There’s nothing more annoying than locking your keys in your car. Let’s be honest, especially if you are in a huge rush. Even if you are not, it’s not convenient for anyone. The good news is that your car is not gone forever. There are ways of getting back into it. Keep reading as the great group from fast automotive locksmith assistance Toronto area tell us some of their best tips.
Distraction, being in a hurry, carrying more than you can handle, crying or fighting kiddos, absentmindedness…one, all, or a combination of them could be factors contributing to locking your keys in your car. Is there much that’s more frustrating than returning to your car, reaching into your pocket, and experiencing that stomach-dropping moment of realizing the keys are not there? Or you go to reach for the door handle and you see your keys laying on your seat or hanging in the ignition? Or maybe in the craziness of your day, you’ve completely misplaced or lost your keys??
If you’re a driver, you’ve likely experienced one of these scenarios at least once in your life. Many learn from the one and done method. They lock themselves out once and remedy that by taking precautions to ensure it never happens again. Maybe a magnetic key holder is hidden somewhere under the car. Ensure it can’t get bumped loose or isn’t too obvious a spot so others might be tempted to help themselves. Making a copy of the key and keeping it in a wallet or purse is a great option unless of course the purse is locked in with the keys. If locked out of the vehicle while at home, having a spare key accessible will get you back in and on the road quickly.
But what happens if it’s your first time locking your keys in or you occasionally forget to remove them from the ignition prior to hitting the lock button? What options do you have if you DON’T have a spare key accessible?
First and foremost, are you going to try to retrieve the keys on your own or are you calling in the professionals? Let’s say you want to try to MacGyver them out on your own for starters.
Options are going to vary based on the type of vehicle. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find vehicles with the “old fashioned” manual pull up and push down locks. But they’re definitely still out there on the roads! If your vehicle has this lock system, you may have an easier time retrieving your keys. The most well-known method, the wire coat hanger, could possibly be the most effective DIY method of unlocking the vehicle. Using some kind of wedge to pry open space to insert the coat hanger, this is the method that many people know and would be most inclined to try first. Wedges could be a screwdriver, doorstop, inflatable wedge, or piece of plastic. Also used on older vehicles with manual locks is a lesser-known and nearly obsolete device created specifically for this purpose: the Slim Jim. A word of warning when using anything metal. The likelihood of scratching up your paint job is a very real possibility. You’d have to consider whether or not this would be worth trying it on your own.
Let’s say you’re like the majority of car owners and you have automatic power locks on your door, on the inside, inset into the door. Do what we do in most instances of everything in life…Google your vehicle’s locking mechanism. You may get some insight as to how to tackle this project. Likely though, you’re going to find similar solutions to the above methods, along with complete lockout kits and maybe even shoestring and a tennis ball. Not really great options at all.
What if you’re not at all interested in trying to get your keys out yourself (let’s save the paint and lots of frustration!)? Know your vehicle insurance and whether or not you have roadside assistance. Whether you do or don’t, calling on a locksmith would be an exceptional solution. Locks are their area of expertise and they can have you back on the road in minutes once they get to you!
If you’ve completely misplaced or lost your keys, don’t have a spare, and NEED to get your vehicle on the road, the best solution for this mishap is calling on a Locksmith. Locksmiths have the ability to cut new keys using your vehicles’ VIN number, as each vehicle’s key is coded by auto manufacturers. Even those vehicles that now have keyless ignitions could have a remote programmed by a Locksmith using the VIN number and proof that you own the vehicle.
Whether you’re locked out or keys are lost, Locksmiths can come to your rescue and save you many moments of despair and helplessness! We hope that these tips helped and you now understand a couple of your options. These are great locksmiths available in Toronto that are trustworthy and can get you back in your car in no time and back on your way. If you have a spare key, you can always have a friend or family member to bring it to you quickly but if you are far out of the way, don’t have a spare, or can’t get a hold of anything, a locksmith is a perfect solution. We wish you the best of luck!
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