Using a Slim Jim to try and unlock you car can cause expensive damage.

Many of us have locked keys inside our car – I have locked my keys in the car a few times in my life, and the first thing that comes to mind to many is a slim jim. I have watched many people attempt to unlock their own car with a slim jim, and most of them just shove it in the door and start pushing, grabbing,  and  pulling. The problem is that they may not understand the damage they may cause with a slim jim in the newer cars.

Slim jims were made for older cars that had hard linkage rods inside the door. Today’s cars have a totally different lock system made with bicycle cable that pulling on will only cause damage. Trying to unlock a car with this type of lock with a slim jim is simply just a waste of time. Not to mention the potential risk and damage to the locking system. There are quite a few more things to consider inside the door that could be damaged:

Airbag wiring & sensors
Fiber-optic cables
Wiring for speakers, power windows, rear view mirrors, and locks,
Multi-layer weather-stripping,
Yaw & pitch sensors for traction control devices,
Antennas and associated wiring for the new smart key fobs (otherwise know as push to start).

It is just not a good idea for someone who is not properly trained to stick a piece of metal inside a car door and start pulling away at anything they feel. It is a lot cheaper to call a professional to unlock your car in the long run. We do not even use slim jims and highly advise against using this primitive locksmith tool.