Story I heard, not sure if it is possible

[SFGOON]

hands down, the fastest way to unlock a car door (other than the keys, thank you) is with a coathanger.

{edited by Varjeal: Car opening procedures are not discussed in open forums. Thanks.}

[Luke]

Yes Varjeal is right.... To open cars today you have to have a general idea of what to do, what sorta set up its got... ie:- Verticle linkage. and then the right tools... To open a car with a coat hanger in 5 mins WITHOUT damage definately would be luck.
And with the 95 van... Sorry let me refrase that.... Some.... well MOST.

[b540glenn]

I feel a bit of skepticism about opening a 95 minivan with a coat hanger.

Look at that lock post. It ain't rocket science.

As for damage, I know I did not break the window, but I can not be certain that I did not scuff the weather strip.

{edited by Varjeal: Do I really need to say why????? Read the note in the above post I edited. If I need to do this again, thread is getting locked and/or moved. Sheesh.}

[Buggs41]

If you really need to open a car, without doing any damage, you must have the right tools. You will also need to know how to use the tool.

This information will not be posted here. Your best course of action is to buy an auto lockout kit, along with the current manufactures catalog. The catalog will show you step-by-step which tool to use, and how to use it on the auto you wish to open.

If you decide to "try" it without this information, you are setting yourself up to be in a "world of hurt."

My two cents...

[SFGOON]

eep.. me and my big mouth. Bottom line is it's not hard to open a car door and you shouldn't be impressed when somebody can do it. All it takes in most cases is a little creativity.

[Mad Mick]

Bottom line is it's not hard to open a car door and you shouldn't be impressed when somebody can do it. All it takes in most cases is a little creativity.

Generalising about very diverse types of locking system can lead to embarrasment.

I'm an auto mechanic/hobby picker and regularly have to open many very different vehicles, some just locked with the keys inside, others deadlocked with the keys God knows where. Knowing what to do, when the situation is not what you expect, sorts out the men from the boys.

[CaptHook]

Knowing what to do, when the situation is not what you expect, sorts out the men from the boys.

Exactly.
Chuck

[Luke]

hate to say it but people generalising like you said "diverse" types of locking mechanisms is just NOOBISH.... If you SFGOON of whoever you are think about the variety of locks then look at cars and SORT OF compare them... There is no where near the amount of mechanisms in car locking systems as there is locks but got to www.hpcworld.com and get an idea of how many tools there are....

[DeadlyHunter]

He could have had a extra key of that same make car on his keychain, or he could have made a copy of this persons keys without them knowing it, such as I have done with many of my friends, because I know that they will look themselves out. For example, one friend of mine didnt know I had made a copy of his key or that I was able to pick locks, so when he locked himself out it looked like magic to him when I unlocked his car and drove it around the parking lot.

[Serethipas]

what if the guy asked eddy

"can you go use your spare key and go get me my keys?"

[emmanuelgoldstein]

I just opened a car door in about 2 minutes with a coat hanger. Granted it was a vehicle circa 1990, but A) I did no damage and B) I've never done it before. I had no idea what the particular locking mechanism looked like but the bottom line is, try it and it just may work for you too.

[Chucklz]

Try it wrong, and you may have a few thousand in repairs. But as always, work at your own risk.