Forget AAA: How to unlock your car with a tennis ball
Here's the scenario: You've locked your keys in the ignition of your Mazda3. Now there's an alternative to caving in the passenger's door to regain access to your car without wasting those precious cell minutes calling AAA. Apparently, all you need is a tennis ball (with a strategically placed hole burned into it) to get into your car. Check out the how-to video we've included after the jump that shows just what we mean. Now you just have to be sure you lock your keys in the car at either the sporting goods store or the country club.
[Source: techblog]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Gunnar 10:12AM (2/04/2007)
I am very dissappointed that Autoblog posted crap like this. This hasn't worked on "decent" cars or better since the early 80s and only cars that still use unitube type design lock "may" be affected by this. By posting something like this, you have just promoted dents caused by this procedure, which won't work on almost all vehicles that is worth stealing.
Since we can't prevent this from happening, why would someone post something like this? It isn't a warning message of any useful type....this just promotes damage.
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renaldo45 1:26PM (12/06/2007)
Well, maybe so, but if you used it on your ear, it would probably blow that toupee off the top of your head.
Greg 10:18AM (2/04/2007)
Wow this is another pretty cool video! I am on my second cup of coffee this AM, and haven't made it past 2 posts... I am going to show my wife this one as soon as I am done posting this comment!
#1 complaining about it, well obviously you had a lousy Saturday Night! - You should join the few critics of that awesome Hot Wheels race through the streets of UK.
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bernie 10:34AM (2/04/2007)
As a budding young car thief, I really appreciate AutoBlog's attention to detail. Now i won't have to buy all that expensive equipment. Thanks!
ps: I though you guys wrote about cars?
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XGM 11:04AM (2/04/2007)
And now this is where people start complaining... Is it because you can't afford your car to get stolen ? Or the fact that the only thing you think about is people will use this to steal more cars ?
The reason this is important to expose, is this lock system has been used for too many years. We need to expose this to have more people think of a new lock mecanism that can resist methods of lock picking, or key bumping. Wake up and face it, these methods have been available formany years, but its only recently people are seeing it. Since its getting more common, theifs are aware that people know of these methods so they will try to get away form using them.
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John 11:02AM (2/04/2007)
Gee, thanks Autoblog. Maybe you can post a how-to on how to break into my other 3 cars while you're at it too!
Idiots.
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matt 11:03AM (2/04/2007)
between running the DNC's party line on oil companies and garbage like this, I don't know why I bother reading autoblog any more.
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doug 3:43PM (2/07/2007)
I'm too blonde to take my keys when I locked my car, but I remembered my burnt tennis ball??
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Perruan 11:26AM (2/04/2007)
That's not a Mazda 3, It's a crappy Renault/Dacia Logan
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Dave in MI 11:50AM (2/04/2007)
No way this is real.
The ball does not have enough volume to pressurize the door. Pressurizing the lock would not turn it. All you would get doing this is a similar dent around the lock assembly as shown on the example vehicle.
Why does anyone believe internet videos?
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Kent 12:01PM (2/04/2007)
First it was the bmw unlock video. Then news about how mazda3 is easy to break into. Now a video of how to break into a car with a tennis ball. Even if the last video is a joke. I am sure plenty of kids will be trying it. Causing at least the damage shown on the demo car. Autoblog or Autothiefblog?
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Bruce 12:15PM (2/04/2007)
Keep a tennis ball in your purse? How about keeping a spare key in your purse? Wouldn't that be more simple? And last time I checked, a spare key fits in a wallet, but the spare tennis ball I tried made my pants fit funny.
As for posting this video....
1. If it really works, it's irresponsible. Now kids everywhere will be doing it to cars not their own and maybe helping themselves to the contents while at it.
2. If it doesn't you're going to have people damaging their cars, or at least looking like idiots if it doesn't work on their type of lock.
3. Even if it works on a few older model cars....it's easier to just carry a key, and finding a tennis ball and cutting an appropriate hole it would in many cases take longer than traditional methods of opening the door.
Just because it's a silly blog and not a newspaper or magazine, doesn't mean you should print/post anything that comes along.
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rygar 12:29PM (2/04/2007)
It only works on poorly built Eastern European cars.
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Bow tie optional 12:42PM (2/04/2007)
Are you people complete idiots? who cares if this unlocks any cars. I have a surefire solution that thieves have known for 80 years and theres not a damn thing you can do about it...
Step 1: get a bat
Step 2: smash window
Step 3: grab crap from car
heres a tip, don't leave crap in your car and no one will try this or any "high tech" method of breaking into your car.
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David 1:03PM (2/04/2007)
Thank you Autoblog for providing useful information. Now, since I'm an intelligent human being, I realize that I should do some more research to find out if my car is susceptible, understanding that the people that want to break into my car already know if it works. 'Just like the bic pen kryptonite information that caused the recall of the kryptonite locks. Valuable consumer information.
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Nick the Hammer 8:29AM (2/05/2007)
That chick is HOT....almost as HOT as many Mazda3's soon to be on ebay!!!!
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Tal D 2:11PM (2/04/2007)
#3 I agree with you.
If this is a valid bit of information on this video then I have a question.
How irresponsilble do think this makes the guy that posted this and Autoblog look.
This borderlines on stupidity.
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paul34 2:22PM (2/04/2007)
So, just wondering, but do you all realize this is an automotive news publication?
God forbid they actually post relevant news on... cars. ZOMG!
I'm sure you all believe books and other media like the Anarchist's Cookbook and Harry Potter should be BANNED for the good of ... your paranoid opinions.
Did people forget what it was to be American? A video like this isn't going to turn someone into a thief. Thiefs steal things, they don't need Autoblog to tell them to do so. In the end, the decision is still yours.
In America, we have free exchange of information... or at least, that's what it was supposed to be. Instead, now we have a society that wants to tell everyone else what information to absorb and what not to absorb. As a result, we have raised multiple generations of people who do not think for themselves.
Maybe I should make a video about stealing a car by taking someone's keys and starting then driving off. Maybe you'll all chastise me for "OMG every1 will become thieve now!!111~~~"
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vectorbug 2:50PM (2/04/2007)
The nice thing about my MX-5 is the doors dont lock unless I close them while holding the handle.
The bad thing is that my roof is canvas =(
(and if I lock my keys in the trunk my trunk latch in the cabin is disabled).
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Gunnar 3:10PM (2/04/2007)
You guys are missing the point. If people want to break into your cars, they will do the bat method someone mentioned above. The real problem is with idiots that will go around and trying this method out, which won't work, but cause dents around the lock mechanism.
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