I have an old Mondeo '96 N plate, automatic. Gearbox is knackered & as thus it has just been sitting there for a while. Anyway yesterday I went to move (push it to another position outside my house), opened the car put key in the ignition to take the lock off. The Central locking didn't work when I opened the car, battery dead I assumed. Anyway I had to pop back in the house, I left the key in the ignition, shut the door. When I came out went to open door, and its locked with my keys in the ignition :). My mate who was there to help me move the car, swears he never touched the car :). I have no spare key (or more to the point I can't find it), so short of smashing the window is there anyway I get into my car and retrieve my key?
I was told to get a metal ruler or similar, down the side of the window and it should (somehow) operate the lock, surely it can't be this simple (not that i've tried yet as I don't have a metal ruler)?
I think the locks have a guard or shield around them to stop them being opened this way. Try getting two wedges and stick them between the glass and the rubber strip about 20 inches apart and shine a torch through the gap to see whats down there. Have you tried all the other doors to see if they are locked? Jon
Knackered g'box, eh? Phone up the scrappy, have him take it away and when sufficient parts have been stripped away, you'll be able to get the key back... :-)
That was my first thought - I could pass them back after brushing off the glass from the front seats before I remove them...... Jon - 1996 Mondeo Auto (In need of some bits - not just seats)
I managed to lock my father's keys in his Sierra once (while abroad and in the middle of nowhere). We had nothing that would reach down to the lock mechanism, so I crawled under the front, popped the bonnet and then unlocked the central locking by shorting the alarm locking connections with two house keys.
A garage / vehicle recover will be able to pop open the door with a pump.
I somehow locked the keys in the back of a hire van which my company had hired and I had to put back an hour later when I had a week off booked.
I don't know exactly how. I think it was maybe I opened the lock opened the door with the keys still in while reaching into the van and the resultant twist put the lock in the locked position with the door still open. I took the key out and put it down in the back of the van when I had unloaded the door blew shut (it was a really windy day). Worse, this was in the middle of a notorious council estate, not overlooked, the keys were on full display and the keys to the unlocked flat I was working in were in the front of the van and my plant and tools were still in the flat. At that time on a Friday there was no-one around the estate from my company or our client- the council who could keep an eye on the van or radio in for assistance. There was no RAC/AA cover.
I couldn't remember the van hire company's or my company's number so I had to call directory enquiries and this was just after the number change. Of the GBP 1.50 I had in the top of my toolbox it took 90 pence to get the numbers. I called the van hire company which left 18p credit. I then tried to phone my company and the telephone flashed up "minimum
20p"
When I had previously been pressure washing the vehicle I noted the windscreen seals lifted. Stoopid me thought if I remove the seals I'll be able to pull off the windscreen and get in the van and fish out the keys through the dividing guard.
Bad idea!
As I started to prise the screen off a little hairline crack appeared - uh-oh! I tried putting the seal back and as I was tapping the seal in c-rrr-aa-cc-kk! The screen split right across.
So I plodded off to the council depot which was closing, telephoned my boss and 'fessed up and got a pole and hook. He told me to go back to the vehicle and he would get something organised. When I got back the garage recovery van arrived within a few minutes. They put a pad thingy in the door, pumped up the bad from an air buld and were in.
Fifteen seconds at most.
Three minutes with the brush pole and hook to fish the keys out.
I offered and insisted on paying up for the damages and call-out but they wouldn't accept.
get one of those rubber wedge things that keep doors open, and jam it in the window above the lock to create enough room, then straighten out a wire coat hanger and bend the end (about an inch) back on itself. slide it in the gap about 4-8 inches and try to hook something. it is a bit fiddley but will work. has for me previously. good luck there!
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