First, check the obvious
Before ringing anyone, thirty seconds of checks:
- Every door, including the boot and the tailgate. Central locking sometimes misses one, particularly on older cars.
- Whether a window is open even slightly. A gap at the top is often enough for a proper reach tool.
- Whether you have a spare somewhere. At home, with a partner, in a bag in the house. A fifteen-minute lift beats a call-out.
- Whether the car is somewhere safe. If you’re on a road, on a hard shoulder or in a live car park lane, move to a safe position before doing anything else.
If none of that helps, call a mobile auto locksmith. We come to the car, so nothing needs towing.
The urgent version
If a child, an animal or a vulnerable person is inside, this stops being an inconvenience.
Ring 112 or 999 first if there is any risk — heat in the car, distress, a very young child. Emergency services can force entry immediately when they judge it necessary, and a broken window is a trivial price in that situation.
Then ring a locksmith as well. Tell us someone is inside and the call goes to the front of the queue.
What not to do
Don’t force a window down. Modern glazing is in a channel and pushing it damages the regulator, the seal or the glass.
Don’t lever the door with a screwdriver or a bar. Bent door frames on modern cars are expensive, and once the frame is out of true the door never seals properly again.
Don’t use a coat hanger. The internet is full of confident videos. The reality is a scratched paint edge, damaged weather stripping, and sometimes a snagged airbag wiring loom in the door.
Don’t break the glass unless someone is at risk. It’s the most expensive way in, and the car isn’t secure or weatherproof afterwards.
What a mobile auto locksmith brings
Air wedges to create a controlled gap, long reach tools to operate the internal handle or lock button, protective sheets so nothing touches paint, and key-cutting equipment on board in case the key is lost rather than locked in.
The whole approach is designed around not damaging the car. There’s a fuller explanation in our guide on how auto locksmiths open cars without damage.
What to have ready when you ring
- Make, model and year. Systems vary enormously and it determines what’s possible.
- Exact location. A car park level, a shop name, a road junction. “Outside the shopping centre” covers a lot of ground.
- Whether anyone is inside.
- Proof it’s your car — ID plus something linking you to the vehicle, such as insurance details or the registration document. Any legitimate locksmith will ask.
How long it takes
Across Waterford City and the nearby areas, usually around 30 minutes to arrive. The opening itself is often five to fifteen minutes once we’re there.
You’ll get a firm price on the phone before we travel, including any after-hours rate. If we can’t do your particular vehicle, we’ll tell you before setting off rather than taking a call-out fee for nothing.