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]
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Jim 3:12PM (2/04/2007)
I was interested in does this actually work on todays common cars. I didn't want to damage my cars, so i used some thick rubber hose which is wide enough to cover the entire lock hole, inserted my compressed air gun into the other end, and with a pull of the trigger shot a powerful stream of compressed air into the lock. My results: 2007 Lexus RX350.....no unlock. 2006 BMW 330i.....no unlock. 2005 Scion Tc.....no unlock. Neighbors 2005 Infiniti FX35....no unlock. So I tried 4 vehicles and no luck. I would try a really low end vehicle, but no one in my neighborhood buys domestic. Findings: Carry and extra key with you, it works every time and is easier to carry then a tennis ball.
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lavardera 5:03PM (2/04/2007)
That is not a current model Mazda3 (if its a mazda at all). The Mazda3 had body colored handles, and the keyhole is in the handle - not the door panel. It also has black B pillars.
You should correct your article.
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iQuack 3:22PM (2/04/2007)
This is best for people who play tennis and own tennis balls.
Golfers tempted to try this with THEIR balls will do more damage.
Just thought you'd like to know.
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John 3:55PM (2/04/2007)
HEllo!? how do we know the guy behind her with the camera isn't usen the damn key fob to unlock the car. FAKEY! Autoblog what the hell is wrong with you? Posten this kinda crap. BAH!
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SOhp101 3:55PM (2/04/2007)
#1, 3-5, 8-10:
Please go back to your porch with your cane and rocking chair and go yell at the kids who are playing on your grass.
knowledge > ignorance
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leo 10:55AM (2/11/2007)
people, this was on the news recently, and you don't ned a tenis ball, you can just hit your car slightly above and to the left of the key adn it will open, it's a fault of the mechanism.
Mazda messed up adn will be re-calling all Mazda 3's for a repair.
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Robert 5:36PM (2/04/2007)
Scott Davis, please ignore all of the silly holier than thou comments and keep the posts coming. Some people think we should keep our heads buried in the sand, but instead of leading by example the shout at the rest of us to do it first. As long as it's automotive related and of reasonable quality or at least entertaining I'm happy to see it here.
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stedwoo 8:09PM (2/04/2007)
First of all I rarely lock my car doors any more in public places. I do not leave anything in my car to steal yet I have had my window broken out three times and ended up having to buy a new window at a couple hundred a pop. It is much easier to carry a hole punch than a tennis ball.
To those who think the little kiddies just learned somthing. Most kiddies spend all day on YouTube learning much better stuff than this and probably learned this months ago. At least here they can learn it does not work on every car.
Stedwoo
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Bruce 9:02PM (2/04/2007)
Still my favourite video is how to change the oil in your car with a block of cheese.
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Weez 3:22AM (2/05/2007)
WOW!! I would have thought Autoblog would have caught on to the fact this is a video of a couple college kids trying to start an Urban Legend. A previous poster nailed it when he said that a person off camera used the key fob to unlock the door. I once tricked my little brother into believing my car was voice activated by shouting "unlock" while pressing the keyfob I had in my pocket. He was 10 years old!!!
Come on Autoblog, think about the mechanical physics behind something like this. It's a another web generated hoax.
I fully expect my 60 year Aunt to soon send me a chain letter warning of people carrying tennis balls thru the local parking garages!!
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Galley 9:39AM (2/05/2007)
28 comments before someone finally mentions the hot blonde. You people disappoint me!
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Stacey 10:41AM (2/05/2007)
Can you please post how to hotwire a car too?
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Allen From Detroit 1:00PM (2/17/2007)
There was a car in the video?
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benderillo 3:57PM (2/05/2007)
butter face
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Typesbad 2:53PM (2/05/2007)
A few weeks ago three vehicles were broke into in the school parking lot while I was attending my son's cub Scout meeting. They just smashed the windows. I'm pretty sure that in all three cases, the cost of the window replacement was more than the stolen items.
Ironically if the theives successively used tennis balls instead of hammers it would have been better for all. Just a different perspective. I'm not arguing for not locking your cars. I don't think.
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JOE DUPONT 10:55PM (3/11/2007)
I PAID 70 BUCKS TO HAVE SOMEONE OPEN A CAR WHEN
WE COULD NOT GET INTO MY 93 YEAR OLD MOTHER'S CADDY.
IT WAS COLD. THIS MAY OR MAY NOT WORK. BUT IF IT REALLY DOES IT IS EASIER THAN PULLING THE WINDOW OUT AND FINDING A THIN STICK.
IF SOMEONE WANTS TO GET INTO YOUR CAR THEY WILL.
EVENTUALLY IF THIS IS SO, YOU MIGHT DO TIME HAVING AN OLD TENNIS BALL WITH YOU.
i WOULD THINK THAT THE DOOR HAS VENT HOLES ON THE BOTTOM TO LET WATER OUT.. AND THE OPENING TO THE LATCH THAT KEEPS THE DOOR SHUT IS PRETTY WIDE OPEN.
wORTH LOOKING AT BUT I WON'T HOLD MY BREATH.
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JOE DUPONT 10:57PM (3/11/2007)
I used a plunger a few minutes ago and no soap.
But I thought that one could make a rubber adapter and use a co2 fire extinguisher and do it .. if you really wanted to.. might be fun..
it this an april fools joke..
The lady is a real Fox however..
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Moderately Maladjusted 4:10PM (7/14/2007)
Like a previous poster said, there's no way a tennis ball could carry sufficient volume to pressurize that lock.
Second, those door locks are not airtight and thus can't be pressurized.
Third, door locks require that the cylinder be turned to activate it. If you were somehow able to magically pressurize the lock, there is no directional force provided to turn the cylinder either to lock or unlock it.
Fourth, if you really feel obligated to use a ball to get into a car, visit a bowling alley. Those balls work much better.
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dr.b_helthi 5:54AM (8/01/2007)
It did not work on my 1971 NSU Ro-80. dr.b_helthi
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dr.b_helthi 1:32PM (8/01/2007)
I will now try it on my 1986 RX-7. (just for fun, knowing
that it won´t work.)