Car lockouts are some of the most common issues that we, the car towing experts at Chicago Towing deal with on a regular basis. Amateur attempts at unlocking your car door sometimes, but not always work. In this blog entry, our vehicle recovery experts will detail some of the common methods people use to regain entry back into their vehicles.

Rod Prying

Use a rod with some length to pry the top part of the car door open and place a wooden wedge in the open area. Then, pump air into the open part of the car door – as it further opens, put the rod into the gap until it hits the lock mechanism and then unlock the car.

Plastic Strips

If the lock part of the car is at the top of the door, fold a strip of plastic in half and slide it into the pried car door. When it hits the lock, try to loop the plastic around the lock’s knob, squeeze so it can grab it, and pull it upward.

Coat Hangers

Try using a wire coat hanger – an improvised version of the classic slim jim tool. Straighten the coat hanger out using some pliers until one part of it is straight, and slide it between the upper part of the car window at the glass or at the weather stripping, and try to get the hook about 2 inches below the part where the car door meets the window. This places the hook part of the hanger near the inside door handle. Then rotate the hanger and try to get the hook to hit the control arm, then pull it up to unlock the car door.

Car Antenna

Sometimes present on older cars that have a locking and unlocking button on the door arm, the antenna could help you unlock the door. Place the antena between the top of the window and the door’s frame and try to hit the lock button.

Windshield Wipers

Remove the windshield wipers from your car and use them to wedge the door open. Then, try to put the wiper in the inside of your car and grab your keys with them – this will only work if they are sitting on the seat or the floor of the car, and pull them to the top of the window where you can manually retrieve them.