My dumb a** locked my keys inside. Any ideas how to break in? I tried putting a coat hanger through the window to push the button but it didn't work. I need it by Monday. Thanks in advance.

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93 XLT 4 door
Big, green, and slow

Find someone with a Slim Jim, gas station etc. Its pretty easy to get in.

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Stephen Withrow
StephenLS400@aol.com
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97 Explorer Limited 4X4 SOHC V6
98 Lexus LS400

The hardest part about breaking into most Ford products is that the mechanism inside the door works backwards. http://www.4x4central.com/ubb/confused.gif In order to unlock the door you need to push down on the rod connecting the door lock to the mechanism, as opposed to pulling up on it like you think.
An alternative is to call a locksmith or a towing company that deals in lockout service (not all do because of liability). Don't waste your effort on calling the Police they won't touch it. http://www.4x4central.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

I used the key from my aunts old Crown Vic. They fit the tailgate perfectly. That's the second set of keys they've had that fit our cars. Before they had a Taurus who's keys fit our Taurus perfectly, engine and everything...kind of scary if you think about it. Anybody with a bunch of old Ford keys could just try some on a car they want to steal. Thanks for the suggestions stephen and mrboyle.

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93 XLT 4 door
Big, green, and slow

The manufacturers only make so many different combinations of lock tumbelers. They try to varry them, but it isn't uncomon to find a vehicle with the same key as yours. I have a complete set of GM door and ignition keys that I coppied from a friend who use to do fleet service for a taxi company. Instead of giving him the key each time he needed to work on a particualr car the company gave him a boat load of keys and he was always able to find one that would work. Another guy I know saves copies of keys for everything from cars to padlocks. If someone can't find a key they go to him and he usually has one. You proably don't need to worry about someone ysing their keys to get into your vehicle, mainly because most people don't know that their key will work in anything but their own car.

You're kidding! God I never even considered the fact that some keys might be interchangeable. http://www.4x4central.com/ubb/eek.gif

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Stephen Withrow
StephenLS400@aol.com
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97 Explorer Limited 4X4 SOHC V6
98 Lexus LS400

Explorers are simple to break into. I found out the hard way but it's just too easy. I am actual very annoyed how easy it was. But here goes. Drivers side door, (Australia is right hand drive) but i guess both sides are the same. Lift the door handle and on the left hand side there is a hole through the panel, get an 8 inch long screw driver with the flat of the blade horizontal, aim downwards slightly and insert until you feel the rod connecting the button to the lock mechanism. Once you have the end of the blade on the rod, push a bit harder then lever downwards lightly. The button will come up very easily. If you have keyless entry and you are on the drivers side it is even easier, you will note that the other doors buttons pop up for a second so if you have two people get the other to simply open the door when this happens. Sorry but this is on a '98 model I just noticed yours is 93.
Try it ahy way.
Hope this helps all the Explorer owners and not the theives.
Regards Paul Golby Australia.

[This message has been edited by golby (edited 05-07-2000).]

I've heard of this... I had a friend whose car was stolen from her school... turns out they found it on another campus (same school)... they found out that the woman who took it owned the same vehicle (color, interior, everything) and was an instructor on both campuses. The instructor's car was parked just a few spaces down and both of their keys worked in both cars! It was an honest mistake!
-Joe-

I had a friend in University who was dating a girl who worked at a Chevy assembly plant. Being a nice guy, I didn't hold this against my friend http://www.4x4central.com/ubb/smile.gif. I don't remember the exact model, but I think maybe it was the lumina or something similar. Anyway, apparently there were only 8 or so different lock cylinders (I hope I remember the number correctly -- but it was shockingly low). Therefore, if you had a key for one, chances are 1 in 8 that your key would fit someone else's car or vice-versa. But don't worry about it... they're just cheap chevy's :P.

I have tried my electronic keyless on many explorers and have not yet found one that responded to mine.

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JGB - Ontario Canada
'96 XLT 4x4
K&N, Bosch, Splitfire...

I've locked myself out of my 91 a few times. It's very easy to get into. Use a wire (like a coat hanger) and bend two 90 degree angle like this _|- (I think you'll get the idea). Carefully work that under the back window and put the end of the wire on the lock and push the wire against it. The lock lifts up, and you're in. It's way too easy . . .

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ExploreMinnesota
91 EB 4x4 Stock

Jambo,
Although there are only 8 lock cylinders, GM uses two keys (ignition and door) for each vehicle. If you figure there are 8 lock cylinders and 8 ignition cylinders the average just jumped to a minimum of 1 in 64 chance of having the same combination.

ok so explorers may be easy to break in to but nissan are a pain in the a$$ it took me and a lock simth 45 mins to get me keys out of my 87 3 dr sentra. but it took him like 5sec to do the same to my explorer my I have spairs for my explorer but not my car. o well now i have a ranger with the 4.0 ohv 5 speed and boy o boy dose it go.

Just one more reason why our Explorer is better than most other SUV's. I can get into ANY {my mothers too} Jimmy/Blazer without ANY tools in under 10 seconds, while it takes me around a minute with tools to get into my Explorer.
If anyone wants it bad enough they will take it!
Thats why you need some type of alarm, even then if someone wants it bad enough they will still find a way.

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Nick
'93 XLT 4 Door 4x4
Bosch Plat+4's with SplitFire Dual Core wires and a
K&N Air Filter with a Modified Air Box

I’m a locksmith in Albuquerque NM and I have to say fords are one of the easiest cars to unlock. Almost all fords us the same 4 cut wafer and linkage rod assembly. When I personally do auto entry I pick the wafers but for less experience people make a z shape with a coat hanger, find something like a door wedge to shove in between the glass and insulator. From there drop the z roughly 10 inches down and 10 to the left from the right side of the window seal, then push it all the way to the right then pull up until you hit the linkage rod then try to get above and then press down. You can’t start the process from the top because of the lock its self is in the way. As for stealing an explorer, very very easy as long as it doesn’t have a transponder port. To pick and start would be very difficult because of their patented side bar, but use a crow bar and screw driver pull the lock out and start the car.

Originally posted by mrboyle
The hardest part about breaking into most Ford products is that the mechanism inside the door works backwards. http://www.4x4central.com/ubb/confused.gif In order to unlock the door you need to push down on the rod connecting the door lock to the mechanism, as opposed to pulling up on it like you think.
An alternative is to call a locksmith or a towing company that deals in lockout service (not all do because of liability). Don't waste your effort on calling the Police they won't touch it. http://www.4x4central.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif yes they do, i locked my keys in my x before and i called them and they came out and fixed me all uo

Originally posted by Audio_1
yes they do, i locked my keys in my x before and i called them and they came out and fixed me all uo

I know they won't do it in Florida or almost anywhere else because it's not like their a locksmith so when they would open a vehicle there was a greater chance of them breaking the mechanism, thats why they won't do it at least here in Fl. Because after they helped someone, they would expect the cop to pay for any damage. I locked my keys in my truck by accident and it happend to be near a Police Department, and that's what they told me, so they called a locksmith for me at least. They actually said they are required by the departments to not try to open anybodys vehicle b/c they don't want to pay for the damage.

I locked my keys in my 94 explorer and my buddy with a 96 Ford Ranger splash opened my door right up for me with his keys.

Ryan

One of my Explorer Keys works in both ignitions. It won't work in both doors though... :( I have Three Ford keys on my ring right now. :)

I have actually gotten into another Explorer!

I was parked at a restaurant only a couple of days after getting my first Explorer. I came out to get in my truck, saw a green Explorer that looked just like mine, unlocked the door, and got in. I looked around and was like WTF? Nothing was in place. I was really confused, then realized it wasn't my truck. Mine was parked a couple more spaces down. I just got out, locked their door, and went on like nothing happened. :o

When my Mother bought her new '96 T-bird, the dealer gave them the wrong set of keys. They drove the car over to her Inlaws to show them their new car. When they went to leave, they discovered that the door key didn't work. It turned out the dealer had two T-birds on the lot with the same ignition key, but different door keys. The dealer had to make a drive out to deliver the correct keys.

Sounds kinda scary but I figure if anyone wants my truck bad enough there is nothing I can do to stop them. Now that I read this thread if I'm really bored this weekend I may just "break-in" to my own truck but I'll have to remember to lock the doors manually so I don't set the alarm off.