Need help -- locked out!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,222
Likes: 93
From: shelbyville West Michigan
Need help -- locked out!
I got my '95 out the other day, washed it, parked in the yard. went to start to put away and nothing. figured the key was worn, got my spare set still nothing. jiggled the key switch and it started. shut it down and went in for the night. Next day I come home and see the hatch is open, so I closed it. then went to get in and the doors were locked! of course both sets of keys are inside.
Da** PKE! I pulled the fuse last year but apparently it works anyway...
Soooo, I have a slim jim, but can't seem to get at the rod to unlock it.
Is there any way to get it unlocked without calling a locksmith or breaking a window?
Da** PKE! I pulled the fuse last year but apparently it works anyway...
Soooo, I have a slim jim, but can't seem to get at the rod to unlock it.
Is there any way to get it unlocked without calling a locksmith or breaking a window?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 9,933
Likes: 103
From: Peoria Arizona.. Resident Gold Cylon
I got my '95 out the other day, washed it, parked in the yard. went to start to put away and nothing. figured the key was worn, got my spare set still nothing. jiggled the key switch and it started. shut it down and went in for the night. Next day I come home and see the hatch is open, so I closed it. then went to get in and the doors were locked! of course both sets of keys are inside.
Da** PKE! I pulled the fuse last year but apparently it works anyway...
Soooo, I have a slim jim, but can't seem to get at the rod to unlock it.
Is there any way to get it unlocked without calling a locksmith or breaking a window?
Da** PKE! I pulled the fuse last year but apparently it works anyway...
Soooo, I have a slim jim, but can't seem to get at the rod to unlock it.
Is there any way to get it unlocked without calling a locksmith or breaking a window?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,222
Likes: 93
From: shelbyville West Michigan
PKE doesn't work, it locks on its own and opens the hatch like it is posessed. last year I pulled the PKE fuse but it still apparently does what it wants. that's why it is locked now. it locked all by itself and opened the hatch in the middle of the night. FOBS haven't worked in years. they have new batteries but nothing happens when you press the buttons or walk away like it used to do.
I was hoping there was a specific technique with the slim jim. I keep catching the door handle, can't seem to find the lock rod.
I was hoping there was a specific technique with the slim jim. I keep catching the door handle, can't seem to find the lock rod.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,388
Likes: 2,741
PKE doesn't work, it locks on its own and opens the hatch like it is posessed. last year I pulled the PKE fuse but it still apparently does what it wants. that's why it is locked now. it locked all by itself and opened the hatch in the middle of the night. FOBS haven't worked in years. they have new batteries but nothing happens when you press the buttons or walk away like it used to do.
I was hoping there was a specific technique with the slim jim. I keep catching the door handle, can't seem to find the lock rod.
I was hoping there was a specific technique with the slim jim. I keep catching the door handle, can't seem to find the lock rod.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,222
Likes: 93
From: shelbyville West Michigan
Wahoo finally got in last night. used a fiberglass flag pole from an ORV. It is just long, thin and stiff enough to slip through the weatherstripping and hit the button. The older threads I searched all said to use a broom handle but I don't see how the window could move any more than 3/8".
Now, what else do I have to do to eliminate the PKE? I already pulled the 5amp fuse for it but it still seems posessed by a ghost.
Now, what else do I have to do to eliminate the PKE? I already pulled the 5amp fuse for it but it still seems posessed by a ghost.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,167
Likes: 4,172
From: Kannapolis NC
Are you carrying the fob around with you even though doesn't work? Or is it just the keys that you have locked in the car? Any chance someone else opened the hatch and locked the doors for any reason? Take the battery out of the fob if you have it near the car and it doesn't work anyway. Maybe it randomly starts and stops working. I wouldn't carry it if you're not going to fix it.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,388
Likes: 2,741
Wahoo finally got in last night. used a fiberglass flag pole from an ORV. It is just long, thin and stiff enough to slip through the weatherstripping and hit the button. The older threads I searched all said to use a broom handle but I don't see how the window could move any more than 3/8".
Now, what else do I have to do to eliminate the PKE? I already pulled the 5amp fuse for it but it still seems posessed by a ghost.
Now, what else do I have to do to eliminate the PKE? I already pulled the 5amp fuse for it but it still seems posessed by a ghost.
You didn't ruin or damage the w/strip? Silly question maybe BUT why didn't you just do the dealer thing for the key request? You still need the keys it seems!
Last edited by WVZR-1; May 3, 2013 at 09:08 AM.
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,222
Likes: 93
From: shelbyville West Michigan
Are you carrying the fob around with you even though doesn't work? Or is it just the keys that you have locked in the car? Any chance someone else opened the hatch and locked the doors for any reason? Take the battery out of the fob if you have it near the car and it doesn't work anyway. Maybe it randomly starts and stops working. I wouldn't carry it if you're not going to fix it.
I do have a spare set but stupidly I grabbed the spare and used them to start the car because I thought the resistor in the original key was going bad. I normally keep the spares in the house. just and odd situation.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,222
Likes: 93
From: shelbyville West Michigan
Nearest dealer is 35 miles from me. I work during the day. I would rather replace my w/strip than take time off driving to a dealer and hoping they cut me a key...but all is well now. Maybe I will tape a spare to my fuel door with duct tape as someone else suggested.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 542
Likes: 2
From: Miami FL
I realized of the possible "PKE locked me out " issue when I bought the car. I had a key (no chip) cut cheaply and hid it tied up in one of the small access holes for the fog lights. I was thinking of wiring an extension with a hatch button switch (I have a spare console round switch) so I could remotely open the hatch from outside if locked out. I gotta get back to that idea and find a good place to mount that switch hidden.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,222
Likes: 93
From: shelbyville West Michigan
I realized of the possible "PKE locked me out " issue when I bought the car. I had a key (no chip) cut cheaply and hid it tied up in one of the small access holes for the fog lights. I was thinking of wiring an extension with a hatch button switch (I have a spare console round switch) so I could remotely open the hatch from outside if locked out. I gotta get back to that idea and find a good place to mount that switch hidden.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 542
Likes: 2
From: Miami FL
I actually did that on a previous lincoln towncar that I had. The remote only worked half the time and the door keypad worked just about the same. I wired a switch from the button release into the back and hid it in the gas filler, then inside the trunk I wired an extra switch so I could unlock all the doors, I just tapped into the master switch at the driver's door.
It was pretty helpful and worked very well.
It was pretty helpful and worked very well.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 742
Likes: 10
C4 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
i made my own slim jim once by duct-taping two straightened coat hangers to together (with one end bent to an L-shape). Stuck it in between the drivers window and rubber weather strip, and manually unlocked it from the inside. took me 20 minutes but it actually worked.
good luck. luckily, this happened in my driveway.
good luck. luckily, this happened in my driveway.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 917
Likes: 25
From: College Station Tx
i made my own slim jim once by duct-taping two straightened coat hangers to together (with one end bent to an L-shape). Stuck it in between the drivers window and rubber weather strip, and manually unlocked it from the inside. took me 20 minutes but it actually worked.
good luck. luckily, this happened in my driveway.
good luck. luckily, this happened in my driveway.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 917
Likes: 25
From: College Station Tx
Fobs don't have batteries in them any more, I guess I could take them off the keys, probably toss em on ebay.
I do have a spare set but stupidly I grabbed the spare and used them to start the car because I thought the resistor in the original key was going bad. I normally keep the spares in the house. just and odd situation.
I do have a spare set but stupidly I grabbed the spare and used them to start the car because I thought the resistor in the original key was going bad. I normally keep the spares in the house. just and odd situation.