locked keys in Jeep

[BCParker]

97, 4 door, power locks, keyless entry, windows up, keys sitting on drivers seat, spare key in glovebox.


few questions:

anyway to get inside?.

how much does a locksmith charge to come out, on a saturday?

Which window is cheapest/easiest to replace if I get pissed tonight?

[DrMoab]

97, 4 door, power locks, keyless entry, windows up, keys sitting on drivers seat, spare key in glovebox.


few questions:

anyway to get inside?.

how much does a locksmith charge to come out, on a saturday?

Which window is cheapest/easiest to replace if I get pissed tonight?
Sometimes the cops will come with a slim jim...I dont know if they will in your area or not though.

[XJ Jeepin Girl]

My mom called the fire department once. They usually don't want to waste their time, unless there's an animal/child in the car, or there is some sort of other emergency involved. Sure enough, my little sister was in her carseat at the time.

Why keep the spare in the glove box?! Obviously not doin' yah much good...

[Beej]

Do you have a thin wedge and a thin strip of metal? You could fab up a slimjim and take your time to get it open. You'll need a slot on the side of the slimjim that will fit over the lock or door bar and pull it towards the front of your Jeep. Just a thought. I don't know about your area, but for me a locksmith on the weekend is not much more than one on a weekday and when my wife had it done it was $35 CDN and took the guy less than thirty seconds to get it open...

Reminds me of a time when a female employee called me from her cellphone to tell me she would be late for work because she was waiting on a locksmith to help her out. Turns out she'd locked herself inside her car with her keys hanging out of the lock on the outside of her door. I suggested she just try using the lock button on the inside of her car. She was amazed that I was so clever and thanked me profusely for helping her out. I tried for a month to find a way to fire her. I just figured anyone that stupid would eventually become a major liability. Thankfully she found another job closer to home...

:D

[BRIANHO13]

know anyone with AAA, best investment in the world. I think I pay 100 a year for my wife and myself and that includes 8 tow truck visits, they tow up to 100 miles for each visit. they would get your door open for you.

If you know somone with AAA that can stay with you at the jeep AAA will work on your junk for one of thier visits.

As for which window, I would go for a cargo area windo they should be pretty cheap at a junk yard and are easy to replace.

[BRIANHO13]

Reminds me of a time when a female employee called me from her cellphone to tell me she would be late for work because she was waiting on a locksmith to help her out. Turns out she'd locked herself inside her car with her keys hanging out of the lock on the outside of her door. I suggested she just try using the lock button on the inside of her car. She was amazed that I was so clever and thanked me profusely for helping her out. I tried for a month to find a way to fire her. I just figured anyone that stupid would eventually become a major liability. Thankfully she found another job closer to home...

:D

Crazy canadians.

[Midnight Krawler]

A window will cost more than a locksmith. Just think, $35 to $50 for a locksmith/roadside service. A new window or used window will cost about the same plus the time to install it. Let alone having to drive around without a window.

One method I use to open a locked car/truck. Using a plastic set of wedges, pry the door open at the top just enough to allow a wire rod to slide through. Use a 4ft piece of heavy wire. Make a couple of custom bends in the wire so it can reach the power lock button and unlock the door. Real easy with power locks.

[BCParker]

A window will cost more than a locksmith. Just think, $35 to $50 for a locksmith/roadside service. A new window or used window will cost about the same plus the time to install it. Let alone having to drive around without a window.

One method I use to open a locked car/truck. Using a plastic set of wedges, pry the door open at the top just enough to allow a wire rod to slide through. Use a 4ft piece of heavy wire. Make a couple of custom bends in the wire so it can reach the power lock button and unlock the door. Real easy with power locks.


$40 doesn't sound bad, I was thinking it would be more like 80-100.


If I can find decent wire i'll try it myself.

do you go between the window and the door or the door and the frame?

[ssjkakkarotx]

Whoaaaa 1st do not punch out one of the cargo windows. No offense to whoever said that , but thats really dumb. Thats a big expensive piece. If you are going to break one. Take one of the small half windows on the rear door. They are 10 bucks at a junk yard and it takes all of 20 minutes to put it.

[RichP]

I don't have all this fancy schmancy power stuff, where's the power door lock button on the xj ? I remember looking at a sport and some buttons were on the center console but I don't remember which ones.
Coat hangers have gotten me out of couple of tight situations. Popped the lock on my S10 though it did take a few tries to get the right bend and loop then get it around the button, same with my olds starfire.
Also to grab the bar that operates the lock you can do with a coat hanger and just a simple loop that you can turn once you hook it...
I always carry a spare key in my wallet and another hidden on the XJ that requires a torx bit and about 5 minutes to get at...

[rocklandxjer]

sawzall...





























just kiddin by the way, call a locksmith, easiest, fastest, and most reliable,
the small vent window up front would be easy too but not as clean...

[DDCxj]

The companies I tow for charge $45 for a lockout, same price if its the PD that calls us to do it because they can't get in, which happens quite often.

Once you see the guy get in, you'll probably want to start doing it for a job seeing as he'll spend 30-60 seconds to unlock your Jeep and get almost $50 for it.

[Beej]

the small vent window up front would be easy too but not as clean... No vent window in a 97 and up...

[MENEZES]

O locked myself out of my 89. Not sure if the drain plugs are in the same locations or not but on the older models one plug is right under the driver floor by the pedals. I pryed the plug off, cut a hole in the carpet, and got put together every extension i owned and stuck them through the hole and flipped the lock/unlock button! Good luck

[SS01XJ]

Take your vin number and proof of ownership to a dealer. He can make a key for you.

[Lawn Cher']

If I can find decent wire i'll try it myself.

do you go between the window and the door or the door and the frame?

Between the door and the frame, it works. Did it on my wife's '01 Limited.

I was wheeling with my dog in the vehicle... it was a hot day and she likes the AC. When I got out to check something and closed the door with the Jeep running, she pawed at the window and hit the door lock button. Now she stays at home.

[olivedrabcj7]

This may be a longshot but if your fenders are cut up front, try going in through the fender, behind the fender liner and taking the bolts out of the door hinge. Once you get the bolts out, you can probably wedge the front of the door open enough to reach in and open it with help from a friend. Then....while you have our doors off.....you can do the doorless mod and cut the hinges. 2 birds...one stone.

[BCParker]

Take your vin number and proof of ownership to a dealer. He can make a key for you.

Did that today. All I needed was the title and a photo ID.

$6.61-

thank you.

[UNCC_99XJ]

I don't have all this fancy schmancy power stuff, where's the power door lock button on the xj ?

Can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not, but if not, it's on the door right below the mirror controls.

I just went through this a couple of weeks ago. I had mine in the garage working on it at 1am. I ALWAYS roll my front windows down when i'm working on it, for this very reason. Well for some reason i didn't this time around and i accidentally hit the lock button and didn't realize or hear it (had the radio cranked up). I was fortunate to have left them atleast cracked under the vent shades so I had some room to play with. A coat hanger didn't work b/c it wasn't strong enough (that damn lock button is hard to press compared to some other vehicles). I still had the KJ at home so i wasn't totally screwed, but i even tried to use my buddies XJ key off his 96 and that didn't work. I finally got back in it about an hour and a half later (now 2:30am) by using one of those extenable ceiling fan duster thingys. I extended it out all the way and got the lock on the passenger side.....but not before tearing off the ventshade on my side.

[Cox89XJ]

Do you have a thin wedge and a thin strip of metal? You could fab up a slimjim and take your time to get it open. You'll need a slot on the side of the slimjim that will fit over the lock or door bar and pull it towards the front of your Jeep. Just a thought. I don't know about your area, but for me a locksmith on the weekend is not much more than one on a weekday and when my wife had it done it was $35 CDN and took the guy less than thirty seconds to get it open...

Reminds me of a time when a female employee called me from her cellphone to tell me she would be late for work because she was waiting on a locksmith to help her out. Turns out she'd locked herself inside her car with her keys hanging out of the lock on the outside of her door. I suggested she just try using the lock button on the inside of her car. She was amazed that I was so clever and thanked me profusely for helping her out. I tried for a month to find a way to fire her. I just figured anyone that stupid would eventually become a major liability. Thankfully she found another job closer to home...

:D

Hey Beej, was she blonde?

My son locked his keys in his Blazer along with his spare keys in his wallet. Took his title and proof of ID to the Chevy dealer and they made a new key. Less than $8.00.

[5-90]

There are at least three sets of keys to each vehicle I own.

One on my keyring.
One on my wife's keyring.
One hanging on a hook in the garage, with a dogtag telling me which vehicle they're for.

Failing that, you can usually do the job with a 12" hacksaw blade with a notch in the back, and using your pocketknife to "space" the beltline trim from the window glass (which gives you more room to work.)

5-90

[SS01XJ]

Did that today. All I needed was the title and a photo ID.

$6.61-

thank you.

You're Welcome.

[drifto77]

Heres my fix.........
clips to my belt loop. spare key on that half.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y172/045cal/miss/keys003.jpg

[nickangus]

Heres my fix.........
clips to my belt loop. spare key on that half.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y172/045cal/miss/keys003.jpg

thats good so all the keys are still together........

the good thing about haveing the dealer make you a key is that if your key is worn out when you go to make copys some times the copys will not work
or
in the case of our 98' ML320 benz the ignition wouldnt turn because of the key being worn new blade for the key was $9.98 total, but a full key runs $286 bucks from what i was told

-nick

[RichP]

Can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not, but if not, it's on the door right below the mirror controls.

Me ?, sarcastic, only with a bit of humour thown in. At least it's not like one of the VW forums where I've read a few complaints about the refrigerator in the glove box not getting sodas cold fast enough, sheesh..
Also a good reason to leave a window cracked but a hidden spare key is a better idea, behind a headlight bezel, inside the rear taillight housing, theres a whole bunch of places you can tape a key..

[streetpirate]

if you ever need to get in to a pre 97 xj, just pull the hatch window out. if you get it started with a pocketknife or a screwdriver, you can just pop it out. wish i would have known that when i first got the xj, locked myself out of it in the highschool parking lot with the keys in the ignition, and the car running.

[POSXJGuy]

know anyone with AAA, best investment in the world. I think I pay 100 a year for my wife and myself and that includes 8 tow truck visits.......

yep, i totally agree with you, in california its worth the price of membership alone just so i can walk in and do my DMV papers there. They do everything but take DL photos. Once I told them the car I purchased was smogged already but I had no papers. ALl they did was make me sign a paper saying that I "swear" it was smogged and they gave me my stickers. Easy Peesy. Definitely worth the membership fees just to have to avoid the DMV. Nothing feels as bad as walking into a DMV and se a bunch of people behind the counter jerkin around not doing anything, only have one desk open to help and knowing you are paying their wages.

[drifto77]

Nothing feels as bad as walking into a DMV and se a bunch of people behind the counter jerkin around not doing anything, only have one desk open to help and knowing you are paying their wages.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/drifto77/oops/doglaugha.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/drifto77/oops/doglaugha.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/drifto77/oops/doglaugha.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/drifto77/oops/doglaugha.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/drifto77/oops/doglaugha.gif
sounds like the autozone here.
just one of the reasons i no longer go there.