Slim Jims

[Camarda]

Can you slim jim all four doors on a car or just the drivers seat? Im asking because if I practice on a car and I mess up the wiring I dont want it to be on the drivers side.

Thanks alot

[CaptHook]

To answer your question vaguely, if the locking mechanism on all 4 doors is of a type that can be compromised by a slim jim, then yes, you can slim jim all 4 doors.
Chuck

[CobraOne]

On newer cars that's what a slim jim will do ( miss things up )
slim jim's work best old older cars.

[CitySpider]

Should be RELATIVELY similar, though not identical, on the passenger side front door.

[Camarda]

"On newer cars that's what a slim jim will do ( miss things up )
slim jim's work best old older cars."

How much older?

[CobraOne]

Camarda,

It's going to depend on the make and model of the Car. Can you give us that infomation, it would help in try to help you with your problem. Opening car doors are the same as opening locks, You must use the right tool to do the job.

[HeadHunterCEO]

forget about trying to slim jim new toyotas

[Camarda]

Thanks for the info guys

[Varjeal]

It's a rare vehicle where most manuals will tell you to work on the driver's door. You should ALWAYS (with few exceptions) work on the passenger side of the vehicle.

[Mad Mick]

On some vehicles Varjeal, working on the drivers door is a neccessity. I prefer to work on the driver's door anyhow, as I know what is in there, where to put the tool, and I feel that the mechanisms are able to move more freely due to frequent use.

However, if you don't know what you are doing, better to leave slim jimming alone. The best advice is to go to your local scrapyard/vehicle dismantlers and ask/offer to pay for the opportunity to practice.

[Camarda]

I was going to practice on my brothers pontiac grand am. Will a slim jim work on this car or is it to new?

[RodVT]

Generally speaking, vertical lifting tools, slim jims included, work best on Fords. Chevys tend toward the horizontal lock rods these days.

Rod

[Mad Mick]

If you are competent with hand tools, take off the door trim panel and watch what happens when the door is locked/unlocked by the key.

Mostly, screws are hidden behind other panels which have to be removed first, before the main door trim panel can be removed. Failure to remove these screws will result in a damaged panel. If you are not confident that you can remove the panel without damage, please do not do so.

Once the trim panel is removed, wedge the weatherstrip away from the door glass, insert the jim, then locate the mechanism you previously observed to lock/unlock the door catch ass'y. I'm not going to go into specifics on any particular vehicle, if you want to find out how to open your Grand Esprit Turbo Nutter B**tard, work it out for yourself.

[Camarda]

What do you reccomend for a wedge. Also thanks for all the information.

[Mad Mick]

There are a plethora of commercial wedges available, however, at a pinch you could use one half of a spring-loaded clothes pin. Generally, a jim will slide between the glass and the weatherstrip, but if you've modified it (like I have) a wedge is neccessary.