TL2005Lover

Don't ask how I did it The guy couldn't jimmy the lock...so he used a wedge to yank the door open and used a stick to pop my lock open from the inside. Did he just mess up my door?!!!??? I CRINGED as he did it...now dread the thought of rattles.

CBR1100XX

Oh damn dude, That doesn't sound good at all. You know Acura has road side assistance right?

montyburnz

That's what the AAA guy did too when my g/f locked her keys in her car. Small diff, her car was a '95 Geo Prizm not a 35k Acura. It was funny because he tried to jimmy the lock thru the window but wasn't having any luck so he went to the wedge. The wedge looks pretty intrusive. That can't be good for the door. He tried to hook open the lock but didn't have any luck. So I told him to try to open the window with a large rod (thank god for manual windows) and that did the trick.

SouthernBoy

Ooops. I know this may sound like water over the dam, but many years ago, I started carrying a spare key (and in more recent years, my valet key) in my wallet JUST in case I have an "Ooops" like you did.

Hope all comes out Ok for your car.

05TLTony

Just curious how this could happen? I thought you can only lock the door with the key or remote. Unless you have an aftermarket alarm that has autolock feature?

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

No...you can lock it by the lock button on the inside of the door and close it with the keys in it somewhere.

05TLTony

No sh_t! I've never thought of that. I thought the car these days have a saftey mechanism so it doesn't do that. I remembered even in the older cars that you had to lift the handle when shutting the door to do this. Then again, I guess our handles don't lift up.

reloaded

My mom locked herself out of her van one day and she called teh tow truck service. What they did was slip a little flat bag throught the door and the car frame on the top and inflated it..therefore basically air prying the door open. They got it open..but now whenever I drive on the highway with it..you can hear a lot of wind noise... There's a decent size gap now even when the door is closed too. soo badd..

mio

maybe he opened the trunk without unlock other doors, and forgot (lock) his key inside the back trunk... it happened to my Z last time in my garage, and I just
went back to my room and got the separate key...

so, never put ur key inside the trunk...

TLTrance

Don't you have 2 keys/keyfobs, plus the valet key?

Jin22GT

couple of years back i locked my self out of my car and had alot of trouble trying to get into my car again.. ever since that experience i always carry a spare/valet key in my wallet.. just in case...

clsdave

I also carry a spare key in my wallet. It's a hardware store copy so it will only get me into the car but not start it. I figure that will do the trick as my keys are always in my pocket when not used, unless somehow I managed to leave them in the car. About 99% fool proof for me. I can remember only twice having to use the key in 30 years (including previous cars).

I wonder if breaking one of the read side windows might be less damage and costly to repair then the damage that can be done from a wedge. It would certainly be damage I can repair myself without any indication of problem.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Ah, you must come from a line of Fords in the past! I remember these always had that feature on em didnt they? GMs were always lock prone.....terrible!

sdaeb02

when i had my 94 accord, I locked my keys in my car TWICE in one day...haven't done it ever since then....but I would hold up the interior door handle and flick the lock with my pinky. I swear swear swear I will never do it in my TL...(now I say that), but I was >18 when I got my accord and I got that AAA plus that will pay for a locksmith to get into your car because the tow drivers never could. The "plus" was only about 30 dollars more a year. hope this helps!

sdaeb02

speaking of.....I just got this TL with ONE KEY!?!?! I had to go to dealer to get a new key, and it was $50!?!?! I don't think I could afford to keep a spare key in my wallet! Does anybody know of a dealer alt. for keys? I understand they have a chip inside so you can't get them copied at the hardware store.....true or no?

maluskills

Good point....

Will Y.

I used to carry a flat metal copy of each car key in my wallet in case I inadvertently locked myself out. You can have a flat metal copy of the TL key made-- it will turn the lock, but won't start the car due to absence of the chip. The flat key copy will open the door so you can get to the key you left/dropped inside the car.

Of course this may not help those of you who normally leave your wallets in your cars...

dougieritch

My mother had an 2002 Toyota Camry and they gave her this neet little plastic card (the size of a credit card) with a plastic key that would only unlock the doors, so if she locked the keys in her car she could open the door.

-Doug

Riu

Yea dont ever put your keys in your trunk. Did that 2 times in 1 week and it never happened again. Lucky for me we were right near my house.

TL2005Lover

yeah...first time I was actually on time for work..and I locked myself out of my beautiful TL at the gas station with both original keys AND valet key IN THE CAR. What happened was I couldn't reach my wallet from the driver side....thought I "unlocked" the doors from the inside...walked over to open the passenger door...and indeed I "locked" them. Thus, the terrible sight of the wedge through my beautiful TL door.

Hope I don't have any rattle or leak problems.

I did call Acura Roadside Assistance...but they just called the local companies for. So can they still actually be liable?

subinf

how long have they been using the wedge?

Tecciztecatl

This post got me thinking on how to get into the TL. I have always found ways to get into my cars within a minute, without of course doing any damage to the car. My Sable has the keypad on the door - which I love!!! I don't have to carry th ekeys when I go fishing, swimming or running around in my shorts int he summer ... a feature I dearly miss and think all cars should have.

Anywho, so if anyone has found a way to get in the car without messing it up,, please post of give us hints ...I have not thought about this yet and will have to give this some thought.

In the past the coat hanger to the unlock button has worked ...but I'll have to look at the TL's windows and see how tight they are ... screw that wedge thing.

jime

An engineer’s approach to this issue:

I am concerned about using getting my car stolen by putting an ignition key in a “hide-a-key” case on the outside of the car so I always have a key made for each car that will open the door, but can not be used to start the car.

I put this “non-ignition” key in the hide-a-key and I always put my hide-a-key in the back of the car on the frame just to the right of the center of the trunk. It is easy to forget where you have put a hide-a-key if you don’t use it for a year or two.

I then “hide” an ignition key somewhere in the car. My favorite spot is to tape it somewhere in the back seat. I put the key in the TL in Dec. of 93 and think I taped it to the bottom of the drink holder but don’t remember for sure. If I lose my keys I can still get into the car and with a little looking can figure out where I hid the spare key. So far I have never had to use the spare ignition key as I usually just lock the keys in the car or trunk.

Brettg

My wife locked the keys in the car at the bank.
I was not far away, so no problem.
I asked her how she could possably lock the keys in the car, and she said she pushes the button on the door down!

I told her, you have a remote, what are you doing pushing the manual lock down???

You CANT lock your keys in the car if you use the remote, its simple.
If you are in the trunk, unlock the car then the trunk, that way you can push the trunk button in the car if you lock the keys in the trunk...simple...

Well DUH!

Brett

TL2005Lover

exactly Brett...duh...they don't call me an asian blonde for no reason....I know..politically incorrect. after parking at the gas station and taking the keys out of the ignition..split second later..did I lose my keys? I sure did! too bad..so sad for me..hope everyone learns from my mistake..although I don't think anyone is as slow as I am.