How to Break a Car Key

While most modern cars have taken extensive measures to hide their wiring systems or protect the steering column with security features to prevent key-breaking, older vehicles from the 90s and earlier are prime candidates for this kind of tampering. Breaking into a car key is sometimes necessary when you lose your key and need access to the car. Always be extremely cautious when handling wires, and refer to the User Manual for detailed instructions on the color codes and types of wires specific to your vehicle. If you want to learn how to break the steering lock and explore other methods, check Step 1 for further information.

Get into the car. Do not attempt to break into the car if you are not the owner and lack proof of ownership. Be aware that the car may sound an alarm if it is equipped with this feature.

• This method, and in fact, most methods of breaking into a car, will only be effective on older vehicles from the mid-90s and earlier. Newer cars are equipped with anti-theft mechanisms that prevent key-breaking unless you're extremely familiar with the vehicle's specific features. If you try this method on a 2002 Honda Civic, the alarm will go off, and the ignition lock will be triggered, making the car impossible to start.
• If you have consulted the user manual, verify that the steering lock and gear shifter can be disabled. This method may damage the gear-shifting mechanism and steering column.

Remove the plastic cover on the steering column. These are usually held in place by either clips or #2 Phillips screws. Unscrew and pull the cover off.

• For some older car models, you can break the ignition lock pins by tapping a flathead screwdriver into the keyhole and twisting it out. This method is difficult – almost impossible – to do by hand, but if the car is old enough, it might be worth trying.

Locate the seatbelt wiring cluster. After removing the frames from the steering column, you will see a bundle of wires. Don’t get confused; learn to identify the correct wire bundles. There will be three distinct wire bundles:

• The wires leading to controls attached to the column on one side, such as lights, cruise control, and other indicators.
• The wires leading to controls attached to the column on the opposite side, such as the windshield wipers or seat heating.
• The wires leading directly to the battery, ignition, and starter connected to the steering column.

Pull the battery, ignition, and starter wires. One of these wires provides the primary power to the ignition switch, another is the ignition wire, and the last is for the starter. The colors vary depending on the manufacturer. Check the user manual and do some online research to ensure you can identify all possibilities.

• Sometimes, the ignition wire is brown, the starter wire is yellow, but the battery wire is typically red. The only way to be certain is by reading the manual. You're not MacGyver – mishandling the wires could result in electrocution.

Strip about 2.5 cm of insulation from the battery wire and twist them together. Wrap them with electrical tape if possible, and ensure they don't touch any metal parts of the car. Connecting these wires will provide power to the ignition, allowing the engine to run when you engage the starter.

Connect the ignition on/off wire to the battery wire. Pay attention to the dashboard lights and other electrical devices that should be active by now. If all you want is to listen to the radio, you're done. If you want to drive the car, you will need to turn the ignition for the starter wire, which can be quite risky.

Be extremely cautious and strip about 1/3 cm of the starter wire. This wire is live, so handle it with great care and securely hold the stripped part. Touch the exposed end to the wire connected to the battery. Don't twist them, simply create a spark to trigger the car's ignition.

Increase the engine's RPM. If the car has started, revving the engine a few times will prevent it from stalling, so you won’t have to repeat the process.

• Once the engine is running, you can remove the starter wire and continue. To stop the engine, just disconnect the battery from the ignition wire, and the car will power down.

Break the steering lock. You've started the car and you're ready to drive into the sunset, right? Not quite. While driving, the steering column might lock, which means you’ll have to break the lock to steer, unless you want to drive straight into a rock or something similar.

• On some older car models, all you need to do is hit the metal keyhole to expose the spring and break the lock. If you’ve already used a screwdriver for cars from the '70s to '80s, the lock might already be broken.
• Some cars respond well to a small amount of grease on the crankshaft. Turn the steering wheel forcefully back and forth as if naturally twisting it. You can also use a hammer to fix the steering wheel and use it as a lever. Once you hear a cracking sound, the steering wheel will turn, and you’ll be able to drive normally.

Identify the drilling spot about 2/3 into the keyhole. The aim here is to break the lock pins, allowing you to start the car with a screwdriver instead of a key. This is a common approach when a car key is lost.

Drill to a depth equal to the length of the key. Every lock consists of two parts followed by springs, so you should drill at least twice, pulling the drill bit back after each pass to let the lock pins fall into their correct positions.

Insert the screwdriver just like you would a key. You don’t need to push it too far in, as the lock pins are already broken. Twist it about a quarter turn, just like turning a key, to start the engine.

• Warning: this method will damage the lock, and anyone with a screwdriver or strong enough fingernails can easily steal your car.

Open the front hood and locate the red coil wire. Both the circuit connecting wire and the ground wire are located at the back of most V8 engines. Four-cylinder engines are typically located on the right, near the engine’s center. Six-cylinder engines are positioned on the opposite side: the left, near the engine’s center.

Disconnect the starter lead wire. Connect the lead wire from the positive terminal of the battery to the positive terminal of the coil, or connect the red wire to the coil. This will transmit power to the dashboard, which is necessary if you want to start the engine.

Identify the starter coil. On Ford vehicles, it's located on the right side of the shield, next to the battery. For GM cars, it can be found on the starter, below the steering column.

Unlock the steering wheel. Place one edge of a flathead screwdriver at the top center of the steering wheel, and push the center of the wheel against the steering column. You need to push the locking pin out of the wheel. Don't worry, feel free to use some force here.

• The lock pin won’t open or trigger any alarm, so you should look for the coil underneath instead.

Connect the coil to the positive terminal of the battery. You’ll notice a small wire at the top of the coil and the positive terminal of the battery underneath. Disconnect the ignition wire from the coil, then use an insulated screwdriver to connect the positive terminal of the coil to the ignition wire connector.

• This will provide 12V of power to the battery. It will activate the coil, and the starter motor will fire up the engine.

• You risk damaging your vehicle if you try to break the lock.
• Vehicles with computer chips in their ignition system won’t allow you to bypass the lock. The chip activates the Electronic Control Unit, which prevents the vehicle from running without it.
• Never let the ignition wires twist together once the engine is started. It could cause the ignition system to catch fire or, at the very least, drain the battery.
• Most cars will trigger the alarm if you break the lock incorrectly.
• Always apply these techniques responsibly.

• Wear insulated gloves.
• If the ignition wire disconnects while you’re driving, the engine will shut down instantly, and your vehicle will effectively run out of fuel, making it undriveable and unable to brake.
• Do not use this method for illegal purposes, such as stealing a car.