Locked out of car - Need help!

[keenkeener]

Ok, So I have had my Boxster's console torn apart for a couple days - so I havnt been driving it... Went back to open door, and my Remote will not work (which I am familiar with why). I have only owned this car for like 2 months and I have never needed the manual key. Well the key doesnt work in the door. It works in the ignition. How can I get in my car? any suggestions short of calling the locksmith?

[keenkeener]

Ok.... I havnt gotten in yet. WD-40'd the lock and have been messing with it. Does anyone have a picture of the locking linkage inside the door - to perform the ol' coat hanger thing.

If I set off the alarm, will that turn the remote reciever ON in the car???

Just dont want to do it, and then have a car with the alarm going off that I cant get in to.

[Tool Pants]

Are you saying you cannot unlock the car like this?

[Chris_in_NH]

it sounds like the key is not working in the door. is there any resistance when you turn the key, or does it just turn with no resistance at all?

as you know, the remote system has gone to sleep. if you *can* set off the alarm, that might wake the car up so that you can use the remote. but maybe it won't and your alarm will go off until your battery drains (i'm not sure if it stops after a while.) but you'll be sure to be a hit with the neighbors. :lol:

if you can get into the front trunk (by taking off front wheel, pulling back wheel well liner, and pulling the trunk release cable), you can remove the neg battery cable for a minute (have radio code if your radio needs one) and then re-attach the neg cable. this may wake the car up so that you can use the remote. yes, it is a pain. :rolleyes: i can't remember which side the trunk release cable is on, but i think it's the passenger (right) side. if you search the forum for 'dead battery' you'll find detailed instructions on how to open the front trunk with the release cable.

i don't know if the coathanger trick will work. i don't know if i'd want to chance it, personally.

now that i think of it, there is a feature with the key to roll down both windows. i think you put the key in the door and then turn it to the left twice. (or maybe the right? - i can't remember). it's worth a shot, anyway.

good luck.

[keenkeener]

Yeah just resistance when I put the key in the door lock. I could pull the front wheel, but my lugnut key is in the front trunk...

So yeah, the key doesnt turn at all, as if it is the wrong one, but I have no reason to believe that it would be...

In the meantime I am going to keep spraying it with wd-40 and trying it. I could see it going a while without being used - because the remote is always used. It may just be frozen without use - hopefully I can get in eventually :unsure:

[Tool Pants]

Then this is a new one.

When the car when it was new came with 3 keys, 2 of which were remotes. Since you have a used car I do not know if you have any other keys to try.

There are many ways to get into a car.

I think the simple method for you is to find a tow truck driver that has this long thing - like a coat hanger from the old days.

This is it on a 996 but the Box is the same. You hook the end of it onto the inside door handle and pull.

[Chuck Jones]

I had never thought about leaving the wheel lock inside the car so that you couldn't take off the wheel to get at the emergency release cable....but that's a good issue to raise. This makes it even more sensible to REROUTE the emergency release cable so that it comes out the front of the car inside the front grill tucked back in there so you can get to it without going through all those other gyrations. I put a black zip tie on mine when I rerouted it to the front....stuffed the cable back up so you can't see it and only the black zip tie hangs down. All you have to do is pull on the zip tie, the cable drops down, and you're in. Same goes for the emergency cable to the engine compartment.

[Chris_in_NH]

I think the simple method for you is to find a tow truck driver that has this long thing - like a coat hanger from the old days.

This is it on a 996 but the Box is the same. You hook the end of it onto the inside door handle and pull.

will this work on a boxster? since the window slides up into the conv top 'channel', i don't see how he could get that tool in there.

if he drives down to the dealer (in another car, obviously) he may be able to borrow their set of wheel lock keys so that he can access the front trunk release cable.

Edited June 25, 2007 by Chris_in_NH

[Tool Pants]

I spoke to Peter. It has been a long time since he did this.

Reach under the fender liner and hope you can find the emergency release cable or that it has not been relocated. If you pull it and the alarm is on then the alarm will go off. Try to unlock the doors with the remote. If the remote does not work while the alarm is going off then disconnect the negative battery cable. Then hook up the battery cable and see if the doors will open with the remote.

[keenkeener]

Ok - ive got the wheel well liner off. I need some help finding out where exactly the emergency release cable is... If it is behind the light - how does that come off? And it is on the passenger side?

I had no luck with trying to open the door with a metal rod as suggested....

[keenkeener]

Update - Someone had already moved the cable to the tow hook point.... Woulda been really easy if I would have looked there first, but oh well.

Pulled cable - alarm went off - remote still does not operate locks. Removed battery. Reattached batter, alarm still going off and remote does not work still...

Any thoughts or help?

Thanks.

[Chris_in_NH]

wow, dude. bad luck all around...

did you try the remote on the other key?

how long did you leave the battery disconnected? that really should work. i don't know why it didn't. i would call the dealer and see if they have any ideas.

i don't know if a locksmith could even help you. i suppose he could *try* getting that unlocking bar in there, but i don't think he'll be able to.

it may be that the least expensive way to get in may be to smash the side window. a new piece of replacement glass shouldn't be more than $200, and who knows, maybe your insurance will cover it if your car was 'vandalized' - wink, wink - nudge, nudge. ;)

sorry to hear about this. i'm out of ideas. try the dealer and a locksmith.

when you do get in, get that door lock replaced so you don't have to go through this again.

good luck.

[Loren]

Don't you need to lock the car using the manual key and then unlock it to reset the alarm?

[Chris_in_NH]

Don't you need to lock the car using the manual key and then unlock it to reset the alarm?

he tried that. his door lock is broken.

[keenkeener]

Bit the bullet - called a locksmith. He popped it in like 5 minutes using basically a long rod as shown above. Only $55 and my insurance covers it.

But for the record - removing the battery cable does NOT reset the reciever so dont even try it. We had to hook up the battery and open the door with the alarm going off the whole time.

Done and done, now its just time to see why my door lock isnt working... Are these all mechanical or are there electrical components to to the lock???

[Chris_in_NH]

CONGRATS! that is awesome!

i'm curious to know how they got that rod into the car. ?

the lock cylinder is mechanical, but i'm sure it connects in some way to electrical components. i was quoted around $250 for a new lock cylinder from Sunset Imports. if you want a cylinder that is ready-to-go (will fit your key) you need to give them your VIN and then they 'key' the lock to your key. this is what i was told by Sunset, anyway.

[Glyn]

CONGRATS! that is awesome!

i'm curious to know how they got that rod into the car. ?

the lock cylinder is mechanical, but i'm sure it connects in some way to electrical components. i was quoted around $250 for a new lock cylinder from Sunset Imports. if you want a cylinder that is ready-to-go (will fit your key) you need to give them your VIN and then they 'key' the lock to your key. this is what i was told by Sunset, anyway.

Inside the door from the key lock is a flat piece of metal, about 3 inches long, it connects to the door lock in the same fashon a screwdriver goes into a slotted screw-its not fixed just pushes in there, therefore by simply removing the door lock- connect the wires back op (with the lock in your hand) you can use a flat blade screwdriver to lock and unlock the car - this should wake your system up.

Next remove the door lock and either get a new one or take it to a locksmith to get it to work with the key you have

[keenkeener]

Ok - so I tried my key in the console lock also - No worky. I removed the key cylinder and "adjusted it" so now that works. I will probably take the door cylinder to a locksmith fix.

But now I have more problems... When I insert the key into the ignition the beep that usually comes on is much faster, and when I try to start the car, it clicks fastly and the lights in the dash flash, but the starter doesnt run - and thats about all that happens...

I did take the key head apart to work on the console cylinder - is this what happens when the crystal in the key is removed or disabled???

I need some major help now... :(