How to Unlock a Car Door with Power Windows and Locks

When you own a car that has power windows and locks you are faced with a unique situation if you happen to lock your keys inside the vehicle. If you're not part of an auto club or do not subscribe to verbal roadside assistance then you may be out of luck. This sort of thing happens all of the time and it is nothing to be embarrassed about. Power windows and locks can be accessed from outside the vehicle even if your keys are still inside. Keep in mind that cars with power windows and locks will not stay locked if the keys are in the ignition; this is a sort of theft protection. The information below will share with you two methods that will allow you to open a car with power windows and locks.

Step 1 – Check the Doors

Before attempting to circumvent the power windows and locks you should always check every door. There are several control buttons on the driver’s side panel with one button to control all the locks and then another button for each of the other doors. The same applies to the power windows. This does not mean that all of the doors will be locked so try them all.

Step 2 – Having a Spare Key

You are usually given two keys when you purchase a car that has power windows and locks. The automatic opener will have two buttons: one to lock the doors and another to unlock them. This is great if you have the spare key on you, but they are typically left at home just in case this happens. The obvious solution is to have someone bring them to you, but this is not always possible. These keys use radio waves to open the locks much like a garage door opener. If you have a cell phone on you place a call to someone that can access your home and the spare key. Put your cell phone up close to the lock of the car and have them press the unlock button. The door on the car will be unlocked as the cell phone, being digital, can transmit the signal from the electronic key.

Step 3 – Coat Hanger

If there is no spare key handy you can use a coat hanger to open the door or windows. You need a metal wire hanger. Once you have one begin unraveling it while keeping the hook intact. Decrease the bend in the hook so that it is smaller. At the far left upper corner of the window on the driver’s side thread the end of the hanger between the rubber and the window. Push down on it and you will see the wire inside the car. Maneuver the hook to the console that houses the controls for the power windows and locks. Use the hook to press down on the controls. Either control will work for you in order to open the locks or the windows.