[vasracer]

I did a bunch of searching on this topic to no avail, so if anyone has suggestions...

Lotus backup key and fob don't work, and car is locked.

I have locked myself out of two cars this week...i came back from a trip to florida and lost my keys somewhere, both to a bmw and the lotus. No problem, right? Can't find the spare to the bmw anywhere, except possibly in this little brown bag, which is sitting in the passenger seat of the lotus. So I get the spare key fob to the lotus and not only does it not work, it sets off the alarm after about ten frustrated tries. The LED on the fob works and the dash light pauses when I press the fob.

The dealer, BH Lotus, suggests that the only way to fix this is to somehow bring the car in and get a new lockset installed. Can't be cheap. I can't even get the car out of the garage to tow it in. I don't really want AAA to send a locksmith to break the door and window. The BMW key has been ordered, so that's not a real problem.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I have seen how to resync the fobs, but unfortunately you need to be in the car to do this, I have the pin codes. Never thought to do this before, because I have never had to use the backup key.

Raj

 

[greatshamer]

I did a bunch of searching on this topic to no avail, so if anyone has suggestions...

Lotus backup key and fob don't work, and car is locked.

I have locked myself out of two cars this week...i came back from a trip to florida and lost my keys somewhere, both to a bmw and the lotus. No problem, right? Can't find the spare to the bmw anywhere, except possibly in this little brown bag, which is sitting in the passenger seat of the lotus. So I get the spare key fob to the lotus and not only does it not work, it sets off the alarm after about ten frustrated tries. The LED on the fob works and the dash light pauses when I press the fob.

The dealer, BH Lotus, suggests that the only way to fix this is to somehow bring the car in and get a new lockset installed. Can't be cheap. I can't even get the car out of the garage to tow it in. I don't really want AAA to send a locksmith to break the door and window. The BMW key has been ordered, so that's not a real problem.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I have seen how to resync the fobs, but unfortunately you need to be in the car to do this, I have the pin codes. Never thought to do this before, because I have never had to use the backup key.

Raj

I may be a little off-base, but I think this may constitute explaining how to b***k into an Elise/Exige without doing any damage.

 

[ace10]

try an advanced search, titles only, use:

lock*

there's only two or three possible causes of your problem, and i'm certain you'll find the answer quickly. and it won't involve replacing the lockset. BOO to LBH!!!

 

[Ian]

Are you certain that someone didn't lock the door with the key? If it was locked with the key, you will not be able to unlock it with the fob.

 

[vasracer]

no i locked it with the fob, i did try to insert the key, but the lock won't turn, and the alarm goes off. Yeah maybe breaking into the car is the only answer.
I tried searching "lock, keys, fob, locked out, reprogramming, unlocking, alarm," Did not try, "How do I b***k into a lotus?", but that's a great idea.

 

[MattG]

When the inertia switch is triggered in an accident, the doors unlock as a safety precaution. So, either get someone to ram your car to trigger the inertia switch (not recommend) or manually trigger it (do a search, you'll find the info). In the process of doing so, your alarm will be going off like crazy so read up on this beforehand and wear earplugs.

I don't see this as helping potential thieves much as there's still the engine immobilizer preventing hotwiring of the car - this just helps you enter the passenger cabin (with a siren wailing the whole time).

 

[MattG]

Hey, I edited out the word b-r-e-a-k in a couple posts above as this thread contains somewhat relevant information, no need to make it TOO easy for someone searching for info on this!!!

 

[vasracer]

there may be a god (see the atheist polls), as i was writing this post, the TSA security people found the keys which I had left in one of those bins. No matter how I feel about the whole TSA situation, I now have no choice but to smile and be thankful.

When I get them, you can be sure I will resync both fobs ASAP. Once again, elisetalk proves its worth (it helps that it is free!)...

sorry about writing the bad word above...raj

 

[jimthalheimer]

Locked Out

Same thing happened to me last year. I immobilized the alarm and opened the trunk. Using the tool kit I had in the trunk, I was able to bend a metal coat hanger into a v-shaped opening. Slipped it through the rubber weatherstrip at the top of the window, and after several minutes had trapped the V at the end of the hanger in the undercut on the door unlock button. Had my wife hit the fob, immobilizer light went off, pulled up the door lock button (slowly so the hanger didn't slip off), and opened the door.

Put a piece of tape over the end of the hanger so it doesn't scratch the paint near the button. It takes a little patience, but it will work. It took about 10 minutes. I now keep a hanger in the tool kit, and leave the drivers window down about 1/8th of an inch when I set the alarm.

The dealer had to replace an electrical switch to correct the problem.

 

[Cegan09]

Happened to my dad's car a few weeks back. the CDL module went, car wouldn't unlock. Its not that hard to get a coat hanger behind the window and pull the lock up. From there you should be able to re sync since you're in the car.