I wanted to post my experience, I think it may help someone out there. Apologies if it's already listed someplace.
I locked myself out of my truck a week or so ago, and have no spare. Problem was, the engine was running and I had somewhere to be.
I called the dealer and asked what my options were. The parts guy was really helpful and advised me that if I came down and brought my VIN# with me, he could cut me a key from that information alone. He also said that they do this rarely, but since I had the truck in there before, they'd trust it's mine (my ownership was in my truck at the time and thus inaccessible).
As promised, I arrived and a key was cut. Worked perfectly!
Ahh, awesome they did that for you, but like "daksport" said it could pay to cover your vin.
now i locked mine out while drinkin one night so obviously i wasn't going to call the police to unlock it or anything like that. Good thing my buddy is an emt and had a bloodpressure cuff in his car. we used it to pry the door open and i took a long stick and hit the unlock button with it.(oh before anyone jumps on my about driving i had a "dd" and he was actually the one who locked them in the truck)
a couple months after buyin my dak i left the keys in it locked up but not running, with the vin# i had a new key cut which looked better then the one i had, course for me it was no charge and later had my viper key cut the same, free. long as you have the vin they can do it.
I'm pretty sure that this is an old trick but it's a new one for me.
This only works if you have 2 or more keyless entry remotes.
If you lock yourself out and you have someone else grab the extra keyless entry remote that's at home or somewhere, have them hold the remote up to the phone while you hold your phone right up to the door of your vehicle. Have them press the unlock button a bunch of times until it unlocks your vehicle. Some say it doesn't work, some say it does. I personally haven't tried it but will when I stop forgetting about it.
I have tried it and it works. tried it on the durango and the bmw and both times it works. The other person has to button mash nad point it at the phone just right and you just point the speaker of your phone to the car.
I was doing some work on my truck shortly after I bought it and found one zip tied to a fuel line, it wasn't a security key but at least it will get me in if I lock myself out.
Keys? Who need those? I can break into my truck in about 20 seconds without damaging anything. Which is kind of a scary thought that it's so easy. I do keep a spare key in my wallet though.
ford rangers, just lift up the door handle, take a long screwdriver, and you can unlock it by pulling on the cable a little, scary stuff, glad I don't drive one anymore. but it was nice when I locked the keys in my car.
illegal to cover your VIN tag? I'll disagree there. there's no reason for it to be illegal.
and what about cars that were built before VIN tags were put on your dash? like the ones where it's fixed to a metal plate that's in the door jamb (no, not the door sticker, but the actual door jambs) or on the firewalls?
my license plate does not have my VIN on it, and my annual registration sticker that gets stuck to the license plate does not have my VIN on it, instead, they have the license plate sequence on it so you can tell if a sticker was swiped off someone else's tag.
it is on the registration thats in my glovebox though.
I don't have inspection stickers in Ohio, but when I did in Louisiana, they didn't put your plate number OR your VIN on it. it was just a generic tamper proof sticker that got stuck inside your windshield.
now, it is illegal to remove your VIN! but if you simply cover it up, I don't see the problem, as long as it's not done in a way that permanently covers the VIN and prevents a cop from checking it if they want to--such as a license plate over top of it that you can reach up and move out of the way for the cop who wants to check it (but I've NEVER had a cop check my VIN#, ever!)
Last time I locked my keys in my truck, I called a locksmith, he put a blank into the lock 3 or 4 times went into his van cut a key and unlocked my truck.
If they know what they are doing they can bypass a lock with ease.
when 99' and i put my body lift on.. i took my rear bumper off and noticed an unusual chunk of mud.. it was the hide-a-key from the original owner all caked w mud :jester:
Locks only keep the honest people honest - if someone wants in and they know what they are doing, they can be inside in a heartbeat.
The hide a key posts reminded me of my grandfather......he ALWAYS had a hide- a- key on his inner fender, etc. Worked well until he put it in his usual spot on his new truck that he bought in 86 - too bad you had to pop the hood from INSIDE the truck to get the hide- a - key out.
Locked my keys to the parts truck over the summer and spent a good hour hunting down the spare. After I got it open, I went and got a metal coat hanger. Since the door panel was already off, I could easily see how to bend the coat hanger the right way and practice the method of unlocking the door with it. Pure coincidence that earlier today, before coming across this thread, I actually touched the stored away said coat hanger for the first time in several months. Should take it and videotape the process for you guys next week but thieves might be lurking as well.
In my old 92 cc I locked the keys inside once and since it was kind of a beater, I had a junk little screwdriver in the bed and thought, I will just try to go in thru the slider, broke the screwdriver. It is extremely easy to go in through the extended cab pop out window though.
in one of my s10s, i had shaved handles, and at this point in time: i had not wired an emergency open system. my buddy locked the keys in, with both remotes, and windows up. the stupid sonofabitch didnt care until i told him he had to get the keys out, and whatever he broke: he was paying to fix. he then began thinking of ways to open it with little to no impact on his wallet. well, i'll be damned: he just pushed on the rear slider on the window, and the fucker unlatched and he slid it open, and crawled through. those windows are tougher than they appear, but the latching idea is chinsy. this skinny little pansy ass kid pushed my rear slider open and crawled right in. once he figured it out, it took him no more than 15 seconds. wow, i'll never own a slider window again and assume it's secure.
those windows are tougher than they appear, but the latching idea is chinsy. this skinny little pansy ass kid pushed my rear slider open and crawled right in. once he figured it out, it took him no more than 15 seconds. wow, i'll never own a slider window again and assume it's secure.
I once locked the keys in my truck with it running. Well actually, I've done it twice. Both times I popped the latch on the sliding window to get in. I'm skinny enough I can crawl in through the slider, so I dont keep a spare key in a hide-a-key or anything.
Yeah most dealers will not cut keys like that with info over the phone. It's it's a PATS or chip key the only think it will work on is the doors so the vehicle has top be there to program it.
I've locked my key's in alot of times. A sliding rear window is easy to pop open with a flat end screw drivers. Done it lots. Until the last time I popped it, it popped into about a thousand pieces.
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