Desparate! Car lockout advice?

[gregg729]

This is yet another saga in my epic bad luck with cars....

I was scheduled to get my windshield replaced on my 92 Nissan Sentra beater (only just over 100k miles though) and discovered I can't find my key. The car's in the driveway and the key's not in it. Which presumably means it's somewhere in the house. So I turned the place upside down - twice - and can't find it.

So I called the dealership, figuring I could give them the VID # and they could make me a copy. Nope. The car's too old, and I was told by the parts guy there was no resource available in the Nissan Corp. that could help me out. His only suggestion was to change the locks and the ignition.

F'in great. That means, I may as well see how much I can get from a salvage yard?

If anyone has any better alternatives, PLEASE let me know - I'm desparate!

[Red Cloud]

Re: Desparate! Car lockout advice?

Hammer to the windshield, hotwire it.

What? You're getting the windshield replaced anyway.

[nmupiccdiva]

Re: Desparate! Car lockout advice?

This is yet another saga in my epic bad luck with cars....

I was scheduled to get my windshield replaced on my 92 Nissan Sentra beater (only just over 100k miles though) and discovered I can't find my key. The car's in the driveway and the key's not in it. Which presumably means it's somewhere in the house. So I turned the place upside down - twice - and can't find it.

So I called the dealership, figuring I could give them the VID # and they could make me a copy. Nope. The car's too old, and I was told by the parts guy there was no resource available in the Nissan Corp. that could help me out. His only suggestion was to change the locks and the ignition.

F'in great. That means, I may as well see how much I can get from a salvage yard?

If anyone has any better alternatives, PLEASE let me know - I'm desparate!

Well, do you have lockout assistance? That could get you IN to the car at least. Then, get a tow to the dealership so it's there. Other than that, I've got nothing.

[brookyone]

Re: Desparate! Car lockout advice?

Getting in shouldn't be too hard. A slim jim should do the trick. Dealers normally have this tool and would likely loan it to you...or tow companies with lockout service can help you out.

You should be able to buy a new ignition lock cylinder and have it coded to match your door lock cylinders...so you're only buying one new lock cylinder. At worst you might pay labor to recode door / trunk cylinders to match new ignition lock. Most dealers should also have a little hand held tool that cuts key blanks to match lock cylinder tumbler codes.

[gregg729]

Re: Desparate! Car lockout advice?

Wow, thanks for the super quick responses everyone, keep any other ideas coming!

Hammer to the windshield, hotwire it.

What? You're getting the windshield replaced anyway.

****READ ME: If anyone knows where I could get some hands on some hotwiring instructions that would make the cut for a "Hotwiring for Dummies" book, I would jump at it. I have a hammer, and I know how to use it.*****

Getting in shouldn't be too hard. A slim jim should do the trick. Dealers normally have this tool and would likely loan it to you...or tow companies with lockout service can help you out.

You should be able to buy a new ignition lock cylinder and have it coded to match your door lock cylinders...so you're only buying one new lock cylinder. At worst you might pay labor to recode door / trunk cylinders to match new ignition lock. Most dealers should also have a little hand held tool that cuts key blanks to match lock cylinder tumbler codes.

Wait. "Recode" is a locksmith's term, I hope? It's a 92, it's only a couple steps up from the Flintstone mobile, nothing's computerized, certainly not the ignition or door....

[St. Clown]

Re: Desparate! Car lockout advice?

Wow, thanks for the super quick responses everyone, keep any other ideas coming!



****READ ME: If anyone knows where I could get some hands on some hotwiring instructions that would make the cut for a "Hotwiring for Dummies" book, I would jump at it. I have a hammer, and I know how to use it.*****



Wait. "Recode" is a locksmith's term, I hope? It's a 92, it's only a couple steps up from the Flintstone mobile, nothing's computerized, certainly not the ignition or door....

Wanna bet?

And no, I don't know how to hotwire.

[thebrain]

Re: Desparate! Car lockout advice?

Just like Homer locking himself out of the monorail..... Get a rock.

[ajoyce02]

Re: Desparate! Car lockout advice?

This is yet another saga in my epic bad luck with cars....

I was scheduled to get my windshield replaced on my 92 Nissan Sentra beater (only just over 100k miles though) and discovered I can't find my key. The car's in the driveway and the key's not in it. Which presumably means it's somewhere in the house. So I turned the place upside down - twice - and can't find it.

So I called the dealership, figuring I could give them the VID # and they could make me a copy. Nope. The car's too old, and I was told by the parts guy there was no resource available in the Nissan Corp. that could help me out. His only suggestion was to change the locks and the ignition.

F'in great. That means, I may as well see how much I can get from a salvage yard?

If anyone has any better alternatives, PLEASE let me know - I'm desparate!

If it's trying to get in you want to do, the only time I locked myself out I called the local police who came to try and get my car open. There was a small cost for them to do so, but it would've been worth it had they been successful.

Key word is would've been worth it. They ended up not only not being able to open the lock but broke a part in the door related to the window which I was out $106 to fix and I had to get a ride home from a lady I work with to get my spare key.

Though the cop was nice enough to stay with my car and watch it as many people had seen him trying to open it for me and could easily have just smashed a window and stolen my car with the key inside.

[brookyone]

Re: Desparate! Car lockout advice?

Wait. "Recode" is a locksmith's term, I hope? It's a 92, it's only a couple steps up from the Flintstone mobile, nothing's computerized, certainly not the ignition or door....

No, that just means installing tumblers into the cylinder to match a key or key code...done manually by a dealer tech...or a locksmith. New lock cylinders normally come with a little metal tag attached with the "code" for that cylinder which is how the tech then "recodes" door lock cylinders to match. Lock cylinders bind and need to be replaced fairly often (in a typical dealer service dept.) which is why techs code the new cylinder to match those not being replaced. It helps to have the original manufacturers key code to do this...you likely don't have that for a 1992 vehicle.

Newfangled electronic keys require computer programming when replaced.

[Slap Shot]

gregg, this is not meant to be condescending, but is it possible you did leave the key in the car somewhere but in a spot where it's not visible? I would think your first step would be to get into the car to verify. You could try your local PD - I got free help from one of the Community guys not too long ago, I just had to show ID, Insur and title. If not do you have AAA or does your car insurance offer free service?

[gregg729]

Re: Desparate! Car lockout advice?

gregg, this is not meant to be condescending, but is it possible you did leave the key in the car somewhere but in a spot where it's not visible? I would think your first step would be to get into the car to verify. You could try your local PD - I got free help from one of the Community guys not too long ago, I just had to show ID, Insur and title. If not do you have AAA or does your car insurance offer free service?

Incredibly, this 2-bit town's PD doesn't do lockouts. (Happened while I was visiting up north and getting stuff outta my storage up here.) But.... JUST FINALLY FOUND MY SPARE KEY!!!!!

WHEW!!!

(And I called AAA - they provide discounts for it, but you still need to go to a locksmith and get a key made....)