# Can Deadlocks Be Opened?



## Calpol (24 Feb 2010)

8-[

Seriously though, I locked my keys in the car earlier, and deadlocked it. I have the spare key here to try but was wondering if it's possible to open the deadlocks without it just in case it's the wrong one and I need to get a locksmith out


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## Chris Knight (24 Feb 2010)

Works every time..


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## superunknown (24 Feb 2010)

That's a bummer.

Back when we had bad snow in January I started my van and shut the door to scrape the snow off. It locked itself. It was running for nearly 2 hours before I got the spare key brought out to me.


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## Noel (24 Feb 2010)

Depending on your make and model and where exactly the keys are you could try simply to try and retrieve the keys by prising open the top of a door. Proper way to do that is to use a bladder and a hand pump which of course most people don't have lying about. The bladder is similar to a whoopee cushion, placed in the slightly prised open gap at the top of a door and inflated. In the absence of such thing a few rags and a couple of long screw drivers do a similar job. Once you have a space at the top of the door keep it open with some kind of wedge and then it's wire coat hanger time and a bit of fishing (or even better is a telescopic rod with a small magnet at the end) . It can be a 10 minute job or a long and frustrating experience. Best of luck anyway.

PS - does it matter if the spare key doesn't work? It'll either open the car or not I would've thought.


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## Tom K (24 Feb 2010)

I'd be interested to know how you deadlock your car (as opposed to just locking it) without the key? What model is it?


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## Chems (25 Feb 2010)

Noel":3qa8lk5u said:


> Depending on your make and model and where exactly the keys are you could try simply to try and retrieve the keys by prising open the top of a door. Proper way to do that is to use a bladder and a hand pump which of course most people don't have lying about. The bladder is similar to a whoopee cushion, placed in the slightly prised open gap at the top of a door and inflated. In the absence of such thing a few rags and a couple of long screw drivers do a similar job. Once you have a space at the top of the door keep it open with some kind of wedge and then it's wire coat hanger time and a bit of fishing (or even better is a telescopic rod with a small magnet at the end) . It can be a 10 minute job or a long and frustrating experience. Best of luck anyway.
> 
> PS - does it matter if the spare key doesn't work? It'll either open the car or not I would've thought.



Have you ever tried this Noel? I ask as I am as are a few others, a serving firefighter and we make ourselves experts onto breaking into cars. Although the top corner is definatly a week point I can't see this working on any modern day vehicle, perhaps a few years ago it may have? I've spent hours struggling on motorways and A roads with the jaws which can spread 32 tons and gotten very little movement so I can't see a hand pump doing the trick anymore. 

We have a lot of input from car manufactures, Volvo are quite good at keeping us upto date but currently as far as I know there is no easy way to get past the deadlock. I've been to a few incidents where children have been locked in the car by mothers and such on the school run and once or twice we've been lucky with an slightly open sunroof and been able to fish the keys out but the standard tactic is to break a quater lite.

Apparently the old tennis ball over the lock and give it a whack used to work on cars, (worked by creating a pressure wave or some such?) but that was before my time. May even work for an older car but I really don't know.


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## misterfish (25 Feb 2010)

How about the vehicle manufacturer. When we had problems with our Nissan (many years ago) we had to get it towed to the local main dealer that first checked that we actually owned the care and then they had access to the database that gave details of the key and immobiliser which they then programmed into a new key. It cost about £80 and took a day to sort out but was easier than damaging the car and having to get expensive body repairs done after forcing it open.

Misterfish


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## Noel (25 Feb 2010)

Chems":3b94a27z said:


> Noel":3b94a27z said:
> 
> 
> > Depending on your make and model and where exactly the keys are you could try simply to try and retrieve the keys by prising open the top of a door. Proper way to do that is to use a bladder and a hand pump which of course most people don't have lying about. The bladder is similar to a whoopee cushion, placed in the slightly prised open gap at the top of a door and inflated. In the absence of such thing a few rags and a couple of long screw drivers do a similar job. Once you have a space at the top of the door keep it open with some kind of wedge and then it's wire coat hanger time and a bit of fishing (or even better is a telescopic rod with a small magnet at the end) . It can be a 10 minute job or a long and frustrating experience. Best of luck anyway.
> ...



Hi Chems, yip used to do it, not on a regular basis, but now and again. Last time was on an 04 Golf just before Christmas. Can't say what more modern cars are like, daresay the newer the model the more difficult it could be but as long as you can get access from the top of a door and the keys are able to be fished out it's possible. Tennis ball and vacuum used to work as you say but only on cars with a pneumatic central locking system. Other methods I've heard about is to smash a light or indicator and put contacts on the bulb fitting and "boost" the electrics with something greater than 12V and that apparently would "pop" the central locking and fry the alarm.
Of course in the old days a length of steel packing strip down the side of a window simply pulled up the wire rod that was connected to the door locking knob. That was before manufacturers started putting a shaped piece of tin plate over the locking mechanism.
But, as the statistics show, there's little anybody can do if somebody is determined to break in to or steal a car. Especially with use of "grabbers" and other electronic devices that can lift the code on the key button.
As you say, a quarter light and a small hammer or spring punch is the quickest way.


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## Dibs-h (25 Feb 2010)

Calpol":2agfsywf said:


> 8-[
> 
> Seriously though, I locked my keys in the car earlier, and deadlocked it. I have the spare key here to try but was wondering if it's possible to open the deadlocks without it just in case it's the wrong one and I need to get a locksmith out



Short answer is nope! Deadlocks rely on a separate actuator of some description to push the locking pin into place or turn the main mechanism that little bit more. Even if the windows were down - you wouldn't be able to pull the pin up - assuming it had one visible (as more and more cars don't).

If the spare is correct - side window or qtr lite, whatever is easier\cheaper to replace.

I don't actually think an auto locksmith is going to be able to open the locks if the deadlocks have engaged - after all that's the whole point of them. And if it's a relatively modern car - i.e. has a key that can't just be copied at any old key place - then picking the locks isn't going to get you anywhere.

To be honest probably be cheaper smashing a window that calling a locksmith!


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## DeanN (25 Feb 2010)

With my ford, you can deadlock either by pressing the key twice, or by using the key in the door and turning it left then right (or it may be right then left). This CAN be opened by picking the lock, just pick it one way, then spin it past the locking position and turn it the other way - door open. So if the car door can be deadlocked by key - it can be picked open.

The danger with spreading doors using air bags and wedges, particularly in cold weather, is you're very likley to break the glass. I always use this as a last resort.


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## Harbo (25 Feb 2010)

My car a BMW is keyless as such but can be opened remotely by BMW in an emergency through the iDrive system via its built-in phone.
It also transmits a Mayday with GPS position if involved in an accident.

Both things, thankfully, I have not experienced.

Rod


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## Racers (25 Feb 2010)

Hi, Harbo

Unless the battery is flat :wink: 

Pete


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## Harbo (25 Feb 2010)

Yes Pete but as I said I have not had to put it to test (touch wood)!  
I have downloaded stuff from my PC into the car over the Net which is quite useful. 

It's all a bit Big Brother and I suppose they could disable it if was stolen?

Rod


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## Racers (25 Feb 2010)

Hi, Harbo

Years ago I worked for someone who had the orignal Citroen XM it had central locking etc which was fantastic in the day, 1970s! the wing could be unbolted to replace the battery so if it went flat you could still get in.

We have one door oun our Alfa with a lock on and if you squeze the "key" you can pull out the key and unlock it.


Pete


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## Calpol (25 Feb 2010)

We tried the airbags (from Wurth, like Lamello's ones) and got the door opened enough but the keys were in the boot anyway! That was more to see if I'd deadlocked it or not... The spare key worked anyway but was curious to see what was options were there if it hadn't.

Thanks fort' replies though fellow UK Workshop chums


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