How To Unlock Your Car Door If You've Locked The Keys Inside

If you have ever locked your car keys inside the vehicle, the first thing you need to do is not panic, and call a professional for help. However, if you find that help is not easily accessible, there are multiple ways to open your car door without a key. 

While car keys have evolved, so have the cars themselves. Most modern cars won’t lock themselves if it detects the keys are still in the vehicle. However, if your car does not have this feature, or is an older vehicle, there are many household tools that you can use to open the locked car door. As every car is designed differently, different hacks will work on different cars. These household tools, and these hacks could help get out of a difficult situation. But they may cause some damage to the cars, if not done correctly, so we always recommend calling a professional to help.

Tools You Can Use to Unlock Car A Door Without Key 

When you are locked out of the car, the one thing you do not want to do is panic. Take a deep breath, scan your surroundings, and identify tools that can serve as quick DIY devices to unlock the door. Here is a quick list of items that can help you to open a car door without a key:

1. Shoelace

A shoelace is an easily accessible tool to use and unlock your car door. To use it, you must tie a slipknot right between the shoelace, leaving a loop that is about the size of your index finger (thickness). Hold the string in both hands and hook it on the door corner. As you shimmy the lace, pull it down so that the shoelace goes on the inner side of your door. Keep shimmying and pulling down the shoelace till it reaches the door lock release. Once there, hook the loop on to the lock release and pull tight so that the knot wraps around the tab tightly and pulls it up to open the door. However, the shoelace hack only works on older car models featuring a tab on the door card for unlocking. This hack will not work with modern vehicles. 

2. Wedge

Using a wedge makes hacks like the shoelace method more effective. The wedge, a triangular-shaped object of tough rubber or wood, is thin at the top and thickens towards the bottom. Insert the thinner part of the wedge between the door and car frame to create a small gap. This gap can help insert the tools needed to open the car. 

3. Clothes hanger

Using a plier or your hands, leave the wire hanger hook, and straighten the other side. Now insert the hooked side from the outside, between the glass and the rubber weather strip. Wiggle the hook around till you find the control arm, and when it gets stuck on your hook, you can pull it up to open the door. 

4. Plastic strip

Take a thin plastic strip and fold it in half. Insert the tip of the fold between the door and car frame and push it ahead till it reaches the lock knob. Once it reaches there, hook it onto the knob and pull up; this will help unlock the car. If you use a wedge with this tool, it will possibly work better.

5. Blood pressure cuff

This hack works like a wedge to create a gap in the door. Insert the deflated blood pressure cuff from the corner of the door, and then start pumping it to inflate. Once inflated, a small gap will be created. Through this gap, a hanger, a shoelace, or a plastic strip can be inserted to open the door. 

6. Wiper

Another tool that is easily available is your car's windshield wiper. You can use a wedge to make some space between the car frame and door and insert the blade. You can then use the blade to access the lock on the door.

7. Car lockout kit

If you are someone who has misplaced their keys or locked them in the car more than once, investing in a lockout kit might be a good idea. A lockout kit contains various tools like gloves, wedges, inflatable balloons (like blood pressure cuffs), hooks on long metal handles, and other tools. It is a kit that has specially made tools that serve the purpose of some of the objects listed in the hacks above. Just remember to not keep this in the car and keep it handy either at work or home or keep one in your bag if you carry one. 

8. Call roadside assistance

It is important to note that while the above hacks can help you open the car, they could lead to possible damage to the door, the lock, or the window. The best way to get your car door unlocked is to call for help. Either a professional locksmith or any roadside assistance service that you have subscribed to. This method ensures that there is no damage to the door and is a sure-shot way to get back into your car because the professionals know exactly what they are doing.

How Does a Car's Locking Mechanism Work? 

There are primarily three ways a car key works:

Mechanical Key

This conventional method involves keys with cuts or patterns on both sides. When the key is inserted into the lock cylinder, these cuts/patterns match with the pin system inside the cylinder. This alignment makes the key to turn smoothly and ensures that the door is unlocked without any hurdle. 

Transponder Key

This is a system where the locks are electronic. It comes with an electric key fob (also known as remote), with buttons to lock or unlock the car doors, and some also unlock the boot. The key contains a transmitter, which relays information to a car’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU), and the doors are programmed to open or close at the press of a button. The key's transmitter typically operates within a short range from the vehicle.  As a failsafe, almost all transponder keys are equipped with mechanical keys, in case the transmitter fails, or if the battery runs out. 

Smart Digital Key 

Some modern cars are equipped with e-SIM cards which allow them to connect to the cloud accessed through the internet. When paired with the smartphone app, the user can lock and unlock the car remotely through the smartphone app, thus eliminating the need for a physical key or a fob.

Cause of Locked Car Doors from the Inside

The most common cause for being locked out of your vehicle is usually because the driver left the keys inside and locked the door by mistake. However, there are more reasons:

1. Broken/Damaged keys: Sometimes, your keys could break either because they were damaged or have gotten old. 
2. Discharged fob: In the case of electronic fobs, it is possible that the transmitter is damaged, or the fob’s battery has run out.
3. Blockage in the lock: Over a period of time, dirt, rust, or other impurities in the keyhole could jam and block the cylinder. 

10 Tips to Prevent Having a Locked Car 

The best hack in this article is to avoid getting locked out in the first place! Here are some tips and tricks you can use to prevent human or machine errors that lead to lockouts: 

1. Never leave the key in the ignition: Many times, when one turns off the car, they do not pull the key out of the ignition. Get in the habit of always taking the key out of the ignition when you switch off, and leave the car. 
2. Create a routine: Just like checking the rearview mirrors, fastening your seatbelt, before you start driving, create a routine for yourself when you get out of your car. Create a mental checklist which works with muscle memory when you leave your vehicle.
3. Fixed key spot: Just like fixing a routine to not lock your keys in the car, fixing a spot for your keys at home and at work will reduce the chances of you misplacing them.When you are not at home or work, fix a spot either in your bag or attach a lanyard to your trousers to create a fixed spot for yourself. 
4. Keep spare keys: Always keep a pair of spare keys handy, either at work or at home. Pick the spot where you are most likely to be in a hurry. 
5. Key finder gadget + app: This GPS-enabled device can be attached to your keys like a keychain, and using a mobile app, you can find your keys if they have been misplaced. 
6. Lubrication of lock system: Sometimes the dirt and rust inside the keyhole can jam the lock and not work correctly. Checking for cleaning and lubrication of the keyholes or locking system can avoid this situation. 
7. Regular maintenance: Regularly checking for any damage to the key or locking system or changing the keys if they get old, could help you avoid getting locked out. 
8. Battery check: Ensure your key fobs are charged, or if they work with batteries, keep a spare set to change them in case they get discharged. 
9. Keyless entry system: This solution requires you to invest in upgrading your car’s lock systems so that they can be operated without a key using a remote keyless entry system. Hence, locking your keys in the car will not be a problem anymore. 

Additionally, check out the road safety tips and essential driving car tips for beginners!

Conclusion

Whenever you get locked out of your car the first thing you should do is to call roadside assistance, or a professional for help. When help isn’t easily available, only then may you resort to the hacks we mentioned above.

If you are at a spot where you do not feel comfortable waiting for too long or where help cannot reach you immediately, then these hacks will get you out of the situation. But they are dependent on the availability of the right tools and, most importantly, on the ability of the person to use that hack effectively.

Our recommendation would be to keep the details of an expert handy and to also maybe try to practice or watch demos of some of these hacks. 

FAQ

Q. Can I unlock my car door with a tennis ball?

This method works by cutting a hole in a tennis ball and using it to pump air into the keyhole to create air pressure inside the lock of the car. But this only works on older cars, as the modern-day cars come with a spring seal over the keyhole that makes this ineffective.

Q. Can I use a shoelace to unlock my car door?

Yes. You need to tie a slipknot in the middle of the shoelace, insert it from the corner of the door, and pull it on both ends to wiggle down to the lock. Once it reaches there, loop it around the lock and pull it up. This hack only works on old cars that have a tab on top of the door card. 

Q. Can I use a coat hanger to unlock my car door?

Yes. Bend the hanger to make one side straight and the other like a hook. Use a wedge to create a gap in the door and insert it to either press a button to unlock or pull up a lock in case it is an old car. 

Q. Can I use a wedge to unlock my car door?

The wedge is a tool to create space between the door and car frame, allowing you to insert different tools to pull at the lock. This tool alone cannot help unlock the car. 

Q. Can I use a smartphone app to unlock my car door?

Yes, provided that your car comes with a Smart Key feature that pairs to a smartphone app.

Q. What should I do first if I lock my keys inside my car?

Relax. Then try to reach roadside assistance, or a professional locksmith. Only if those are not an option should you try to open the car lock yourself.

Q. Can I unlock my car door without a professional locksmith?

Yes, there are some DIY hacks that can help you open your car door. But these can cause damage to the car and require practice to make them work. 

Q. Are there any apps that can help unlock my car?
Car manufacturers offer keyless entry apps that can be installed on the user’s phone. However, this is available only in new cars.

Q. How much does it cost to unlock a car door?

It depends on the solution you are using–whether you’re calling for professional assistance or using DIY hacks to open it yourself. Sometimes, the DIY might end up costing you way more than calling in the professional because you accidentally damaged the car while trying to unlock it without a key.