HELP?!?! (dead battery, key doesn't work)

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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 12:54 PM
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HELP?!?! (dead battery, key doesn't work)

Hey guys,

I have a 05 TL.

My battery died and the car is locked. I tried using my key to open the door but it won't go in?!?!

Is there anyway of opening the hood?

Thanks in advance guys!
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 01:04 PM
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Hi,

What do you mean your key doesn't go in? Insert it in the driver's door keyhole, unless somehow the hole got jammed.

There is no way to open the trunk without actually getting to the back seat and pulling the emergency handle to open it with a dead battery.

Good Luck
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 01:43 PM
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He wants to open the hood, not the trunk. Not sure if there is a way to do that without popping it from the inside. Don't understand why the key won't go into the key hole. Try, with the nozzle, spray some WD40 into the key hole. That might loosen it up. I do mine from time to time, it helps keep the key hole smooth.
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 01:44 PM
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Originally Posted by mista.huynh
Hey guys,

I have a 05 TL.

My battery died and the car is locked. I tried using my key to open the door but it won't go in?!?!

Is there anyway of opening the hood?

Thanks in advance guys!
When you say the key won't go in, is it possible the keyhole is frozen?

If so, heat up your key a little with a match or a lighter and try again.

Good luck!
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 02:22 PM
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OK, I read it too fast, my fault...

The hood, without releasing the latch, it won't budge. If it is frozen, they have that De-Ice liquid.. use it..

Keep us updated, I'm very curious now.
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 02:49 PM
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^ yeah me too....
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 02:57 PM
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key wont go in the keyhole....
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 03:04 PM
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Hey guys,

Basically when I try putting the key in the hole, it won't go all the way in. I think the lock is jammed?

Also, my battery was fine until I left the door open and it drained the battery. Every since, my battery just keeps dying. anything I can do, or should I just go buy a new battery?
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 03:13 PM
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 04:35 PM
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lime in a coconut?
0.o
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 07:43 PM
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insert key into key hole on the door

then open car door

then pop the hood
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 08:41 PM
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Originally Posted by TL1999
insert key into key hole on the door

then open car door

then pop the hood
Like I said, they key will only go half way in.
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 08:43 PM
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go in through the trunk.
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 08:49 PM
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Originally Posted by paliknight
go in through the trunk.
That's impossible....
He can't open the trunk in the first place..
and the middle-portion that is able to fold down is only big enough for a 5 year old!

My car battery is dying a lot these days, I suspect poor battery life and cold weather is the culprit.
But.. I tried to crawl through that small space going vertically [and I'm a slim guy] and I couldn't fit through... only my head and entire right arm got through the hole. I even got stuck for a moment...
p.s: I was crawling through there to reach my jumper cables which are located at the passenger-side-cargo-net....


Now Mr. Huynh.... if your key can't fit through the key-hole well... the only options left I can think of is..
a) Call a locksmith
b) Call [insert name here] who can forcefully open your door.

I've gone with option B before because my idiot friend locked my keys in the trunk during the 'auto-lock-grace-period'.
Usually they use a small wedge, then a rubber hand-pump... then they use a mechanism [usually a hook] to unhook the lock.
Goodluck!
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 08:51 PM
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^paliknight and how do you accomplish such an endeavor?

You still need to get into the car to open the trunk, duh... and how in the world are you planning on reaching the hood latch, ah Mr.Stretch Arm Strong?

Last edited by TeknoKing; Dec 3, 2008 at 08:54 PM.
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 08:53 PM
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 08:56 PM
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Originally Posted by TeknoKing
^paliknight and how do you accomplish such an endeavor?

You still need to get into the car to open the trunk, duh... and how in the world are you planning on reaching the hood latch, ah Mr.Stretch Arm Strong?
lol.
I wasn't aiming for the hood latch of the trunk... I was just getting my jumper cables....
Luckily I left my snow-scraper in the trunk and I used that to 'fish out' my jumper cables.
But all of this is beginning to be irrelevant ... since Mr. Huynh can't open the door anyway...
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 09:32 PM
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Hhahaha I'll just call a locksmith.
Time to get a new battery...

Just don't understand why the key wont fully go in...
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Old Dec 3, 2008 | 10:35 PM
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how much is a locksmith?

in another thread someone said to break the rear quarter panel window and unlock your door..i dunno if you want to try that tho

gl!
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Old Dec 4, 2008 | 12:08 AM
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Originally Posted by mista.huynh
Hhahaha I'll just call a locksmith.
Time to get a new battery...

Just don't understand why the key wont fully go in...
Do you have your car garaged? May be a car thief tried to gain access and messed up your lock in the process? Let us know what the locksmith say!
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Old Dec 4, 2008 | 02:37 AM
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The car has been garage kept.
I called up a local tow-truck company and they shoved something down the window to unlock it. I'll just bring it to Acura one day and find out whats the deal.
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Old Dec 4, 2008 | 09:04 AM
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^ that something, is a slim jim.. And to whoever suggested breaking the little triangle window.. do you know how much that rare shit costs?!?!

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Old Dec 4, 2008 | 09:08 AM
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come on now teckno..with all that money you have you're going to complain about a little window
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Old Dec 4, 2008 | 09:19 AM
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Originally Posted by TeknoKing
^ that something, is a slim jim.. And to whoever suggested breaking the little triangle window.. do you know how much that rare shit costs?!?!

For real - I'd rather break out a full window than break one of the vanity windows (or whatever their called).
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Old Dec 4, 2008 | 09:37 AM
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Glad you were able to get into your car. Please keep us informed as to why the key wouldn't go all the way in.
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Old Dec 4, 2008 | 10:13 AM
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Originally Posted by mista.huynh
Hhahaha I'll just call a locksmith.
Time to get a new battery...

Just don't understand why the key wont fully go in...
I am guessing off the top of my head....you are using a modified switchblade key on it that wasnt cut right? Just guessing.

Yes...get a new battery. The OEM ones suck bad.
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Old Dec 4, 2008 | 01:20 PM
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Yeah for sure, once I find out why I'll update you guys.

As for smashing the small rear window, that's just insane.
Cost me 25 dollars to get the tow-truck guy to come and open my door. I have no clue how much one of those tiny rear windows are...
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Old Dec 5, 2008 | 01:21 AM
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Any updates?
Cost you 25 bucks? Lucky you...
When I called the tow-truck-guy he used the wedge method and pumped out my door then used a ghetto-like-coat-hanger-looking-like-object to open the door. Cost me 85 bucks [this was in Toronto]
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Old Dec 9, 2008 | 10:44 PM
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call AAA... its free, and they'll be there within the hour. if you dont have a membership, call a friend over who does and let them hold the keys when the guy comes.

and fix your battery... having a car battery drain fully causes sulfation and will reduce its ability to hold a charge. charging it up quickly (like jumping it) isnt good for a lead-acid battery and will decrease its cranking power noticeably. if you have a dead battery, and dont need to drive immediately, you should trickle-charge it to 15V and that should "refresh" it well, and might even make it good enough so you dont need to get a new one yet.
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Old Sep 20, 2014 | 05:31 PM
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Charge to 15V? Why would charge a 12V battery that high?

Originally Posted by hirsch014
call AAA... its free, and they'll be there within the hour. if you dont have a membership, call a friend over who does and let them hold the keys when the guy comes.

and fix your battery... having a car battery drain fully causes sulfation and will reduce its ability to hold a charge. charging it up quickly (like jumping it) isnt good for a lead-acid battery and will decrease its cranking power noticeably. if you have a dead battery, and dont need to drive immediately, you should trickle-charge it to 15V and that should "refresh" it well, and might even make it good enough so you dont need to get a new one yet.
A good 12V battery will have a rest voltage of between 12.75V and 12.9V. Any charge you apply to a battery above those levels is really just a surface charge. It will not maintain any voltage above it's rest voltage levels after the battery has been left standing after 24 hrs. The rest voltage of a battery depends on many things. Specific gravity of the electrolyte, temperature, condition of the lead plates, exposure to volt draws to name a few. Anyway to come to the point, don't try to hot charge your battery to 15V to "refresh" it. I don't know that any properly working trickle charger that I have seen would charge that high anyway. Electronic modules in high tech automotive electrical systems (like our Acuras contain) do not like being exposed to excessive voltages. Give the battery a long slow charge for 24 hrs at 2amps, that is the most common rate of a good automatic regulated trickle charger. If you want to properly test your battery you now should leave it for 12-24 hrs (the longer the better) disconnected from the car. Test the rest voltage at this point. 12.75 minimum. I find most good batteries to test at about 12.85.
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Old Sep 20, 2014 | 06:50 PM
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Holy thread revival
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Old Oct 20, 2014 | 11:50 AM
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Originally Posted by NBP04TL4ME
Holy thread revival
I second that.
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Old Oct 21, 2014 | 09:50 AM
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Key Problem

Did you check your key to make sure it wasn't bent just enough so it won't go all the way in
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Old Oct 21, 2014 | 09:53 AM
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^You guys realize this thread is 6 years old and that the OP probably won't check up on it
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Old Oct 21, 2014 | 10:28 AM
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Newbs.......
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