How to Pick a Trunk Lock on a Car? Detailed Guide for Beginners in 2023

If you have ever had the misfortune of locking your car trunk and your car trunk happens to not have a safety latch, you are probably wondering how to pick a trunk lock on a car.

Do not worry too much. With the right tools and the right amount of patience, you should be able to open up your trunk in no time!

But first, let us discuss the inclusion of safety latches on car trunks and know the step of how to pick a trunk lock on a car.

When do Did Cars begin to be Manufactured with a Safety Latch?

To start off, modern car technology has advanced to the point that it comes with latches that can be operated from the driver’s seat. These latches are often controlled by motors, and they ensure your valuables are held together. The motors and sensors work together to control the lock. On average, the lock would be situated somewhere around the foot region of a driver’s seat, such as in the Toyota F-EX Premio 2018 or the Mazda 2020 CX-30. However, some trunks are also created using a technique known as the hook-and-cylinder complex. These are locks that are mostly controlled by a key that is often flat. These are common for cars manufactured before 2002; the reason as to why is below.

Before the 2002s, trunk trampled deaths were very common, especially for children and kidnapped victims. Oftentimes the enclosed space caused suffocation and ensued death. To prevent these, in 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made it mandatory to install an emergency latch on trunk locks. These latches would glow from the inside and could be opened from the inside as well. Following this, automatic locks became very common among car manufacturers, giving rise to the newer generations of cars. However, hook-and-cylinder locks are not unheard of, and if you purchase any car that may have been manufactured before 2002, chances are your car has this technology in place.

Whatever the technology may be, locking your trunk and struggling to open it is a lot of people’s worst nightmares.

Opening a trunk lock is pretty simple for a door lock actuator-type trunk lock. It is the hook-and-cylinder that may need to be picked with tools in order to open properly.

Now that we have discussed safety latches let us walk you through the main procedure of how to pick a trunk lock on a car.

The Procedure

If you have any cars that have very simple lock systems, especially ones that require a flat key to open, the procedure is the simplest. You just need to borrow a key that looks very similar to your one, and it will open up very easily.

However, since many people do not have those cars, borrowing a key may seem easier said than done. So, for those instances, follow the instructions below.

In order to pick a trunk lock, you must have the following

-A well-rounded set of auto jigglers

OR

–A strong magnet

I will first walk you through the process with the auto jigglers and then the magnet

i) Auto Jigglers

Before we begin, let us briefly explain what auto jigglers are. These are a set of 10 key-like devices that are meant to unlock the locks on car doors, hood latches, and trunk latches. These come in various shapes and are often packed together.

In order to figure out which one to use, try and visualize your keys and see which shape makes the most amount of sense.

Now that you understand auto jigglers let us walk you through the procedure of using one.

Step 1- To begin, make sure you have the auto jiggler that looks the closest to your key. Once that is set, insert the auto jiggler into the lock and wiggle it.

Step 2- Keep jiggling it back and forth until the lock comes undone.

Step 3- If the lock is still tight, try another auto jiggler and repeat the steps.

In the case that you cannot get your hands on auto jigglers or cannot seem to open the latch properly, I suggest using a magnet.

ii) Strong Magnet

This will allow the lock to come undone by itself. For this, you will need the magnet often found in speakers with heavy bases. This magnet will work the best.

Step 1- Grab the magnet and place it directly above the lock opening.

Step 2- Keep hovering it over the lock and move it in different directions carefully.

Step 3- Once the magnet successfully deactivates the lock, the trunk will automatically open up.

Last Resort

Oftentimes a good pair of auto jigglers or a strong magnet can successfully open the lock. This does not require more than just a little time and patience, as you may need to keep at it for a while. But in the end, this does work.

However, in certain cases, trunk locks are very well made. Something that is usually very good for your car can turn out to be your worst enemy in a crisis like this. So, in these cases, you may have to take your car to the mechanic, who will use specialized tools in order to open the latch.

Precautions

Sometimes people forget that cars have sensitive manufacturing and do not carefully deal with them. These can lead to many issues. At best, you are looking at cosmetic damages such as scratches and dents, but superficial curing for a car can be incredibly expensive.

At worst, well, you may mess up the lock mechanics completely, resulting in excessive expense. In order to avoid those, carefully follow the instructions below.

• Do NOT insert screwdrivers or bobby pins into the lock. You may not know the exact mechanics of these locks and may end up damaging the lock instead
• Carefully use the auto jigglers. Make sure to get a good grip before jiggling it so you do not accidentally slip and damage the exterior of the car.

If you follow these steps on how to pick a trunk lock on a car, you should be able to open up the latch to your trunk.

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