How an Auto Locksmith Can Help when You Lose Your Car Keys
by Cheryl Dunn
If you ever lose your car keys, and your vehicle is locked, chances are that you are going to need to call a professional auto locksmith to get into your vehicle. Most average people do not have the necessary tools to get into vehicles without damaging them, and the last thing you want to do is to break a window or damage the door frame in any way.
There are a few different ways that an auto locksmith can get your vehicle unlocked, including:
Slim Jims – This is one of the most commonly-used auto locksmith tools. It is a strip of metal that is thin, and one to two inches in width. There are many different types of Slim Jims, to be used on different types of automobiles. The tool is carefully inserted between the window and the weather stripping on the passenger side. It grabs the lock rod, and then the rod is moved with the tool until it moves into the right position to unlock the door. These are mainly used with older vehicles, as modern vehicles have security systems that prevent this type of tool from being used.
Wire Hangers – Believe it or not, many auto locksmiths still use the old wire hanger trick to get into locked vehicles. The hanger is straightened out, leaving the hook as it is, and it is used much like a Slim Jim. The auto locksmith slips the hanger between the window and the weather stripping hook first. The hanger is moved around until the hook grabs onto the lock pin. The auto locksmith pulls the hanger upwards, pulling the lock pin up and unlocking the door.
Wedges–This is a more reliable method of getting into locked vehicles than Slim Jims and coat hangers. This method uses plastic wedges and a few feet of heavy wire. One wedge should be smaller than the other. The small wedge is placed in the gap where the door and vehicle body come together, either at the top or the side. This will make the opening large enough to insert the bigger wedge. Then the wire is placed into the opening to unlock the door.
In addition to being able to get into locked vehicles, auto locksmiths offer a variety of other services. Because modern vehicles have security locks, today's locksmiths also have techniques to get into these vehicles, including making new keys.