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Location: I reside in a near constant state of amazment.
Posts: 2,923
Witness my shame. Locked Out.
So, after owning the car for almost 10 years and taking steps to ensure that this would never happen to me...it happened.
Despite my keyless entry pad, which works great until it gets wet, two sets of driving keys and one key only for entry, I found myself locked out of the convertible yesterday. The day before I couldn't find my driving keys so I used my backup set. Come to find out, the original set was under some paperwork in the passenger seat. My entry key was in my wallet which was safely tucked away in the console and because it had rained cats and dogs the night before the keypad was absolutely unresponsive.
Fortunately, I was at home but I stood there scratching my *** & blinking absolutely gob-smacked. Soon though, I gathered myself and calling upon skills acquired during the days of my misspent youth, set about obtaining entry into the car.
At first I tried my slimjim but that was futile. I tried grabbing the nearly non-existent door lock post then went into the door through the window track. I couldn't remember exactly how the door lock mechanism worked and I didn't want to tear anything up so I abandoned that method.
So I went with a long-reach tool and wedge. One set of keys was in the console and I was SOOOO close to hitting the unlock button on the fob that it was bordering on infuriating. Being unsuccessful with that, I scooped up the keys with the keyring and brought them right over to the window with the fob facing the crack so I could easily stick a wire coat hanger through and poke the unlock button but I wound up poking the keys off the tool and knocking them off so they were hanging precariously right where the seatbelt comes out of the interior panel. One more quick poke with the coat hanger and I finished the job, knocking them uselessly to the floor of the car.
Left with no alternative, I concentrated on the unlock button, which in hindsight, I should have done to begin with. After about a minute or so of squirming the long-reach tool around, voila! I was in and the car is none the worse for wear.
Lessons learned?
1: Don't keep your only unlock key in your wallet.
2: Make another unlock key to keep hidden on the car.
3: Figure out some way to keep my keyless entry pad dry. I have it mounted out of sight just above the license plate and unless it's a real frog strangler, it usually stays pretty dry but apparently not dry enough.
4: On the next trip to the boneyard, I'm practicing with my slim jim on some junkers.
So, after owning the car for almost 10 years and taking steps to ensure that this would never happen to me...it happened.
Despite my keyless entry pad, which works great until it gets wet, two sets of driving keys and one key only for entry, I found myself locked out of the convertible yesterday. The day before I couldn't find my driving keys so I used my backup set. Come to find out, the original set was under some paperwork in the passenger seat. My entry key was in my wallet which was safely tucked away in the console and because it had rained cats and dogs the night before the keypad was absolutely unresponsive.
Fortunately, I was at home but I stood there scratching my *** & blinking absolutely gob-smacked. Soon though, I gathered myself and calling upon skills acquired during the days of my misspent youth, set about obtaining entry into the car.
At first I tried my slimjim but that was futile. I tried grabbing the nearly non-existent door lock post then went into the door through the window track. I couldn't remember exactly how the door lock mechanism worked and I didn't want to tear anything up so I abandoned that method.
So I went with a long-reach tool and wedge. One set of keys was in the console and I was SOOOO close to hitting the unlock button on the fob that it was bordering on infuriating. Being unsuccessful with that, I scooped up the keys with the keyring and brought them right over to the window with the fob facing the crack so I could easily stick a wire coat hanger through and poke the unlock button but I wound up poking the keys off the tool and knocking them off so they were hanging precariously right where the seatbelt comes out of the interior panel. One more quick poke with the coat hanger and I finished the job, knocking them uselessly to the floor of the car.
Left with no alternative, I concentrated on the unlock button, which in hindsight, I should have done to begin with. After about a minute or so of squirming the long-reach tool around, voila! I was in and the car is none the worse for wear.
Lessons learned?
1: Don't keep your only unlock key in your wallet.
2: Make another unlock key to keep hidden on the car.
3: Figure out some way to keep my keyless entry pad dry. I have it mounted out of sight just above the license plate and unless it's a real frog strangler, it usually stays pretty dry but apparently not dry enough.
4: On the next trip to the boneyard, I'm practicing with my slim jim on some junkers.
funny someone should post a locked out story, just the other day I was locked out of my vehicle and actually had to call a buddy to pick me up and take me home to get my spare set... only to realize my spare key was in the hide-A-key underneath the car. I guess sometimes we all have our days
My (now) X wife locked herself out of her Camaro...except the passenger door was unlocked.
At least she had the top up.
Some of the Ford rental cars had the auto lock feature set to lock the doors when the car was running and the door was closed, ideal for winter areas when you need to run the car while you scrape ice off the windows.
I still leave one window open when I close the door if my car is running.
Your key button pad should be water proof, mine is anyways. I washed it in a load of laundry and after taking it apart for inspection it was bone dry. They spares at advanced autoparts.
You have a keyless entry pad mounted near the license plate? I know they had that as an option in '04 (on the driver door), but how exactly did you wire this up and get it integrated with the car? That would be a super kickass add on to have (if you can keep it dry, apparently).
Location: I reside in a near constant state of amazment.
Posts: 2,923
It is a FoMoCo option that costs about 100.00. You can find them on Ebay.
It is wireless and comes with a code embedded in it and an option to put your own code in it too. It is not quite as robust as the factory installed model but 99% of the time it works great and from time to time the battery needs to be changed. I think I'm on my 2nd battery in 10 years.
It mounts with double stick tape so you can mount it anywhere.
It is a FoMoCo option that costs about 100.00. You can find them on Ebay.
It is wireless and comes with a code embedded in it and an option to put your own code in it too. It is not quite as robust as the factory installed model but 99% of the time it works great and from time to time the battery needs to be changed. I think I'm on my 2nd battery in 10 years.
It mounts with double stick tape so you can mount it anywhere.
That is absolutely awesome, I never knew that existed. Need to get this for one of my Explorers - we only have 1 key for my '08 and the autolock feature has locked us out of it before with the engine running. Thanks dude
01-18-2016, 07:40 AM
Witness my shame. Locked Out.
