It’s early in the morning in the middle of winter. You run out to your driveway to start your car so your engine will warm up and you can get safely to work.
While you’re getting dressed, you ask your husband to turn off the engine so you don’t waste gas. As he turns the car off, he throws the keys onto the driver’s seat and shuts the door – oblivious to the fact that the car doors are locked.
A few minutes later, you return to your car, only to find that your car is locked — and your keys are inside. At this point, you know you’re going to be late unless you try to pop the lock on your car door to retrieve your keys.
Or should you? What many people don’t realize is that unlocking your car door without the help of a professional locksmith can actually damage your car. Not to mention, it’s quite the hassle. At the end of the day, calling a professional locksmith will save you time, money, and stress. However, if you do attempt to unlock your own car door, here are some tips you should beware of.
Tip #1: Don’t let your alarm go off.
It’s super easy to trip your car’s alarm if you try to unlock your own door. Think about it – you’re sticking an object like a coat hanger, or something similar, through the window and into the door panel.
If having your keys locked inside your car wasn’t annoying enough, try waking up your neighbors as an alarm blares in your ear with no way to shut it off. If your car’s alarm is sensitive, unlocking your own car doors is the last thing you’ll want to do.
Tip #2: Don’t damage the door or window.
Another common consequence of trying to unlock your car on your own is damaging the window and the internal door panel. For starters, you could end up scratching the door, cracking the glass in the window, or creating separation between the window and the door. In fact, if you create separation between the door in the window, moisture will seep into your car everytime it rains leading to mold and mildew over time.
Another reason it’s important to avoid damaging the door or window is because you truly don’t know a;; the damage you could potentially do to your car. As you stick an object inside your car, you could wind up causing internal damage to the door panel. What’s more, you could get the hanger stuck inside the door panel, and then you’ll have to take it into an auto repair shop to be taken apart.
Tip #3: Don’t ruin your car’s electronic panel.
One of the most expensive consequences you risk when attempting to unlock your own car is damaging the car’s electronic panel. If you have automatic locks, then your doors operate via an electronic system.
It often is a very sensitive system that can be tripped easily. If you do enough damage, the entire panel may need to be replaced. In the process of trying to pop the lock, you could also damage other parts of the panel that connect to various parts of your car. This can make troubleshooting very difficult as there are many interconnected pieces that could be the problem.
The cost of replacing an electronic panel can escalate very quickly, so it’s always better to call a professional who not only has the right tools, but is trained on how to use them..
In conclusion, no one wants to deal with being locked out of a car — especially when you have somewhere you need to be, but this is something that you really can’t do on your own.
If you want to avoid the hassles of damaging your car — and having to pay a lot more money in the long run — then call the professionals at your local Pop-A-Lock. Yes, you’ll be late to work either way — but you’ll get there quicker if you don’t also have to take your car into the shop to get its alarm, door, or electrical panel fixed! Our professional locksmiths are ready to meet you where you are and to get you back into your car as soon as possible.
