I've known how to do this for ages, but it never came in handy until the other night when my mate lost his keys, miles from no where, and he was my lift. I've ripped a guide from here because it will probably make more sense then me trying to explain it. This will probably only work on older cars as well, the newer ones have all that computer crap in the key and whatnot...
WARNING: THIS CAN REALLY freakin HURT IF YOU TOUCH THE WRONG THING WITHOUT PROPER ELECTRICAL PROTECTION
What You Need
Stab it!
The first thing you will want to try is the screwdriver. Some (really) older cars don't really need to be hot wired. The first thing you will want to try is to shove your flathead (screwdriver) straight down the ignition barrel.
Like so:
![[Image: Hotwire2.jpg]](http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af131/extasey/Hotwire2.jpg)
DON"T JAM IT IN TO THE POINT WHERE IT GETS STUCK! Try turn the driver like a key, if the engine ticks over then your in luck! Drive away! Just try not to get pulled over with a screwdriver hanging out the barrel. It will be hard to explain.
If it didn't work, read on;
Rip it off!
So, your car didn't start when you shanked the thing. This part can get a little messy. Your going to need to take off your ignition cover. Most cars will have a pannel that can be easily removed. If not you have to decide weather you can wait for someone to arrive with your spare key, or you can pull the whole bottom of the dash out. I reccomend you wait.
Hopefully, you can easily see the ignition barrel, as well as some exposed wiring.
![[Image: Hotwire3.jpg]](http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af131/extasey/Hotwire3.jpg)
Don't break this crap, you want to put it back eventually, right?
Jack it!
Hopefully, you will be easily able to identify 3 sets of wires running into the barrel. Each set for a different type of ignition... ACC, ON and START (duh
)
![[Image: Hotwire4.jpg]](http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af131/extasey/Hotwire4.jpg)
Unfortunately, there is no universal colour code. I just tried all the wires untill the engine ticked over. But try the obvious ones first (i.e. the red one)
Getting Tricky!
This is where you can really fudge yourself up! Whatever you do, don't touch the bare wires, unless you have insulated gloves. But still don't do it!
Your going to need to grab that knife or wire stripper and, you guessed it, strip the wires!! Make sure you don't cross the pairs of wires, because your could fry your electrics all together and then have no chance of getting home. I'm not sure though because I have never risked it.
When you have stripped a pair, rub them together with extreme caution because it can spark and probably will. Best to hold your fingers as far away from the bare wire as possible.
Hopefully you will be able to get the engine to tick over fairly quickly.
Once it's idling disconect the wiring and cover the wires (i.e put the dash back together). If you leave them exposed and happen to cross them with your leg whilst driving, well, you can imagine.
But wait!
Car doesn't tick over straight away, or cuts out immediatly after you disconect the battery. Try and find the ON wiring and tape it together with something. We had to do this and a shoelace kept it together until we got home.
This is highly illegal if you don't own the car. Even if its a friends. Make sure the owner of the car is with you and you have a legit reason for doing it.
Heard of steering lock? Hopefully it won't be engaged but if it is, you will only be able to drive in the direction the wheels are already pointed becuase you don't have a key.
This crap can really fudge your car, and yourself. If you don't absaloutly need to do it, don't just wait until you can get help. It's not my fault if you decide to be a dickhead and blow your electrics, along with your arm, clean off.
Most newer cars have chips in the keys whih stop the car from starting without the correct auth key. If you still have the key, but it won't start the car for whaatever reason, try taping it to the wheel. These things work on proximity most of the time (I have seen commodores that rely on physical contact).
Some cars have resistors which can lock the ignition system if the correct voltage isn't matched a certain amount of tries.
Your battery can, and will, EXPLODE. Don't cross the circut with any metal. At all. This can cause the battery to deliver as much power as welder. NOT GOOD.
Don't go any where near the circut if you are wet. You should have learnt that power and water don't go together, at the age of two.
One last step...
Read the section above this 3 times, and memorise it. Seriously, this can fudge you up.
Alternatively you could call your local car dealer (of the same brand).
WARNING: THIS CAN REALLY freakin HURT IF YOU TOUCH THE WRONG THING WITHOUT PROPER ELECTRICAL PROTECTION
What You Need
- Proof you own the car
- A flathead screw Driver
- A knife or wire stripper
- Rubber gloves (if you can find any)
Stab it!
The first thing you will want to try is the screwdriver. Some (really) older cars don't really need to be hot wired. The first thing you will want to try is to shove your flathead (screwdriver) straight down the ignition barrel.
Like so:
DON"T JAM IT IN TO THE POINT WHERE IT GETS STUCK! Try turn the driver like a key, if the engine ticks over then your in luck! Drive away! Just try not to get pulled over with a screwdriver hanging out the barrel. It will be hard to explain.
If it didn't work, read on;
Rip it off!
So, your car didn't start when you shanked the thing. This part can get a little messy. Your going to need to take off your ignition cover. Most cars will have a pannel that can be easily removed. If not you have to decide weather you can wait for someone to arrive with your spare key, or you can pull the whole bottom of the dash out. I reccomend you wait.
Hopefully, you can easily see the ignition barrel, as well as some exposed wiring.
Don't break this crap, you want to put it back eventually, right?
Jack it!
Hopefully, you will be easily able to identify 3 sets of wires running into the barrel. Each set for a different type of ignition... ACC, ON and START (duh
)Unfortunately, there is no universal colour code. I just tried all the wires untill the engine ticked over. But try the obvious ones first (i.e. the red one)
Getting Tricky!
This is where you can really fudge yourself up! Whatever you do, don't touch the bare wires, unless you have insulated gloves. But still don't do it!
Your going to need to grab that knife or wire stripper and, you guessed it, strip the wires!! Make sure you don't cross the pairs of wires, because your could fry your electrics all together and then have no chance of getting home. I'm not sure though because I have never risked it.
When you have stripped a pair, rub them together with extreme caution because it can spark and probably will. Best to hold your fingers as far away from the bare wire as possible.
Hopefully you will be able to get the engine to tick over fairly quickly.
Once it's idling disconect the wiring and cover the wires (i.e put the dash back together). If you leave them exposed and happen to cross them with your leg whilst driving, well, you can imagine.
But wait!
Car doesn't tick over straight away, or cuts out immediatly after you disconect the battery. Try and find the ON wiring and tape it together with something. We had to do this and a shoelace kept it together until we got home.
This is highly illegal if you don't own the car. Even if its a friends. Make sure the owner of the car is with you and you have a legit reason for doing it.
Heard of steering lock? Hopefully it won't be engaged but if it is, you will only be able to drive in the direction the wheels are already pointed becuase you don't have a key.
This crap can really fudge your car, and yourself. If you don't absaloutly need to do it, don't just wait until you can get help. It's not my fault if you decide to be a dickhead and blow your electrics, along with your arm, clean off.
Most newer cars have chips in the keys whih stop the car from starting without the correct auth key. If you still have the key, but it won't start the car for whaatever reason, try taping it to the wheel. These things work on proximity most of the time (I have seen commodores that rely on physical contact).
Some cars have resistors which can lock the ignition system if the correct voltage isn't matched a certain amount of tries.
Your battery can, and will, EXPLODE. Don't cross the circut with any metal. At all. This can cause the battery to deliver as much power as welder. NOT GOOD.
Don't go any where near the circut if you are wet. You should have learnt that power and water don't go together, at the age of two.
One last step...
Read the section above this 3 times, and memorise it. Seriously, this can fudge you up.
Alternatively you could call your local car dealer (of the same brand).