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We have all been locked out of our cars at one point or the other. It is a dilemma that is bound to happen at any given time. We can easily forget our keys inside or simply lose them, which will lock us out.
So how do we get back inside our cars, and what are the tools required? In this article, we will do our best to show you the best way of getting back inside your car using a screwdriver.
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Table of Contents
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Safety
Before starting on the tools that you may need or anything else, you must first know that your safety is the top priority. However, you might end up damaging your car in the process as the screwdriver may scratch or damage your paint job.
So the most important thing is always to wear gloves to protect your hands and fingers as the screwdriver may slip and end up hurting you.
Fixed Elements
So we will be explaining the easy and straightforward process of opening your car door using a screwdriver. However, there are fixed elements that do not change, no matter the method you are using. These things are the tools that you need, which are the screwdriver, to wedge the door to create space to insert a too. This tool is usually a long metal ruler or a wire coat hanger that is both tall and strong enough.
Also, the first step is always the same as all you have to do to locate the unlock key. Most cars have two types of unlock keys, and they are electric (automatic) and manual keys. Older models have manual keys only, where they are mostly located on the top of each door and are used to unlock each door separately.
Newer models contain two types of unlock keys. Automatically unlock keys are mostly located in the driver’s panel, which is located on the left-hand side door. You should also target a specific door, where for example, if your car doesn’t have automatic or electric unlock keys (or they are located in the middle), then your best option will be to target the driver’s door. You should also take into account whether you are right-handed or left-handed.
Therefore if you are right-handed, then you should try to open the driver’s door, while if you are left-handed, then you should go for the passenger’s door.
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The Process:
1. Locating the Unlock Key
As we stated before, this is, of course, the most important step. However, it is relatively easy to do as we are all very familiar with our beloved cars and know exactly where every button, nook, and cranny is located.
2. Use Your Screwdriver to Wedge the Door and Frame Apart
This step requires being delicate as you need to be as delicate as possible in order not to damage your car. You need to insert your tool or ruler between your car’s door and frame in order to create enough space to insert the screwdriver.
As we said before, you need to be extremely delicate during wedging the door as when you try to use the screwdriver to wedge the door, and you put a lot of pressure on both the door and the locking mechanism, which can break the locking mechanism or even bend the door.
So now, all you have to do is to slide the screwdriver very carefully in at your door’s top side. You should push the screwdriver beyond the car’s rubber seal until you see its tip inside your car.
Tip: Stay as far from the hinges as much as possible as this is the part where you will have the least amount of pressure possible applied by the hinges and the locking mechanism while also having the most space available.
3. Slide the Tool to Push the Unlock Button
As we said before, the best tool that you can use is a thin wire coat hanger as it is tall, strong, and can be bent in multiple ways. So now, you need to move your wedge according to the angle at which you will be inserting your tool. The easiest thing to do is to aim for the electronic unlock keys as all you will have to do is to push it down, and your car will open.
However, if you cannot reach the electronic keys, then you will have to try and open the manual ones where you will need to keep moving your coat hanger around until you can pull the key and open your car.
4. Remove Your Tool and Wedge Before Opening Your Door
We cannot stress the importance of this step as if you open the door with the screwdriver and tool still inside. You can easily break your locking mechanism. It is very expensive to repair. So it is very important to pull the tool that you inserted out first, then proceed to remove the screwdriver, and when the door returns to its normal position, you can finally open it.
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Highly-Rated Screwdriver
GEARWRENCH 80066
Final Thoughts
Finally, it is safe to say that opening your locked car using a screwdriver is relatively easy to do. It is an indispensable skill that you will use more often than you think. All you have to do is to locate the unlock key, wedge the door and frame apart using the screwdriver, insert the tool and press the lock key, remove both the tool and screwdriver and finally open your car’s locked door.
