does anyone here know how to use a slimjim?
 

i cant do it..neither can an office full of engineers.

we caved and called AAA..5 seconds!! the guy took all of 5 seconds to open the door on a 2007 F150. our SJ looked just like his..maybe his was bent better..he wouldnt let me look at it..and he scowled at me when i suggested we relock the door and he let me try his tool..:) surly gentleman.

I've used one successfully in the past but I'm no expert. I fumble around like a kid on prom night until I get the result I need.

gotta be a complete 'how-to' vid on utube

It helps to know the vehicle. If you bummed around in a junkyard you'd be an expert.

I can usually get them open , but not in 5 seconds. My buddy is a locksmith, and has all the tools, and he is fast, but this is what he does every day. I just had a customer lock their keys in their Nissan Quest, a few weeks ago, and I got in in under 5 minutes.

I'm more of a beef jerky guy,, too much garlic in Slim Jims

I have a lock out kit, it's use/tools depends on the car. It comes with a reference book.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1344611417.jpg

Older cars are easy but I've never attempted anything newish.

The locksmith has probably developed a "feel". If you were his trainee he would show you the basics but like anything you'd have to practice to get good.
I'll never forget the first time I saw a locksmith pick a lock. It was the fuel filler cap on my dads car. Two strokes with his pick and it was open.

You snap into them...
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PXTagE7BtRU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sorry, couldn't resist.

I'm pretty good with mine, I can always get in but not always very quickly. Once you get the window wedged out a bit you just use logic to guess at the location of the bar connecting to the lock pull. From there you fish around looking for movement on the pull inside the car, once you see it vibrate, twitch, whatever, you've got the spot. From there it's trial and error, but you'll get it.

I'm a piker, but I got really good at late 90s Hondas when I was in the towing and repo business. My favorite was to snake the slim-jim up my sleeve and put on a little magic show. Had one lady call in for an un-lock. I came out and chatted her up while I wrote up the paperwork. While we talked I quietly slipped the slim-jim out of my sleeve and into the door and popped the lock from the opposite side of the vehicle from where she was standing. I collected her money and wished her a good day. She said wait, you forgot to pop the lock. I said Did I? Check it :). She did and was utterly dumbfounded. She said how did you do that, you didn't even get your tools out of the truck?! I just grinned like a Cheshire Cat, hopped in the truck, and drove off. Fun times.

I think the wedge & rod method is the way to go:
How to Open a Locked Car with the Big Easy Car Unlocking Tool - YouTube

every car is different slim jim is for specific models... other tools exist of different builds.

I used to open any car with one...Till the mid-90's and it was apparent that "guards" had been put into place to make it harder....Power locks were more difficult, but not impossible.......Need to use one all the time to be proficient, true with most tools....

I was surprised the one and only time i had to slimjim an old dodge caravan. took all of 5 secs.

He just had the 'book' My buddy had a AAA towing contract and they published a book for the tow truck drivers about an inch thick with diagrams on how to use the slimjim on all car models. I inherited the book when it went out of date but lost it last time I moved. Too bad, was a cool book.

I've had a slim jim for 30 years. Used to be able to get in just about every car years ago, but haven't used it much the past ten.

I watched AAA get in a car in about 10 seconds recently. He used an small inflatable bag on the door jamb and a rod to unlock the car. Very simple.

Watched a locksmith look at a key on the drivers seat. He wrote down the cuts and made a key off of his notes. It seems that there might only be 6 depths of key cuts or less and if the first cut is a 4 the second was a 3 the third a 5 and so forth a person with a shrp eye could do it!

Damn, beat me to it.

The "Big Easy" that LeeH posted works like a charm. Get the inflatable bag, and a wedge too, makes life a lot simpler.

Yep, not fast by any means.
I have a similar, but much cheaper kit. Some of the other tools are really useful.

Years ago a locksmith did that when my dad locked his keys in his car in the driveway. I think it took him 2 tries.

And if you overdo the wedging, you warp the door frame.

True, but after you're inside you can roll down the window and pull it back into place.