Keyless entry and ignition is now common in the auto industry. As noted by Progressive, “nearly all new cars sold now have keyless entry and keyless ignition.”
The benefits of this technology include making it easier and faster for drivers to enter and start their car, and, in some cases, making it more difficult to lock one’s keys in their vehicle.
However, there are also drawbacks—for example, if entering and starting a car is dependent on the battery in the key fob, what is one supposed to do when that battery dies and they can’t quickly replace it?
While internet users have previously revealed how one can start their car with a dead key fob, there’s still some confusion about how one can actually get into their vehicle using their dead fob. Now, mechanics at Royalty Auto Service (@royaltyautoservice), who have previously shared a variety of other car-related tips, have revealed a method that allows one to enter their car with a dead key fob.
How can I get into my car when the keyless entry doesn’t work?
In a video with over 285,000 views, a mechanic explains how one can still open their car door with a dead key fob.
As it turns out, even though it may seem like one’s key fob lacks any physical keys, this is rarely the case. It may take a bit of work, but after some time, one can figure out how to remove the key from the fob.
“A lot of people say, ‘Oh, I know I got a hidden key,’ but some people don’t even know they have a hidden key,” he says. “So, you still have a mechanical key to get in your car. I don’t care what kind of car it is; I have not seen one yet that didn’t have a mechanical key to get in it.”
From here, the main issue is simply figuring out where the physical key must be inserted. On the vehicle shown in the video, the key can only be inserted after opening the door handle, revealing the keyhole. However, the mechanic notes that some cars may require one to remove a cover or slide a piece off of their handle to reveal the mechanical key.
The location of each keyhole changes from car to car. That said, there may be a limited number of cases in which the car does not have a physical keyhole. For example, vehicles made by Tesla do not have physical keys of any kind, and there’s a process that one must follow if they want to get into their Tesla on a dead battery.
@royaltyautoservice “I think so…” 😅 #mechanic #mechaniclife #automotive #tips #viral #cartok #fyp #foryou #duet #stitch #ford ♬ Pop beat BGM / long version(1283324) – nightbird_bgm
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, many users lamented the fact that opening a car with a dead key fob required so much work, with others noting that they’ve had issues trying to use the physical key.
“WHY do they make vehicles so ridiculously hard to operate,” asked a user. “give me a regular key, windows with a handle and no computers.”
“I learned this the hard way when we came back to SLC in winter to a dead car,” recounted another. “I googled it & learned about the key and then called the airport security & they jumpstarted my car.”
“When i got a new key from the dealership they didn’t cut the key they only programmed the buttons,” stated a third. “I wasn’t impressed when my battery in the car went dead.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Royalty Auto Service via website contact form.
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