Thieves tried to break into my 1989 Toyota Pick Up. I don't know if they actually got in or not, there was nothing to be stolen, and a club on the steering wheel.

My passenger door never had a lock cylinder, and now my driver side door lock cylinder has been mangled by a screw driver....How do I get in?

I tried prying open the door and using a coat hanger but got frustrated (plunger style door locks that are hard to pull up as is )

I tried sticking a screwdriver in the mangled cylinder and turning it, but not luck....

Key doesn't go in at all...

Help!

 

That's a bad day... Call a tow company, have them slim jim the door. Leave your door unlocked until you get that lock fixed unless you want to call a tow truck every time you want in your truck.

 

Bummer of a problem - you have my sympathy!

I think I would call a locksmith. They have a lot of tricks to get into cars without damaging them, and the 50 bucks or so would be cheaper than the damage you're likely to do trying to get in yourself.

A dealer might also be able to help you, but you'd probably have to have it flatbedded there, which would cost more than the locksmith.

 

How do the thieves do it?

Also, is there something I can reach and pull with a coat hanger inside the passenger door, through the hole where the lock cylinder should be?

Or I could make my own slim jim, but would need tips for where abouts I am aiming...

I have the manual but the schematic of the door isn't very good.

 

Call a tow truck and tell them you're locked out. If you have AAA it will cost you nothing but your time. They are pro's and can get it in 30 seconds. Coat hangers can damage the internal components if you don't know what you are doing.

Edit- To answer your question, Thieves use a slim jim. Idiot thieves use screw drivers. They are trying to force the pins in the lock to break, allowing the cylinder to rotate.

 

Does the truck have electric locks? If so, you may be able to hit the unlock button with a coat hanger and activate it. Otherwise, call for help as suggested.

 

No auto locks, no AAA.

 

You can buy AAA and use it at the same time. They done mind.
Or at least didn't used to mind.

 

Some police departments will unlock it for you. You need to make a police report anyway. They usually will just take that over the phone. Probably vandalism to auto. They ought to know about the crime even if insurance won't help you. They will usually put out a call, "any officer near --- with a slim jim that can open a door for a female?" I'm assuming by your user name you're a girl. Some police departments have stopped this service due to people claiming they damage the door. It's worth a try. Unless you have pounds of contraband in your truck. Also tow truck drivers can get you in for less than a tow charge.

 

The pictures here might help a little bit: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...t-work-254772/

This is the sort of thing where "practice makes perfect." You don't want to practice, but a locksmith (in theory) does this every day. Might be worth the money to just benefit from his technique.

If you do that, you might want to dig up something (registration renewal, insurance certificate) that shows you're the one who owns it. No locksmith wants to accidentally open a car for someone it doesn't belong to.

 

That sucks. I've has luck using a coat hanger but no particular method. Just loop the door handle just right.

 

Depending on where you live some officers will unlock it for you. They carry the kits for it. I've done it many times in Kansas city. You better have all your information ready though.

 

That same reason is also why I got a very loud car alarm. And I now leave my door unlocked. I would rather someone just open the door and realize there's an alarm and leave rather than break something to get in and then realize there's an alarm.

 

So, do you have a sliding rear window?

I got my truck as a stolen recovery, so no locks whatsoever. I recently went through enough parts trucks to get a matching set of door cylinders and a window lock. You can get in through the back window. I locked myself out of my truck twice (I'm smart...) and both times just pulled out the rear slider. It takes a bit to get it out, a good pry bar on the bottom corners does wonders. Getting the window back in with the rubber gasket isn't bad. If you have a set of picks, then you can get it in with minimal consequence.

Not the greatest method, but it worked for me

 

Some of you guys need to pony up to have a few extra keys made. I carry one in my wallet and place one on a bedroom shelf at home.

 

Or borrow someone else's key. Mine works on all three of my dads yotas. Vise versa too. Lol. Design flaw?

 

I got in!

I cut a one inch wide strip off of a crazy-carpet, 24 inches long. Folded it in half. Put adhesive sand paper in the crease. Put a plastic wedge in my door jam. Wiggled the device, crease first, through the weather stripping. Approached the plunger-style lock horizontally. Pulled one end of the device to make it curl towards the window, got it over the post, cinched it tight then pulled up at an angle...



I took a video in case my description is lacking.

 

I have the keys, to be clear. Just no functioning cylinder to put it in.

 

That's pretty creative. I don't think I'd have thought of that. One to put in the memory banks for the future. Good job!

 

Slim jim 2.0