If you want to unlock a lock and get confused that how much does pop a lock charge to unlock a car door then we have a complete guide for you.
How Much I Have To Pay?
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Pop-a-lock is an incredibly fast and reliable service provider. The average charge for unlocking car doors ranges from $50 to $120. The price depends on the severity of the issue. External issues like the type of your vehicle, your location, time of the day affect the price of pop-a-lock service.
The basic cost for a service call with an auto locksmith should be around $15. From there the service cost goes to $35 and is likely to go up, even more, depending on how hard it is to unlock the door.
Here’s a list of the services and their average cost :
- Lockout – $30 to $60
- Duplicate a key – $4 to $74 (depends on the key type)
- Cylinder rekeying – $5 to $20
- Car lockout – $50 to $120
An auto locksmith service like pop-a-lock will charge you between $50 to $250 depending on what your issue is. But if the problem arises after hours, then you may have to pay a little extra. Locksmiths charge you almost double the standard fee for working extra hours.
But, if your car is new then you need not worry about any of these charges. As your auto insurance may have covered this roadside assistance for free. These issues can be a huge headache. But knowing that pop-a-lock service is 24 hours on call for us, is a relief.
Does The Police Unlock Your Car For Free?
Before calling any service provider you may want to call the police for help. You may think the police will do your job for free. But unfortunately, it is not the case. They will not do it for free. Unless and until it’s an emergency like your baby stuck inside the car.
Also, in an emergency, the police will most likely break your window to open the car. It is because they don’t carry special tools for unlocking a car. Actually, police are not legally allowed to unlock vehicles. They cannot do it without a warrant.
It is because of safety reasons. This is standard police procedure and is very normal. So for situations like this, I recommend finding an alternate solution. The alternate solution is pop-a-lock.
Why Choose To Pop-A-Lock?
Now, after knowing all this you may think why choose pop-a-lock? What is so special about them? Here is a list of things that will explain why to choose pop-a-lock.
1. Convenience: One of the main reasons for choosing a pop-a-lock service is convenience. It is because they are available 24×7 for service. They are available in almost all the major cities in the U.S.
2. Veteran staff: The company hires people with military backgrounds i.e. veterans. So their staff can also be called veteran staff.
3. Knowledgeable staff: Their knowledge is very reliable in case of such situations. They are highly trained and experienced. They carry their special tools.
4. Their background: Their backgrounds are well checked. They are licensed and insured wherever required. They have good relationships with different lock and key companies.
Can A Locksmith Unlock A Car Door?
A simple answer to this question is YES! Yes, they can. But if you lock yourself out of your car and try googling techniques to unlock your car.
Then let me tell you that it will be an epic fail. Because no matter how many YouTube tutorials we watch. We don’t have those special tools that are required for unlocking a car.
Also, we should keep in mind that cars are designed so that they are hard to break in. So in a lockout situation, you will have to call a locksmith anyway.
Doesn’t matter what the situation is, auto locksmiths can unlock your car. Even if your key is broken off inside the lock or if you locked your keys in.
I know that these services can be on the expensive side. But you will also have to consider the fact that we don’t have the tools they have. Locksmiths can open cars with different types of lock systems. Like the cars with keyless entry systems. They are also capable of unlocking your cars without popping out the lock itself.
When you are in a lockout situation, you don’t need to make dents in your car to unlock it. Locksmiths are skilled to do it without dents. Like I said they have special tools like key analyzers.
It helps them to make a copy of your lock without a physical key. They also have tools for the extraction of broken keys without damaging your actual door lock.
How To Unlock A Car Door Without The Key?
You might be wondering what if I don’t find a pop-a-lock service? What if I don’t find a locksmith? Well, you need not worry anymore. Because this article is a one-stop solution for locked cars without keys. Read further to know how to unlock a car door without keys.
1. With A Shoelace
Locked out of your car? Wearing a shoe with laces? Congratulations you can unlock your car without breaking your bank or your car.
But this method works best with cars having them pull up locking mechanisms. What you need to do is tie a Slipknot with your shoelace creating a loop.
Then wiggle the shoelace until the Slipknot is inside your car door’s seam. Now, hold the shoelace and move it back and forth to shift the slipknot towards the car’s lock.
Then carefully put the loop over the lock and pull the shoelace to tighten the loop. After you feel like you have a tight grip, pull the shoelace. And you’re in!
2. With A Hanger
The cloth hanger trick is the OG trick! Just like the first trick this only works in old cars with manual locks. Open up the coat hanger so that you have a hook on one side and one straight side.
Then slide the hanger between the window and the weatherstrip. Once your hanger goes below the window. Start finding the control arm and pull it with the hook. And your door will be unlocked.
3. The Ruler Rule
This technique is pretty simple. All you need to do is slide the ruler at the edge of the door. Slide it until you find something hard. Then push it a little bit until you hear a clicking sound.
And your door is opened. I do not recommend using this technique on electric cars because it can damage the wiring of the car. Damaged wiring will cost you even more than a locksmith.
Is It Cheaper To Rekey Or Replace Locks?
Rekeying is much cheaper than replacing locks. It is due to the extremely low price of key pins in locks. You are only getting charged for the labour when you rekey locks. Whereas while replacing locks you have to pay for both the parts and the labour.
Some locksmiths will tell you to replace the locks instead of rekeying. But in many cases only rekeying the locks does the job. It means to change the existing lock so that a new key works with it.
The price of rekeying ranges from $20 to $50. Whereas, changing locks can cost you up to $75/hour. While replacing locks, the locksmith will change the entire lock system with new keys and everything. It is the sole reason why replacing locks is so much more expensive than rekeying.
Also, keep in mind that all locks come with a built-in system to be able to be rekeyed. So you need not worry about whether it’s rekeyable or not.
Final Talk
For the next time keep a spare key with you always. So that you don’t have to end up on the internet finding locksmith prices or ways to enter your locked car.
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