How do you unlock a Smart Car, with a dead battery?

[mr. cob]

Howdy All,

Due to trees falling on our home in November we have not driven south this winter.  The Smart Car, has been tied down behind the sleeper for the last 3 months without being started, and of course the battery is now dead.  I can't figure out how to insert the key into the door to unlock it so I can get inside to charge up the battery, there looks to be some sort of cover over the key hole.  If anyone can offer a suggestion on how to get in the car without busting something I sure would appreciate it, thanks.

Dave

[Lou Schneider]

You should be able to pry off the plastic cover to reveal the keyhole.  Or unlock the rear hatch to gain entry.  Much longer explanation here:

https://www.justanswer.co.uk/car/848ih-can-t-unlock-smart-car-2003-city-cabrio-using-key.html

Edited January 24, 2023 by Lou Schneider

[mr. cob]

Just now, Lou Schneider said:

You should be able to pry off the plastic cover to reveal the keyhole.

Howdy Lou,

I was thinking that might be the case but I don't want to break something not knowing what I am doing.  Are you certain that the plastic cover is made to be pried off?

Dave

[mr. cob]

1 hour ago, Lou Schneider said:

You should be able to pry off the plastic cover to reveal the keyhole.  Or unlock the rear hatch to gain entry.  Much longer explanation here:

https://www.justanswer.co.uk/car/848ih-can-t-unlock-smart-car-2003-city-cabrio-using-key.html

Howdy Lou,

Thanks for the link, on my car there is no key lock on the passenger side or to the rear hatch.  I called our roadside service they are sending someone out hope they can open the door.

Dave

[Darryl&Rita]

Dave, do you have a 451 or 453? I'm not sure of the 453 construction, but the 450 and 451 linkage is all inside the door panel, where a Slim Jim can't get to it. The lock is direct connected to a solenoid, there's not even any linkage to grab. You might try going to the interior door release on the opposite side and pulling it, while prying the window open a crack.

[mr. cob]

46 minutes ago, Darryl&Rita said:

Dave, do you have a 451 or 453? I'm not sure of the 453 construction, but the 450 and 451 linkage is all inside the door panel, where a Slim Jim can't get to it. The lock is direct connected to a solenoid, there's not even any linkage to grab. You might try going to the interior door release on the opposite side and pulling it, while prying the window open a crack.

Howdy Darryl,

The towing insurance sent a guy out, he used a couple of little pry bars to get the window top to move, then slipped a little thing that looked like a baggi in-between the window and the door frame, pumped up the baggi this opened a small space between the window and the door frame and slid a long tool through the opening and under the inside door latch then using the tool opened the door, took him all of about 2 minuets.  Jumped the battery, car is now running, if I was in Arizona instead of here in the rain and gloom I would be a very happy camper.

Dave

[usbusin]

Wow, with the right tools it sure made it easy!!  

[rpsinc]

1 hour ago, mr. cob said:

if I was in Arizona instead of here in the rain and gloom

hope you realize that Q & the Southwest has been getting LOTS of inches of rain, so you may have been in the rain and gloom as well, but today is a really nice sunny day and we are drying out.

[mr. cob]

3 hours ago, rpsinc said:

hope you realize that Q & the Southwest has been getting LOTS of inches of rain, so you may have been in the rain and gloom as well, but today is a really nice sunny day and we are drying out.

Howdy Marcel,

Yes I might be in rain and gloom if I were in Arizona, BUT I would be with friends and able to ride my SxS, TWO very big pluses compared to what I am enduring now. 

On November 8th, during a bad wind storm two very large trees fell onto our garage and home.  The garage took the biggest hit but both the garage and the house are having new roofing and needed repairs done. 

All the contractors are busy with repairing storm damage it hit the whole area hard.  So I don't know if I'll be able to make it south this winter or not, could be another three weeks before we know for sure when the repairs are complete.

Dave

[runaway parents]

 Hey Mr. Cobb Home depot has those hair bags  in their tool department .I use them for hanging doors. Anyway got locked out of  our car. A air wedge a  Wooden  Shim and a coat hanger Got me in.

[Danfreda1]

Howdy Dave 

we just left the hdt group this morning and moved to Plamosa road with the Escapees group. Besides the cold nights and wind weather is about like last year but a night of rain and a couple days of clouds. Wish you and Donna were here, going to stay here for a week the might see Roger and Karen for a few days then quartzite for a week or 2. Kept the horn blow at sunset going until we left but don’t know if they kept it going tonight. Tell Donna we said hi

[craigjanelle]

Hi Dan & Freda,

It felt pretty lonely out there @ 5:59pm, the night of your departure. Myself & another from the north end participated in a very weak manner. Hope to see you back in a couple of weeks, enjoyed being your neighbor in Q.

[SuiteSuccess]

6 hours ago, craigjanelle said:

Hi Dan & Freda,

It felt pretty lonely out there @ 5:59pm, the night of your departure. Myself & another from the north end participated in a very weak manner. Hope to see you back in a couple of weeks, enjoyed being your neighbor in Q.

Might check to see if you are missing any belongings.  Freda is a gem but that Dan is kind of a shifty fellow!  😂😂

[rpsinc]

18 hours ago, mr. cob said:

Howdy Marcel,

Yes I might be in rain and gloom if I were in Arizona, BUT I would be with friends and able to ride my SxS, TWO very big pluses compared to what I am enduring now. 

On November 8th, during a bad wind storm two very large trees fell onto our garage and home.  The garage took the biggest hit but both the garage and the house are having new roofing and needed repairs done. 

All the contractors are busy with repairing storm damage it hit the whole area hard.  So I don't know if I'll be able to make it south this winter or not, could be another three weeks before we know for sure when the repairs are complete.

Dave

Well, I do know how you have come to enjoy your activities in Q and esp the company of friends.  Its too bad that you are stuck dealing with Mother Natures leftovers.  It almost sounds like your having to do work, maybe not with tools but certainly with managing those projects.  Hope all goes well and you can get out of town soon.

I understand about contractors being busy.  That has been my profession for over 3 decades and with the economy looking questionable, I wonder if I will EVER be able to stop this.  But I will say that my body is telling that I dont have too much longer to be able to do this.  Between being sore and having less stamina, I am also looking forward to some Southwest rejuvination.

 

[Danfreda1]

Carl be nice I was talking to Dave and I know what project we have to finished. 

[mr. cob]

20 hours ago, runaway parents said:

 Hey Mr. Cobb Home depot has those hair bags  in their tool department .I use them for hanging doors. Anyway got locked out of  our car. A air wedge a  Wooden  Shim and a coat hanger Got me in.

Howdy r p,

After seeing that little baggi thing in action I am thinking of getting one, never know when such a thing might come in handy.

Dave

[mr. cob]

19 hours ago, Danfreda1 said:

Howdy Dave 

we just left the hdt group this morning and moved to Plamosa road with the Escapees group. Besides the cold nights and wind weather is about like last year but a night of rain and a couple days of clouds. Wish you and Donna were here, going to stay here for a week the might see Roger and Karen for a few days then quartzite for a week or 2. Kept the horn blow at sunset going until we left but don’t know if they kept it going tonight. Tell Donna we said hi

Howdy DanFreda,

We sure miss being there, hopefully someone will continue the horn honk it's become kinda traditional by now.  They are making SLOW progress on the house still hoping to make it south but don't know when.

Dave

[mr. cob]

3 hours ago, rpsinc said:

Well, I do know how you have come to enjoy your activities in Q and esp the company of friends.  Its too bad that you are stuck dealing with Mother Natures leftovers.  It almost sounds like your having to do work, maybe not with tools but certainly with managing those projects.  Hope all goes well and you can get out of town soon.

I understand about contractors being busy.  That has been my profession for over 3 decades and with the economy looking questionable, I wonder if I will EVER be able to stop this.  But I will say that my body is telling that I dont have too much longer to be able to do this.  Between being sore and having less stamina, I am also looking forward to some Southwest rejuvination.

 

Howdy Marcel,

My biggest problem is staying in the house and not complaining about how long it's taking.  The contractor is doing a good job but he's dealing with having to do multiple jobs and working around the weather it's not a good situation for any of us.  Retire as soon as you can, our time on this planet is limited and I don't think anyone ever died wishing they had worked more then they enjoyed life's off time.

Dave

[jenandjon]

14 hours ago, mr. cob said:

Howdy Marcel,

 I don't think anyone ever died wishing they had worked more then they enjoyed life's off time.

Dave

There are a few farmers that would disagree with you. 

I know more than a few that work themselves to death. I've been told that camping and fishing is waste of time when you could be working.

I talked to one older farmer one day. He said his whole family was on vacation. His wife, all the kids and grandkids all went somewhere. He would rather say home and work. He hasn't seen his kids in years. They live all over the country. They all get together once a year for a couple weeks and go do something. He stays home. He will probably never meet his grandkids.

The day my bossed dad died we kept working. The day of is his funeral we got back to the farm changed clothes and went straight to work. It was just another day. 

Sad way to live, I think. All these guys have more money than they know what to do with. They will still work until the day they die. Telling people like us we are wasting time and need to be more productive. 

[mr. cob]

2 hours ago, jenandjon said:

There are a few farmers that would disagree with you. 

I know more than a few that work themselves to death. I've been told that camping and fishing is waste of time when you could be working.

I talked to one older farmer one day. He said his whole family was on vacation. His wife, all the kids and grandkids all went somewhere. He would rather say home and work. He hasn't seen his kids in years. They live all over the country. They all get together once a year for a couple weeks and go do something. He stays home. He will probably never meet his grandkids.

The day my bossed dad died we kept working. The day of is his funeral we got back to the farm changed clothes and went straight to work. It was just another day. 

Sad way to live, I think. All these guys have more money than they know what to do with. They will still work until the day they die. Telling people like us we are wasting time and need to be more productive. 

Howdy Jen and Jon,

Words I lived by, "Work to live, NOT live to work"

Dave

[TXiceman]

Words I lived by, "Work to live, NOT live to work"

I told a boss that once and I was laid-off the following week claiming I was not a team player.  That was fine, I found a better team to work for.

Ken

[mr. cob]

Howdy All,

To kinda bring this thread back around to the original problem, TWO things I have learned from this experience.

ONE, if the battery in your Smart Car, is DEAD, and I am "ASSUMING" any other modern vehicle that has electric door locks and a key fob you will have to either open the door with a key or in my case have a lock smith type person or a car jacker open it for you.

TWO, just because you have a key that works in the ignition that does NOT mean it will work to open the door.

For some reason, I don't know why, even with the battery charged the supplied keys that came with my Smart Car, will NOT unlock the door.  If the door is locked it can only be opened with the key fob.  I can only assume that there is a problem with the lock in the door.  When I insert the key it will NOT turn in either direction.  So I guess the safest thing to do is not lock the doors, nothing in it to steal anyway.

Dave

[rickeieio]

Don't know about a smart, but some vehicles have other ways to get in.  For example, on Ford "E" series vans from the early '90s, you could remove the right rear tail light and supply power to a wire there to open all the doors.  Had to do it once. 

So, if the harness passes through there, it might work on a smart, if you can get the tail light out.  Silly little tricks can come in handy.

[Darryl&Rita]

4 hours ago, mr. cob said:

When I insert the key it will NOT turn in either direction.

Sounds like either the lock is seized from lack of use, or the ignition tumbler has been swapped and not keyed to match the car.

[mr. cob]

14 minutes ago, Darryl&Rita said:

Sounds like either the lock is seized from lack of use, or the ignition tumbler has been swapped and not keyed to match the car.

Howdy Darryl,

Kinda what I was thinking, now that I know how to break into it I can do that in an emergency.  Much easier to just keep the battery charged which would not have been a problem if we had been driving the car on a regular basis rather then sitting here watching it rain while a new roof is being put on the house.

Dave