Locked myself out again!

[J44EAG]

Not for the first time, locked myself out of the car. This time, both sets of keys inside!

Don`t ask the background but this time I did it good and proper. One set of keys in the boot, the other set tantalizingly visible in the drivers foot well.

Few options available so rang Rob who is the Clubs most successful and knowledgeable part time forced entry car intruder.

"You know what you are, don`t you?" came his ever helpful if expected opening reply to my plea for assistance. Typical of the man to make a joke out of my misery.

Only one way of doing the job without my more usual way of gaining entry using a block hammer. Shown here with my old college pal Nick Hilton applying wedges around the door surround. Entry eventually gained using a coat hanger, a dead fishing rod and a wire noose around the internal unlock lever. Forget poking the boot release with the rod. It didn`t work. Neither could I pick up the visible keys with the coat hanger. Just too short.

Amazingly absolutely no damage done to the car. Sadly have to admit to being what Rob described me as!

Thanks indeed to Rob and Nick for their assistance.

Enjoy these images at my expense.

Mike

[ecosselynx]

Hi Mike

Wish you a bit more luck in the New Year.

[GordonJ]

Mike
least we can laugh at ourselves. All the best for New Year

Gordon.

PS. Just don't do it again, be like me, have a third set locked away in a safe place.

[robv12]

Mike had I been there, and not walking around the Black Country Museum in a howling, freezing gale, I would have been in there for you within two minutes, spare keys or no keys!!

glad you got it sorted

on another note, should anyone be daft enough to lock their keys in the car and the spare set in the boot, I mean really who on earth would do that Mike!!, if you MUST break a window, break the one that is easiest to replace, usually a front door, I would also suggest a passenger one, just in case you have to drive the car with no glass. The reason for this statement is ease and cost of replacement, a moveable door glass can be fitted by a capable diyer with a secondhand glass, whereas as fixed window, such as the rear quarter light in an XJ, is bonded in, has a chrome trim, is hugely expensive to buy IF you can find one, and then needs specialist fitting, you would be amazed at how many XJ owners have contacted me over the years for a rear quarter light they have broken to gain access, to be told the cost of repair and replacement, when I would have happily given them a door glass in return for a small donation to the beer fund, and, XJ door glass can be swapped over in an hour or so

you have been warned!!

Rob

[J44EAG]

I thank the previous two obvious gentlemen for their kind comments. The third one in is suspect..............

Now then. I locked my main set of keys in the boot and not in the foot well as Mr Jenner suggests. I suppose it doesn`t make that much difference in the grand scheme of things.

However, if he was a real friend, he would have been down here post haste, not making excuses for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I do appreciate the rude name he called me which does seem appropriate in the circumstances.

Two minutes to break into a car is fair given that Mr J is not a professional. Our five minutes to do the same job appears quite applaudable given that Nick and I came from the stockbroker belt. Sheltered and cossetted upbringing.

Lesson learned. Keep four boatyard choking wedges, a fishing rod and a coat hanger in a safe place just in case. I`ll not break any more windows. Far to messy and expensive. My last adventure cost £150 to fix. If all else fails, as Rob says, break a movable window, not a fixed one. Got away with it this time, ho, ho!

Thanks again, Rob. Glad not to have glass everywhere again.

Mike

[redcat]

Just out of curiosity, how do you lock the doors without a key?

Redcat

[robv12]

easy, leave one set of keys in car, lock it with the other remote, go to the boot, place second remote on boot floor and close boot, car locked with both sets of keys inside, seen it dome many times. I believe the new XF will not allow the boot to lock if the keys are inside

OR, even simpler and with just one set of keys, lock car, do shopping, return to the car, blip the boot only release, put shopping and keys on boot floor, close boot, call the AA or me!!

I promise you it is easily done, I have lost count of the panic calls over the years I have had from JEC members, two of whom are even our Forum Co-ordinators, I kid you not, no names mentioned because Mike Kennedy and A N other would not be my best mates if I let the cat out of the boot!!

[J44EAG]

Dead easy if you try hard enough!

Number two set of keys fell out of my pocket in the foot well unnoticed.

Double locked the car with Number one set and walked away.

Returned to the car later and unlocked the boot with the key fob tab which leaves the four doors locked and in my case still with the Number two set still in the foot well.

Having opened the boot, I rummaged in my tool box for a 3" length of solder having placed the Number one set in the boot so I had two free hands. Then having found the solder, I shut the boot which then locked!

At this point I think I lost my presence of mind because I then discovered I had no key sets in my pocket at all because both sets were now inside the fully locked car. Gold JEC medal for plonker of the year?

That is how you do it................

Bet you wished you had never asked!

Mike

Late edit/ this post crossed with Robs. Virtually the same description!

[robv12]

simples!!! eee!!

[drb100]

Rob is correct about the XF (but then I think I told him that) you cannot lock it with the keys inside. I tried to lock the boot the other day with a spare set of keys inside and it took several abortive attemps until I realised what I had done. I find that trying to use the wrong set of keys to lock the car has a similar effect.

The keyless entry on the XF can keep you occupied for a long time. Having locked the car with the remote, if you try to check that the door is actually locked by pulling the handle it will open every time.

David.

[raysearles]

David is quite right, Kay and I spent a very happy 10 minutes on our first trip out in our XFS to Attingham Park, trying to lock the car and every time we tested it the door opened. In the end we gave up in frustration hoping that National Trust members were nice people and not likely to nick it. Refreshed with a cup of Earl Grey I then had the amazingly dim idea of sneaking up on the car on the way back with no keys....... and of course found it locked!! Muppet!!

[Martec]

Being concerned about that happening (the focus locks itself within 5 minutes) we got an extra key for each, but uncoded and secured it beneath the cars. I hope never to need it as I will be very dirty then.

Brian

[J44EAG]

Weather proof key safe boxes are currently on my wish list. Perhaps mounted under the car somewhere? Here is one slightly suitable item but I have reservations.

http://www.lockandsafeshop.co.uk/Magnet ... 0boxes.htm

Firstly weather proofing. I think such a box would need wrapping in waterproof tape to stop water ingress and to ensure the lid doesn`t open in service.

Secondly, these boxes are known to have weak magnets and could easily drop off when a car hits a bump. I think I would probably mount with strong double sided adhesive tape in addition to the magnet. May be even a self tapping screw as belt and braces.

Thirdly, where would you mount such a box so that it is easily accessible to an owner but difficult to spot by anyone else?

Fourthly, if mounted under the car, how would you get to it without getting covered in filth? A low slung car like my J44 has only 100mm of ground clearance. Fancy getting under that in your best dinner jacket on a cold wet Friday night!

Fifthly, the item shown in the above link is the extra large unit. I think that you would be hard pushed to fit a key and a fob into this box.

Mike

[Martec]

I found a small selfsealing plastic bag, lathered the key in red rubber grease as I don't have any water pump grease at present. The bag containing the key is tie- wrapped to part of the car that would get my knees dirty. The bag and key can be pulled out when needed without tooooo much hassle...........I think. As it isn't coded then it only gives access and no option to nick it.

My style cheap and cheerful.
Brian

[J44EAG]

A good point about the key only, Brian.

No key fob present, no start! Nice one.

Tie key to a piece of string and shove up exhaust pipe!

Mike