea towel and use it to wrap the blade of your flat knife. This is important to avoid scratching your paint job.  

1. Push the wedge you've created into the top of the car door frame and give the wedge a few taps to make sure that it is stable. This is important because you will need both hands free to manipulate the wire coat hanger.  
2. Now take the wire coat hanger and straighten it out. Create a hook at one end of the coat hanger.  
3. Carefully slide the coat hanger through the gap you've created with the wedge, with the hook end leading. If your car has button-door locks that sit proud from the door, push the hook behind the lock button and pull it up or sideways into the unlock position. Alternatively, drop the hanger right down until you reach the door handle. Slide the hook over the handle and pull back on it until it clicks and the door opens. This is a fiddly process, and you must be prepared to make numerous attempts before you succeed.

Clearly, it's better if you never have the problem of having locked your keys inside your car. You can avoid the issue simply by asking an auto locksmith to cut you some spare keys to your vehicle. Always keep a spare key in your bag or wallet just in case you get locked out while you're away from home. You can also put another spare somewhere safe in your home or place a spare with a friend or family member.