What to Expect When Using an Automotive Lockout Service

Have you found yourself in a situation where you are locked out of your vehicle with no way to get inside? If so, you are going to have to hire a locksmith that specializes in lockout services to get you back into your vehicle. If you have never gone through this process before, here is what you can typically expect to happen. 

Verify Ownership

The locksmith will require that you verify ownership of the vehicle either before or after they perform the lockout service. The easiest way to do this is by showing a car registration that is tied to your name and has the vehicle description on it. Many insurance companies provide an app that gives access to a digital registration card that has all the information on it. If you do not have the car registration available, you'll need to use the vehicle's title as proof of ownership instead. Either way, some sort of proof of ownership will be necessary, with the locksmith understanding that it may be in the vehicle they are unlocking so it will have to wait until after the service.

Unlock The Car

A good locksmith is going to be able to open your door without causing damage to the vehicle. Be weary of any locksmith that uses drilling out the lock as a first resort to get you into the vehicle, since it is more likely going to cause a lot of damage that will require extensive repair to fix. 

One popular method used to open up a vehicle's locked door is with the airbag method. This involves taking some wedges and placing them in the door so that a small gap can be created. Small air bags are then put into that gap, which are then slowly inflated using a hand pump. Air bags are often placed on the side and top of a door, with the goal to create a gap large enough to put other tools inside the vehicle. 

The locksmith will then use a special reach tool to get inside the vehicle, which allows them to manipulate things inside the car to get the door unlocked. Sometimes it is as simple as pressing the unlock button on the control panel on the door, which will allow all of the doors to be unlocked. Anti-theft devices sometimes do not allow this button to work as long as the car is armed, so the locksmith has to use other methods instead. This could include manipulating the handle of the door to unlatch it from the inside and open the door.

Keep this in mind when looking for a locksmith, such as ASAP Lock & Key, near you.