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Locked your keys in a running car?
If the car is in a closed garage, open the big door and get out of the garage. If a child or a pet is inside, call 911. Then call or text us the year, make and model, and we head straight out, day or night.
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What do I do if my keys are locked in a running car?
Make sure nobody is breathing exhaust: in a garage, open the big door and leave. If a child or pet is inside, call 911. Then call a locksmith with the year, make and model. Leave the windows alone unless someone's safety depends on it.
Fumes first, the lock second
- Is the car in a garage? Open the big door all the way, shut the door into the house, and stay out. Exhaust carries carbon monoxide.
- Child or pet inside? Call 911 now. They can get in faster than anyone.
- Nobody at risk? Then the car can idle while you call us. Leave the windows alone.
- Call or text the year, make and model and where the car is. You get the price and we head straight out.
How it usually happens here
Halifax winters are more slush than deep freeze, so the engine runs while the glass gets cleared. That's when it happens:
- You warm the car with the remote starter, the doors stay locked, and the fob is sitting on the passenger seat.
- You start it with the key, hop out to clear wet snow or scrape freezing rain off the windshield, and the door locks behind you.
- The fob is left inside, the last door shuts, and the car locks itself.
A running car in a mall lot, a workplace lot or the end of your driveway is one of our most common calls in winter.
So it doesn't happen again
- Keep a spare key where you can reach it: with a neighbour, a family member, or a lockbox at home.
- Find out how your remote starter handles the locks. Some can be set to stay unlocked after a start.
- If your fob is getting unreliable in the damp, have it checked before it strands you. Key fobs and remote starters.
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You hear the price before anyone drives out. Our Price Promise.
Questions people ask
- How does a car lock itself while it's running?
- Many cars lock after a remote start, and some lock when the last door closes with the fob inside. Step out to brush off wet snow with the engine running and the door can be locked behind you.
- Will it run out of fuel or overheat?
- A car can idle for a long while, but it's burning fuel, and many remote starters shut the engine off after a set time. Either way, it's better to call early than to wait it out.
- Should I just break a window?
- Only if someone's safety is at risk and help can't arrive in time. Otherwise we open the car without damage, and a side window is slow and costly to replace.
- Is a running car in an attached garage dangerous?
- Yes. Exhaust carries carbon monoxide. Open the big garage door, keep the door into the house closed, and stay out of the garage until the engine is off.
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Open 24 hours, 7 days. You approve the price before we start.