Broken key...***resolved***

[BayMW_John]

Oy...I'm here in Mendocino, 4 hours north of home and this evening I managed to break off the only key I have to the car in the lock.

So, assuming I get a locksmith or police offier to slimjim the car, is there a way to hotwire the car to start it up and drive it home? I know that a replacement key is not a trivial thing to get, so I'm hoping there's a way to start Hilde up and get her back to SF. Otherwise, I'm looking at real estate in Mendocino.

Anyone? I need to get this sorted out in the next 48 hours. Just broke it off this (Sat) evening.

Thanks!



[Edit by BayMW_John on [TIME]1108933555[/TIME]]

[RobbieR]

I think you might be out of luck. Even if you did get the car started, doesn't the steering wheel lock without turning the key in the ignition switch?

[fastpat]

[QUOTE="BayMW_John"]Oy...I'm here in Mendocino, 4 hours north of home and this evening I managed to break off the only key I have to the car in the lock.

So, assuming I get a locksmith or police offier to slimjim the car, is there a way to hotwire the car to start it up and drive it home? I know that a replacement key is not a trivial thing to get, so I'm hoping there's a way to start Hilde up and get her back to SF. Otherwise, I'm looking at real estate in Mendocino.

Anyone? I need to get this sorted out in the next 48 hours. Just broke it off this (Sat) evening.

Thanks![/QUOTE]

Nope, but there are 24 hour emergency locksmiths in the Bay area, just call AAA to get one. You are a member, aren't you? Good, a locksmith can cut you a new key from the key code for your car.

[BayMW_John]

Yeah, the steering colum lock dawned on me this morning. I've got a tow guy coming out right now to slim-jim my car - it's possible I have my spare in the glovebox. Otherwise, I'm in trouble. Might have to rent a car, dive back to get the spare at home, and drive back...

[BayMW_John]

No spare in the glovebox, though the tow guy took the key to "Lynn the Locksmith" here in Mendocino. She's coming by in a few minutes to see if she can cut me a new one. Oddly, I snapped it somehow so that I was able to get both parts. I think that'll help me.

Nice way to meet the friendly folks here in Mendocino, though.

[RobbieR]

[QUOTE="BayMW_John"]No spare in the glovebox, though the tow guy took the key to "Lynn the Locksmith" here in Mendocino. She's coming by in a few minutes to see if she can cut me a new one. Oddly, I snapped it somehow so that I was able to get both parts. I think that'll help me.[/QUOTE]
Good luck, get 2 key's made and keep one in your wallet! :p

[BayMW_John]

Lynn pulled up in her rickety van and cut me a key. The first one didn't work well in the ignition one way, so she cut me a second one and let me keep both. I'll stash the spare one inside somewhere for (another) rainy day.

Thanks for the help and encouragement. It was looking pretty grim last night.

Now, back to the weekend!

[Threeshifter]

Maybe you should put the spare on the outside of the car somewhere hidden, maybe in the bumper or something. A spare will not do much good inside the car if you are locked out.

[shifty]

Great news, John!

Sounds kinda like when I inadvertantly locked my keys in my car the day I was supposed to leave Keesler AFB for a couple of weeks of leave!

Someone mentioned how they were surprised I had power locks. I told them it was actually central locks, still power but a little different.

I showed him how it prevents you from locking your keys in the car, because you can't close the driver's door with it locked. I pressed the lock, it popped back up, and I closed the door unlocked.

I did it again, no problem.

The third time, I pressed the lock, started to shut the door, and because my keys were in my hands I threw them onto the seat just for effect.

. . . did you notice something missing from that progression? Yes! The door didn't unlock!!!

I had closed the door too soon to let the door unlock itself! D'OH!!

Luckily, I had the small, headless spare key in my wallet and was able to get into the car. Everyone got a laugh from me, though, including myself!

[a]

I keep a key beind a license plate. It comes in handy from time to time.

[Mike in Louisville]

I locked my keys in my trunk once when I had the wires to the locking mechanism cut. I could get in the car, but not in the trunk. Since the friggin wires were cut, unlocking the doors didn't unlock the trunk. It was about $90 to have a locksmith get in the trunk, but it was free for me to take out the back seats, find a hole, and fish the keys out with a coathanger. I felt like an idiot for locking both my main and spare keys in the trunk, but once I got them out needless to say I was very relieved.

[BayMW_John]

I thought this weekend was going to be a disaster. Standing in the pitch black rain, in Mendocino (tiny little town) on President's Day weekend with my broken key, I thought to myself, "I am so f$#@ed...".

Did I mention this trip was supposed to be a romantic wedding anniversary weekend?

Let me tell you how well I married - did she throw a fit? Curse me, or my old rickety car? No. She said - "don't worry about it, we'll figure it out tomorrow, let's just go have a nice dinner." Amazing.

As good as it would be to hide a spare on the outside, I think that invites trouble. It's pretty easy to get a tow truck or police man to slim-jim your car for you (I have roadside assistance through USAA). Actually, the guy used a rubber/plastic wedge to move the door a little away from the body, and then a fairly ordenary looking long plastic strapping "tape", fairly rigid and about 1/2" wide. He folded it over so that one side made a loop, and slowly worked it down the door. He got the loop over the door lock button, and yanked it up.

Voila. $50.

It was $128 for "Lynn the Locksmith" to cut me a key.

I think for safety's sake, I'll conceal the key in the car somewhere, rather than outside.