locked out

[buildersbutt]

Hi all, have been unable to use my Vauxhall Omega Elite due to illness, went out to start it up used fob to open nothing so used the key would not unlock, obviously the battery is dead but should not the key in the door open it? thanks for your time.

 

[gregers]

wouldve thought so,
have you tried the passenger door or the boot?

 

[buildersbutt]

wouldve thought so,
have you tried the passenger door or the boot?

Cannot get to passenger door as to close to fence and the boot is only worked on the key fob, thanks for your reply!

 

[JohnD]

Are you sure about the boot? On my car it is usually unlocked by the fob or a button on the dash, but there is a concealed keyhole as well (because the battery is in there). Is there a way to open your bonnet and charge the battery?

Have you tried a drop of WD40 in the drivers keyhole?

 

[Mikefromlondon]

are you saying that your car is dead locked? if so a weak battery may not rescue you, a dead lock operates bolts which prevents thieves from opening doors by lifting the interior locking knob, as they can gain access to the knob through gaps in the door seal and or through a broken window, but even if they then lift the unlocking button, the doors cannot open as they will only open if you have the correct key, and this key in turn operates a microswitch that unlocks the dead locking but you need to have a good battery for that.

If you can get under the car near the front and if you can figure out your starter motor, or alternator, from below, you may be able to hook up a small wire to the big thick battery to starter motor lead or battery to alternator lead, and pump up some power into the battery and start charging it up, may take a few minutes until battery has sufficient charge to unlock the dead lock bolts. Get a battery charger or portable starter pack with leads and hook it on to battery + from underneath the car, get a torch etc. or else call AA or RAC , they should be able to help unlock.

 

[gregers]

look at this thread,

http://oldsite.omegaowners.com//forum/YaBB.pl?num=1228132893

 

[Himaginn]

Manufacturers provide a means of opening cars that have been deadlocked and the battery going flat.
In a friends case, she had a Freelander and knowing that there was a method, I still couldn't find it. Land Rover Assist were there in about 30 minutes and unlocked the passenger door with the key, which set off the alarm, but as soon as the key is inserted the alarm is reset. (They did it for free, mumbled something about it being a premium brand of vehicle!)

I have a Discovery and I experienced exactly the same problem after returning from holiday. Knowing the sequence I tried the key in the passenger door but it wouldn't turn. I hadn't had the car from new and I thought the worst had happened, i.e. new key and ignition lock without changing door locks.
A friend suggested WD40 and it worked. The lock was stiff but it turned. As soon as the passenger door was opened the alarm went off but the insertion of the key silenced it.

Perhaps, in both of these cases the battery hadn't gone flat, but the automatic deadlocking had been triggered so the key fob doesn't open the door.
The only difference, with a flat battery, perhaps, would be that the alarm will not sound. But you will still have access to the bonnet release.

Sometimes the key hole is covered by a strip of plastic, or similar, which is the case with Land Rovers.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

A woman down my road owns an old Vauxhall Astra, W reg, lost her car keys, it was the only one set she had! so whilst she was stuck, couldn't get into her car, she phoned up various locksmiths, who told her that as long as she can get someone to remove one of her door locks and bring it to them, they could make a duplicate key to fit her locks. But the trouble was how does she open her door to begin with for someone to remove her door lock and key barrel from inside the car, you have to first get inside. She was quoted a very nominal sum under £120.00 for making a new door key and a new transponder programmed to suit her car by a mobile locksmith for her immobiliser. a lot more cheaper than a dealers price.

Earlier on she had also tried Vauxhall dealers, gave them her VIN number but they wanted extortionate amount of money to supply her a new duplicate key with appropriate transponder code for her immobiliser, more than her car was worth, so one minute she was almost going to scrap her car.

Then as a few days had gone past, her car got broke into, thieves broke her rear quarter window, and managed to lift the rear passenger door locking knob lifted up to unlock the car, but to even their surprise, the doors were dead locked, and refused to open, so someone tried for her front door locking and managed to lift that up with a long contraption that reached the door lock button from the broken rear quarter window, again to no avail, the doors refused to open.

This goes to show you what dead locking means, and what its designed purpose is, many cars with dead locking are useless as when you lift the door knob through an open window they will just open, so defeating the purpose.

later on when all avenues were explored, including opening the bonnet with a long reach pole to operate her bonnet catch, disconnecting her battery and reconnecting it did nothing, she was hoping that it might reset her central locking and dead locks, but it didn't do sod all.

So in the end, the mobile locksmiths came, with their contraption they manged to open her front drivers door, and with it the dead locks retracted and got into her car, undid the inner door panel and removed the door card undid her door handle and barrel and took it away and next day they returned with a new key and a new transponder , programed it into her ignition system, and the car fired away.

But just goes to show you how some cars are tough to get into, even despite breaking a window and undoing door lock knobs, the dead locking is solid!

 

[Himaginn]

For those that have the good sense to have a spare fob/key, the battery in the fob, these days, is recharged when in the ignition.
So use the spare fob regularly to keep the battery topped up.
It cost me £250 for a new spare fob, but compared to the cost of a lost fob or breakage , I thought it was money well spent.