Dangers of Using a Slim Jim to Unlock a Car Door



Dangers of Using A Slim Jim to Unlock a Car

 

     Ok, most of us have locked our keys inside our car right?  Even I have locked my keys in the car a few times, and the first thing that comes to mind to many is a slim jim.  I have seen a large amount of people attempt to unlock their own car with a slim jim, and most of them just shove it in the door and start pulling.  The problem is that they may not understand the damage they may cause with a slim jim in the newer cars. 

     Slim jims were made for older cars that had hard linkage rods inside the door.  Today's cars have a totally different lock system made with bicycle cable that pulling on will only cause damage. Trying to unlock a car with this type of lock is simply just a waste of time.  Not to mention damage to the locking system there are quite a few more things to consider inside the door that could be damaged:

• Airbag wiring & sensors 
• Fiber-optic cables 
• Wiring for speakers, power windows, rear view mirrors, and locks,
• Multi-layer weather-stripping, 
• Yaw & pitch sensors for traction control devices, 
• Antennas and associated wiring for the new smart key fobs (otherwise know as push to start).

     It is just not a good idea for someone who is not properly trained to stick a piece of metal inside a car door and start pulling away at anything they feel.  It is a lot cheaper to call a professional to unlock your car in the long run.  A locksmith in San Antonio can unlock your car for under $50 in most cases, and you save yourself the stress and any damage to your car. 

     If you are thinking that breaking a window is a cheaper route - guess again.  A window for a 2012 Toyota Corolla in the driver side door is $388 at a local company.  Think breaking the smaller window is cheaper?  Think again.  The price to break the smaller window is $358, which is not cheaper at all than calling a locksmith.  Compare $50 for a locksmith to unlock your car to $350 to replace a window - it is not a hard decision (at least not for me). 

     Before you try a slim jim to unlock your car when your keys are locked inside, consider calling a locksmith to prevent any damage to your car.  In San Antonio we are trained and insured to unlock your car damage free - and we are much cheaper than any damage that may occur when you try to unlock your car yourself.

     Give us a call at (210) 598-7300 or visit us at http://www.ezlockout.com