Often at work as a valet driver I am confronted with a vehicle without keys…and must get it out of the way to make room for other cars.
I can jimmy a lock no problem, but still need to unlock the steering wheel and transmission:This will at least allow us to roll a dead car out of the porte cochere and open up traffic.
I know that a 4wd truck/suv can have the transfer case shifted to neutral, but that’s not much helf if the steering wheel is locked in a turn.
Also, there are devices called Go-Jacks
http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=11724
which would lift the car off the locked wheels and then we could roll the car out of the way…but management is reluctant to invest in any equipment we won’t use every day. :dubious:
Is there some some way to trick a car into unlocking the steering wheel and transmission as if we had a key in the ignition?
Unlocking a steering mechanism to start and steer a car sans keys involves breaking something. Not gonna tell you what, or how because that’s how car thieves do their jobs. Think again about what you’re asking in your OP.
For your sitch, the Gojack, tow truck or a forklift are your best options.
Breaking something is the last thing we want to do, and without actually starting the engine, I doubt a car theif could get very far.
Exactly. There’s not a (reasonably expedient) way to do what you’re asking without breaking something.
Just realized I needed to add something:
Manual transmissions generally don’t lock, so you have no problem there.
Lately, non-column shifted automatics have a little fingernail-sized acces panel near the shifter which, when pried off and depressed, will indeed unlock the transmission.
The first generation Honda Minivan also had a little access panel on the steering column which unlocks the steering; apparently, this feature enables the owner to roll a dead vehicle out of a parking space when parked nose-in and requires a jump-start for a dead battery.
I’m afraid this one comes too close to giving instructions as to how to steal an automobile, although I understand that wasn’t the intent of the OP. But, nevertheless, it’s closed.
samclem GQ moderator