I'm offering this information in case it's any use when you get locked out of your car - it's not to help anyone who fancies looting from cars

Last night I managed to lock my car keys in the boot of my Ford Focus (3 door hatchback, 52 plate). I hadn't unlocked the doors - just the boot. Hence I was royally f#[ked

I rang the AA who sent out a local garage guy.

He got under the front of the car, found the reversing light switch and removed the wire. He then connected the positive side of a spare car battery to the single wire. This caused the electric window switches to become active

He then used a couple of special tools (wedges and small airbags) to force the top of the door away from the roof by an inch so he could operate the electric window switch with a length of steel rod... and we were in.

Very useful trick if you ever got locked out of a 52 plate Ford Focus.

Impressive!

The AA did exactly the same when I managed to lock the keys in the boot of my mondeo but he managed to pop the bonnet first using the steel wire down the door then used the LT wire going into the coil pack.

He was telling all different ways of getting into cars. Most involved drilling bumpers and knocking a screw driver in to activate the crash sensor which unlocks all the doors.

isn't it easier to get somebody to get you the 2nd set of keys?

whata palava , have you not heard of Mr Brick?

quote:

---

Originally posted by 02GF74
whata palava , have you not heard of Mr Brick?

---

I did the same with my Passat 56 plate, Friday afternoon wanted a quick getaway from a customers in the north east and I had my keys in my overalls. Popped the boot to sling my gear in but left the keys in the overalls pocket. Slammed it shut and as it left my finger tips I remembered the keys! Anyway I was right in front of the smoking shelter so took some stick.

If Wayne had been on shift he'd have been in within a flash as he's done time for it I was told!

Anyway AA man arrived and tried every trick available to him on his laptop. Even tried spiking the sump heater as it can sometimes force the unlock on the doors. In the end he managed with wedges etc to prize the rear door enough, then with some bent wire opened the rear window winder enough to get in.

Took him 1.40hr though from start to finish.

Steve

on the focus you can also remove the centre rear brake ligh and tap into the wire for the boot lock poper. much easier way of getting in. fords have never been good for security.

this worries me slightly

Thatcham produce (or at least used to) an annual vehicle theft techniques book for use by investigators etc, very interesting and some of it a little scary.

I had a Citroen BX many years ago. You could open that easily by pulling the door away and use a piece of 'brick band' to pull the button up. It was key operated central locking. Much later I discovered that the driver's lock was knacked and could be opened with any key, nail file, pen knife etc.
On my 2CV, the key used to refuse to go into the steering lock. On the last occasion this happened it took an hour to get the key in. It never came out again, but I figured I was pretty safe - Who would steal a 2CV!

quote:

---

Saw a TV prog a few years ago where some little oik got into the car he was stealing from by literally just peeling the top of the door/window frame away from the car.

---

My missus Saxo had the B pillar bent a few yrs back, they took 1 prerecorded CD, and a collection of written ones, worth about £5 tops, cost her £70 to get the door repaired.

as for tricks, if you insert a MK2 novas hazard switch upside down in to its connector you get full ignition, then you just need to break the steering lock and bump start it!

During my apprenticeship, I got sent on a course teaching me how to break into cars. It was excellent! It's a shame it was in 1989 so even the newest of cars then, are long past stealing!!
There was a nifty trick for getting into some Peugeots (IIRC) that involved popping a grommet out of the boot floor, pulling the wiring loom through it and fiddling with the multi-connector. It energised all the central locking motors...........

lots of ways to get in when at collage we were shown a few again it was in 1996 but snap on sell a kit (or used two) to the trade for getting into cars