So about 3 years ago I broke one of my keys off in the drivers door lock. The key remote had stopped working so I used the key in the lock every day. Half of the key was still stuck in there with the barrels thrown, so all I had to do to lock/unlock the car was turn the barrel with another key, a penny, or sometimes a perfectly shaped piece of mulch when I was too lazy to go back in the house for the keys. Well, the other day my wife went out to hop in the Disco and the door wouldn't unlock. Usually when you turn the key barrel, it unlocks all the doors at once. Now it's doing nothing. All doors are locked and I have no remote to unlock.

Since the interior door unlock button is on the center stack, I have no idea how I am going to get a coat hanger over there and apply enough pressure to push it. I have a feeling the battery may be dead (we don't drive it much due to pandemic and our new/used 2016 LR4) because if I click the lock button on the remote (it still works amazingly), the interior lights and turn signals are not flashing.

Without breaking into the engine bay to check or charge the battery, does anyone have any tricks that they have used to get into their Disco when this has happened? You're a clever bunch so figured I would ask.

 

I searched for this topic but didn't get results immediately. Just found some that suggest maybe the lock pin broke. Will dig into that next. Still interested in ideas on how to break in without breaking a window. No idea why they didn't put a key slot on the passengers door.

 

You can usually charge a battery by connecting to the heavy lead on the starter motor as the positive terminal.

 

You can attempt to carefully using a wooden cooking utensil to pry out the top of the door frame. They even sell little inflatable bags at Home Depot that work just like pro locksmiths. Then once the top of the door is out enough you can then insert a fish tape or something with some tacky putty at the end (keeps it from slipping all over the place) or make a hook and try to pull open the door handle.

I have yet to lock myself out of a RRC/D1/D2, but my wife did lock herself out of her LR3 which I was able to do the above carefully without any damage to the vehicle and I saved myself $$$.

 

Any mobile locksmith should have a small, specialty tool to be able to pull the key stub out of the door lock. After that they should be able to cut a new key for you from the carcass of the old one. Or perhaps you already have another key.

 

Does the barrel still turn? Any sunroofs open? Windows cracked?

 

I’ve done this using the central lock button on the dash. Don’t bother with a pop a lock company and getting a grip on the handle with an improvised tool doesn’t work either, I tried. If your battery is dead you can give it a charge without opening the hood by getting Under the truck and getting a jumper cable on the positive cable that goes from the battery to the starter and find a good ground under the truck.

Go to Home Depot and get an inflatable air shim and a metal dowel rod that’s 1/4 wide. On one end measure 3” and make a 90 degree bend and cover it with couple wraps of duct tape to keep it from scratching up your dash as this will be the end hitting the central lock button and it will give you a little grip and won’t scratch up your dash while you are maneuvering toward the lock button. On the other end I made a bend at 6” to form a U, this gives you a handle so to can more easily work the other end. The weight of the rod as well as the flex is very, very helpful while doing this.

Take the air shim and slip it between the window frame of the door and the b pillar. Placement here is key, I did mine in the top 3rd of the b pillar. Pump up the shim enough to slip the dowel in and maneuver the end with the 3” 90 degree bend and tape to the button. It will take you a few times to get it but once you’ve got the placement just put pressure on the dowel towards the b pillar and your are in.


This will cost you maybe $30 bucks and you’ll be ready for next time. As for pulling the handle assembly just pop off the door card and unbolt the handle from the inside, it will slide right out. Dissemble the barrel, knock out your old key and reinstall the entire assembly with your new lock rod if you find that it has snapped.

 

air shim at Home Depot

 

If you can't find the Shim Air bag, a blood pressure testing cuff from a pharmacy will work also

 

Thanks everyone for all the responses. I never knew there was such a thing as an inflatable shim!!! Genious! To answer some of the other suggestions:

1. Called a few locksmiths when I originally broke the key off, no one would touch it. I thought that a bit strange since that seems like something they would do a lot. Maybe just didn't call the right place.
2. No windows or sunroof open, so have to go the shim and metal dowel rod.
3. If battery is truly dead and clicking the center lock button on dash does nothing, I'll try to charge the battery via the starter cable. If that doesn't work. I will pop the hood. It just so happens that I had to replace the hood cable about 8 months ago, so the little plastic piece the protects the underside of the release mechanism is long gone. I should be able to pop the hood by tugging on the cable like I have recently (another story). That required 30 minutes of reconnecting the cable without removing the grille because the plastic grille is so old an fragile it will probably break if I remove it one more time.
4. I will replace the lock pin once I get it open.


So, wish me luck. I'll try to remember to post an update when done!!