Imagine this scenario: You went out earlier in the morning and started your car to run some errands. After a few hours of running around town, you hopped back into your car and pressed the lock button on your key chain remote. You drive off as usual thinking nothing more of it until you reach a point where you need to use that same key to use the ignition. But instead of the satisfying “click” sound, you hear a loud beep that signals your car alarm has gone off and the doors of your car locks itself, with your keys still inside.
Even though you might think that it can only happen to you, this is a common problem that happens to many people, even the most experienced of drivers. So if you have found yourself in this situation, here are some useful tips on how to deal with it.
Call A Professional Locksmith Service
Before anything else, always make sure to call your car locksmith service first. Do not try any DIY methods because you might just end up causing more damage than help. Your best bet would be to get hold of the most professional and reputable locksmiths in your area. Make sure that they are fully supplied with all the necessary tools and equipment needed for this particular type of problem.
Before contacting them you should check their website and search for reviews from previous clients. This way you can determine whether or not they are the right choice to trust your car with. They might even provide you with a free estimate of the price you would be charged while some even offer additional discounts for first-time customers.
Use the Emergency Key Option
This is an option that some car manufacturers have installed in case something like this happens to you. Usually, this button would be found inside the glove compartment of your vehicle and all you need to do is push it down until it locks into place. It might be a bit of a hassle because you would need to fetch the key somehow from your car, but it is still worth a shot. Remember that every car manufacturer will have its way on how to solving this problem.
So before anything else, just call them first and ask for their help. They might require some information from you first such as the type of vehicle you have, what year model it was manufactured, etc. But if they provide you with a solution over the phone then you should follow it as closely as possible since they already know more about their product than anyone else.
Go Through Your Insurance Company
Another option to consider is talking to your insurance company about this issue. Some companies might offer an automobile locksmith service as part of their package. To make sure, contact them first before calling any locksmiths to get more information regarding the possible solutions they might have.
The agent on the other line might ask you several questions first to determine whether or not they can provide you with this service. They might provide you with a list of reputable locksmiths around your area to choose from too so make sure to take advantage of it.
Check if You Still Have Your Other Car Key With You
You might be wondering why this is necessary but just try to think about it. What if you have another spare key sitting in your home or office? We are assuming that you still have them since this usually happens with newer models of cars. If the spare key is nearby, then check for it right away and use it.
But before doing anything else, make sure to disable the car alarm first by turning off the ignition switch which should cause it to stop emitting that loud beep sound. After that feel free to unlock the doors with ease now that you do not need any help from a locksmith service.
Call the Police If All Else Fails
If after all these steps you are still having problems, then the last thing that you would do is to call the police. Sometimes, there might be a security issue with your car key or it might have some particular problems that locksmiths cannot fix so they will need to bring in more tools for this.
But before calling them up, make sure to gather as much information about your vehicle as possible so they can provide you with accurate advice on what you should do next. This way, if anything happens during the process, such as your key getting stuck inside the ignition switch, then you do not have to worry about things like the costs because they will be covered by their service.
As you can see, it is not that difficult to solve the situation when your car locks itself with the key inside. All you have to do is follow these simple steps and you should be fine. Just make sure to avoid trying to solve this problem yourself because you could end up damaging your car and getting in legal trouble if the police get involved later on.
