No matter how careful we try to be, simple mistakes can end up creating difficult situations. The mind can wander for just a second and suddenly someone can be locked out of their car. As they stand scratching their head, looking in the window at the keys dangling in the ignition, the thought of the price to get a professional out to solve the problem may sting as much as the embarrassment. But with the right tools and some concentration, getting in without a key may be easier than imagined.
Hold the slim jim unlocking strap flat against the driver's side window with the hooked end of the strap near the bottom edge of the window frame. Car windows have two rubber strips that run along the inside and outside of the window, which help the window slide up and down.
Slide the unlocking strap down between the window and the outside rubber strip. Use the window to guide the unlocking strap down to the door's mechanical insides. Feel for upward resistance to the strap to know when the mechanisms have been reached.
Move the unlocking strap up and down in order to find the locking mechanism. Pay attention to the locking button inside the car to see if it is being affected by the movement of the strap. This trial and error method will enable the user to find the locking mechanism.
Slide the unlocking strap from side to side. Once the location of the locking mechanism has been found, move the strap side to side while thinking of how the hook at the end of the strap is interacting with the mechanics of the door.
Attempt to find the lock and unlock bar in the door and catch it with the hook of the unlocking strap. Once the hook catches the bar, pull upwards with a quick tug. This should pull the locking bar up and unlock the car door.
Some car doors require downwards motion on the unlocking bar. In this case, turn the slim jim unlocking strap upside-down, repeat the steps and push downwards on the locking bar mechanism to open the door.
