Bad day

[Tom_M]

I think I have the early stages of alzheimer's, really. Got up this mourning and went round to the newsagent to get a paper. Got outside the newsagents and couldn't find the keys to the car, so walked home (just live a couple of blocks away). An hour later the wife went looking for the keys and found them at the newsagent . That was bad, but there's worse to come. So I decided to tackle the rear window demister on the Fiesta I have in the driveway. What do I do? Only shut the boot with the only key to the car inside it . I'm having a real bad day. Got a lot of worries but I'm sure my mind is going . I suppose my local Ford dealer will cut me another key if I show them the log book, but Have a feeling it wont be cheap .

Tom

 

[malcolm]

Don't worry - that's perfectly normal (I hope). I have terrible trouble with keys and am constantly locking myself out of the house and out of cars. Even though I'm really careful these days.

Spares everywhere are my solution after unfortunate experiences with an ignition barrel on an MG, and a night spent in the barn. A key breaking in half in the middle of France could also have caused trouble, but it turns out old Renaults only need half a key.

Ford dealers ought to be able to do one. If it's ridiculously expensive or time consuming it could be worth finding out how to get into them - it'll be on the net somewhere or the garage might be able to advise. Also Autoglass will tell you which is the cheapest window to go through.

 

[penfold]

Can you not fish inside the door for the lock bar with a unbent coathanger? Failing that your local garage/breakdown guy will have the pukka carbreaking-into gear to do it with; at lot less bother than trying to vacuum up broken glass...

 

[pedrobedro]

If you're tackling the rear demister take the rear window out to get to the key. Pull the seal expander out and prise the screen and rubber out. Other way is to screwdriver the lock out of the door and work the mechanism with your finger or bend the door top out like the car thieves do.

 

[malcolm]

Can you not fish inside the door for the lock bar with a unbent coathanger? Failing that your local garage/breakdown guy will have the pukka carbreaking-into gear to do it with; at lot less bother than trying to vacuum up broken glass...

That's some very good advice - the breakdown folk must often be called upon to sort this sort of thing out and should know exactly how to do it. Not only you and me that lock themselves out.

 

[pedrobedro]

We got into one at work when it was locked with the key in by using a piece of packing band, the thin springy steel stuff with a bend on the end to hook the rod in the door.

 

[reno]

Don't worry it's pretty common for people to lock themselves out of there car/house or forgetting where they left their keys!

As for your Fiesta; how much Ford will want to charge may depend upon how old the car is. If you decide to have a go at 'persuading' your way back in you should be able to do it without having to put a window in. Anything up to the mid 90's (mk 3.5) with 3 doors should be pretty straight forward while the more recent models will be a bit more difficult. I've no doubt a quick google search will come up trumps with techniques etc. as a public forum probably isn't the best place to discuss this particular how to...

HTH

Cheers, reno

 

[Alistair]

not just you mate, i locked my only key in my focus with the engine running!! had to pull the top of the door frame and fish with a coat hanger!!!! much to the amusement of the neighbours!!!

 

[Tom_M]

I keep doing a lot of things like this lately Malcolm. I went to the doctors and told him, he just said "what's today's date?", I told him and he said "don't worry, it's just stress".

Can you not fish inside the door for the lock bar with a unbent coathanger?

Not sure that would work penfold. The locks are completely encased. The drivers side lock is working limitedly (central locking), so I had a look to see if I could fix it but it's all sealed away.

Thanks pedrobedro, that's what I might try tomorrow.

It's a fiesta zetec 1999 reno. Apart from some rust underneath it's not that bad a car. Just hope I can get into it without doing much damage.

I've been lucky so far Ali-veedub, it's the first time I've done it. My sisters very ill with cancer so my mind is all over the place right now.

Thanks everyone for your advice, it's much appreciated.

Tom

 

[peterd51]

Hi,

my Mondeo has a habit of locking the doors by itself. So I was just going around wiping the windows before setting off, keys in the ignition and door closed and I heard the central locking come on.

As I'd not had the car long I didn't have a spare key but fortunately Bobbie (the wife) had breakdown cover with her insurance so we called the RAC. He had some plastic wedges that he hammered in the top of the door gap to create a gap of around 1cm or so. Then he had a bit of rod, similar to a car bonnet prop...

he'd bent the top over at 90 degrees to form a handle and the bottom end had a sort of 'C' curve to it. This allowed him to insert the rod down to the handle lever inside the car and with a 90 degree twist the 'C' bit flipped behind the handle. Then as he pulled the top towards him the bottom moved away and opened the door.

Regards
Peter

 

[Tom_M]

I'll have to remember that if I get stuck again peterd51. Well I went down to my local Ford dealer who put me in touch with a locksmith. It only took him about 30 seconds with a special lock pick, and the door was open. Cost me £40, so was a expensive lesson to learn. Now I've got a chain on the key connected to my pants, so if you don't here from me in awhile, I'll be stuck in the boot of a Ford Fiesta somewhere .

Best wishes,
Tom

 

[Robotstar5]

Now I've got a chain on the key connected to my pants

***** next instalment*****

How my Ford key survived a 40°c cycle in the washing machine

 

[Tom_M]

 

[MrFluffy]

***** next instalment*****

How my Ford key survived a 40°c cycle in the washing machine

But the immobiliser chip didnt, and now you have to remember which key will start it, and which will activate the immobiliser so is only any good for the boot.
Ford wont sell the chip seperate either and the blipper key ensemble is well over a hundred quid & has to be programmed at a extra cost by the dealers to suit the car itself on arrival !@$%!!
Passive immobiliser chip is about the size of a grain of rice on our newish ford galaxy, and when the key is split into two parts it just drops out... Quality design...

Loosing the keys isnt a bad sign, its just your brain keeping some space spare for more important information