Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Videos, Ford, Volvo
Can you really open a locked car door with a tennis ball?
by Chris Shunk on Jul 12th 2007 at 7:56PM 
You may remember a video that we showed on Autoblog where someone poked a hole in a tennis ball, lined up the hole in the ball with the key-hole of a car, pressed really hard, and the door unlocked. After reading your comments from that post, we decided that it was definitely worth testing to see if this tennis ball technique works for ourselves. One of the commentors from the last post on this subject used pressurized air to try to unlock four different doors to no avail, and another used a plunger (we wish we had video of that) but nobody tried a tennis ball like the video in question.
Hit the jump to see what happened when we tested the "use a tennis ball to unlock your car" trick. We tried it on four different vehicles, and we used two tennis balls, each with a different-sized hole in it to verify our findings. Check it out, and if you have a tennis ball and a screwdriver lying around the house, try it yourself and let us know in the comments if you got the same result we did. We're guessing you probably will.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
verdegrrl 8:20PM (7/12/2007)
Guessing it might be effective on older cars with vacuum operated door locks. Older VWs, Mercedes, etc.
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Derek 9:27PM (7/12/2007)
only if the vacuum cannister that unlocks the door is located in the lock cylinder which is very unlikely.
I can't figure out how this is supposed to work except as a carefully staged internet prank. Anyone familiar with how any urban legends say this is supposed to work?
verdegrrl 9:55PM (7/12/2007)
Has anyone tried it on a MK III Jetta/Golf? Or maybe W124 Mercedes? I know vacuum leaks in the plumbing on those cars can cause some or none of the doors to unlock.
Tyler 10:06PM (7/13/2007)
Im guessing its "supposed" to work by forcing air into the tumbler and blowing the locking pin up via a *magical* tube that connects the two...
Unless you got that pathetic puff of air to spin the tumbler, MAGICALLY lining up all 5 heads, then it would work... Im assuming Harry Potter doesnt own a locksmithing biz huh?...
Dammm and I was hoping too...
-Cheers
ben clad 7:15PM (8/12/2007)
I treid this on 7 different cars some rovers bmws and a mg. Right first I tried this on a fab looking rover 75, and did nothing, then on a rover 800, nothing, then on a rover 400 and OMFG the door lock moves, It only moves slightly but with enough pressure it might just unlock it!!! also on the rover 400 it set the horn off which it abit random. I also did it to a rover 25, 100, mg metro, mg tf and then a bmw 525i se but made it set the alarm off!
The only car which makes it move is the rover 400, but it's only a slight movement.
has anyone elce had any luck
JGuan 8:21PM (7/12/2007)
Does Volvo have special non dent door panels or are they just really flimsy cheap plastic?
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MrMorix 8:28PM (7/12/2007)
Well when you have a big guy (no disrespect intended) pushing with all of his weight of course it's going to flex. Do you even own a car?
MelonBaller 3:54AM (7/14/2007)
Try it on a Toyoto Corrola (sp? that can't be right) it apparently works according to my friend - try something like the 79
JGuan 8:31PM (7/12/2007)
Yes I do in fact, a 2005 Acura TL, and the panels are all pretty solid, no flex.
MrMorix 8:39PM (7/12/2007)
I'm throwing the bullshit flag on that, my co-worker has a TL that was backed into in our very small parking lot (less than 5 miles per hour) by a Xterra and managed to cause 2300 dollars worth of damage to the bumper. Amount of damage to the Xterra... slightly damaged tail pipe. All cars flex dude.
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raiderarch329 9:21PM (7/12/2007)
There is a little bit of a weight difference between an Xterra and a man.
MaxP 9:07PM (7/12/2007)
xterra so fking own man :D
CMDR 9:10PM (7/12/2007)
Not Acuras.
JGuan 9:35PM (7/12/2007)
True, all cars do flex, some more than others. Have you ever pushed the rear end of a Corvette? or the bumber of a Chrysler 300?
Cary 4:18AM (7/13/2007)
Yeah... Throwing up the bullshit flag to that. My 1981 Millenium falcon---err 1981 Mercedes 300SD does not flex. By the way, the tennis ball will unlock the smaller Benz's doors. The W126 (280SE, 300SE/SD/SDL, 380SE/SEL, 400SEL, 420SEL, 500SEL, 560SEL/SEC, and 600SEL/SEC) have a specific groove and dip cut into the key as to disable the factory alarm before entry. There was now factory alarm on the other models = tennis ball trick works. [Plus, I tried it on a car at my mechanics shop.]
Cheryl 11:57AM (7/16/2007)
Satun used to have dent resistant paneling and even those flex some so I'm pretty sure all panels flex on all cars.
steave 9:06PM (7/12/2007)
yeah sry i have to agree wit mrmorix, i went to the acura dealership last year to test drive a 2005 acura tl, the dealer brought the car up, was backing it up into the parking space and i could see the whole rear and he hit the car behing him backing up going only like 3-5 mph and the bumper was destoryed, i still bought another model, but i love the car, it has eveyrthing for a great deal.
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E36 9:15PM (7/12/2007)
And what exactly does this have to do with unlocking a door with a tennis ball?
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Plastic Bertrand 9:41PM (7/12/2007)
it's just as pointless ;-)
CMDR 9:40PM (7/12/2007)
Everything my friend. I unlocked my Acura with a tennis ball before heading to work one day... then on I-40 two Peterbilt log trucks simultaneously smash into me! I was shocked at first, because earlier I had been sweeping my feet back and forth across the carpet, and then once the small static electric spark ceased - I noticed what seemed to be an automotive log toss. Surely my car would be a total loss after what just happened, so I pulled over and got out to inspect my vehicle. Thats when I saw it, on the hood - a fancy "A" inside a band of chrome. I jumped back in, high-fived my rearview mirror. Acura... french for "fucking awesome."